MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter One Hundred Six: The Interruption
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The afternoon was quiet.
Most of the family had gone home. Rakki and Ci N had left after lunch. Mica and Calix had disappeared to their apartment. Freya and Erdix had returned to their house. Grace and Denzel had gone to check on their garden. Kuya Angelo and Ion had taken Tita Gemma and Tita Rachel for a drive. The house was empty. The house was still. The house was theirs.
Jay sat on the steps of the garden. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. The sun was warm. The flowers were blooming. The roses were red. Lyra's roses. The ones Percy had planted. The ones that bloomed every morning.
"You're thinking," Keifer said.
She looked at him. "I'm always thinking."
He pulled her close. "What are you thinking about?"
She leaned against him. "I'm thinking about the garden. About the mud. About the Ferris wheel. About the contract. About the day you put the ring back on my finger."
He kissed her hair. "I'm thinking about the day you took a bullet for me."
She touched his face. "I would do it again."
He kissed her hand. "I wouldn't let you."
She smiled. "You don't have a choice."
He pulled her onto his lap. His arms were around her. His face was close. "I love you."
She kissed him. "I love you too."
---
The kiss was soft. The kiss was slow. The kiss was theirs. The garden was quiet. The sun was warm. The roses were red.
Aurora crawled through the grass. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos. She had escaped the nursery. She had escaped her father's arms. She had escaped her mother's watch. She was free. She was coming. She was loud.
"AURORA!" Keiran's voice echoed through the garden. "AURORA, COME BACK!"
Aurora did not come back. She crawled faster. She was laughing. She was loud. She was chaos. She reached the steps. She pulled herself up. She stood. Her legs wobbled. Her arms waved. She took one step. Two steps. Three steps. She fell into Keifer's lap.
She was laughing. She was loud. She was her father's daughter.
Keifer caught her. His arms were around her. His face was soft. "You escaped."
Aurora grabbed his hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Keifer's face didn't change. "You're your mother's daughter."
---
Lyra walked through the garden. She was holding Alexander. The baby was serious, his dark eyes watching his sister, his small hands gripping Lyra's shirt. Keiran was behind her, his face red, his hands empty. "I'm sorry. I was watching her. I blinked. She was gone. She's too fast. She's—"
Lyra raised her hand. "It's fine."
Keiran stopped. His face was still red. "It's fine?"
Lyra looked at Aurora. At her niece who was now pulling Keifer's hair. "She's chaos."
Keiran nodded. "She's chaos."
---
Jay pulled Aurora off Keifer's lap. Her daughter was laughing. Her daughter was loud. Her daughter was hers. "You're supposed to be napping."
Aurora grabbed her mother's hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Jay's face didn't change. "You're your father's daughter."
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "She's your daughter."
Jay looked at him. "She's our daughter."
Keifer pulled her close. His arms were around her. His face was close. "I love you."
Jay kissed him. "I love you too."
---
Aurora pushed between them. Her hands were on her father's face. Her hands were on her mother's face. She was loud. She was chaos. She was not going to be ignored.
Lyra sat on the steps. Alexander was on her lap. He was watching his sister. He was serious. He was waiting. He was always waiting.
"She wants attention," Lyra said.
Jay looked at her daughter. "She always wants attention."
Lyra looked at her niece. "She's your daughter."
Jay sighed. "She's our daughter."
---
Alex walked through the garden. He was carrying coffee. He handed a cup to Lyra. He kissed her forehead. He sat beside her. He looked at Aurora. "What did she do now?"
Lyra took a sip of coffee. "She escaped."
Alex looked at Aurora. The baby was now climbing on Keifer's shoulders. "She's going to be trouble."
Lyra looked at her niece. "She's already trouble."
---
Percy walked through the garden. Honey was behind him. He was carrying a blanket. He spread it on the grass. He sat down. He looked at the group on the steps. "What's happening?"
Jay took a cup of coffee from Honey. "Aurora escaped."
Percy looked at his niece. Aurora was now on Keifer's head. She was laughing. She was loud. She was chaos. "She escaped?"
Keiran appeared from behind the bushes. His face was red. His hands were empty. "I was watching her. I blinked. She was gone. She's too fast. She's—"
Lyra raised her hand. "It's fine."
Keiran stopped. His face was still red. "It's fine?"
Lyra looked at her niece. "She's fine."
---
Aries walked through the garden. Ella was beside them. Their hands were intertwined. They sat on the blanket. They looked at the chaos.
"She escaped," Aries said.
Ella smiled. "She escaped."
Keiran sat on the grass. His face was still red. "I was watching her."
Keigan walked through the garden. His arms were crossed. His face was cold. His eyes were on his brother. "You blinked."
Keiran's face went redder. "I blinked."
Keigan sat beside him. His arms were still crossed. His face was still cold. "Don't blink."
Keiran stared at him. "Don't blink?"
Keigan looked at Aurora. At his niece who was now pulling Keifer's hair again. "She's fast."
---
Care walked through the garden. Cole was beside her. She was carrying a medical bag. She sat on the steps. She opened the bag. She pulled out bandages. "Is anyone hurt?"
Lyra looked at Keifer. His hair was a mess. His face was calm. "He will be."
Keifer looked at his sister. "I'm fine."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "She's pulling your hair."
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was now using his head as a climbing frame. "She's strong."
---
The afternoon passed. The sun was warm. The garden was green. The roses were red. The family was scattered across the grass, across the steps, across the blanket. Aurora was on Keifer's shoulders. Alexander was on Lyra's lap. Keiran was on the grass, his face still red, his eyes on his niece. Keigan was beside him, his arms crossed, his face cold.
Jay was on the steps. Keifer was beside her. Aurora was above them. Her hands were in her father's hair. Her laugh was loud. Her joy was everything.
"You're going to be trouble," Jay said.
Aurora looked at her mother. Her eyes were dark. Her smile was wide. She pulled her father's hair.
Keifer's face didn't change. "She's your daughter."
Jay looked at her husband. "She's our daughter."
Keifer pulled her close. His arm was around her. His face was close. "I love you."
Jay kissed him. "I love you too."
---
Aurora pushed between them. Her hands were on her father's face. Her hands were on her mother's face. She was loud. She was chaos. She was not going to be ignored.
Lyra watched from the steps. Alexander was on her lap. He was watching his sister. He was serious. He was waiting. "She's your daughter."
Jay looked at her daughter. "She's our daughter."
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "She's chaos."
Jay sighed. "She's chaos."
---
Percy looked at the group. At the chaos. At the laughter. At the family. "This is the best."
Honey looked at him. "This is chaos."
Percy grinned. "This is the best chaos."
Keiran looked at his niece. Aurora was now on her mother's shoulders. Her laugh was loud. Her joy was everything. "She's fast."
Keigan looked at his brother. "Don't blink."
Keiran looked at him. "I won't."
Keigan's face didn't change. "You will."
Keiran's face went red. "I won't."
Keigan almost smiled. Almost. "You will."
---
Care looked at Cole. Her face was calm. Her eyes were soft. "We should have one."
Cole's face went red. "What?"
Care looked at the twins. At Aurora on Jay's shoulders. At Alexander on Lyra's lap. At the chaos. At the joy. "A baby."
Cole's face was red. His hands were empty. "Now?"
Care raised an eyebrow. "Not now. Someday."
Cole pulled her close. His face was red. His eyes were bright. "Someday."
Care kissed him. "Someday."
---
Aries looked at Ella. Their face was soft. Their eyes were bright. "We should have one."
Ella's face went pink. "A baby?"
Aries nodded. "A baby."
Ella looked at the twins. At the chaos. At the joy. "Someday."
Aries pulled her close. "Someday."
---
Keiran looked at his brother. "Do you want kids?"
Keigan's face was cold. "No."
Keiran grinned. "You'd be a good dad."
Keigan's face didn't change. "No."
Keiran's grin widened. "You'd be the best dad."
Keigan looked at his brother. His face didn't change. His eyes did. "Shut up."
Keiran laughed. "You love me."
Keigan looked at Aurora. At his niece who was now pulling her mother's hair. "I love her."
Keiran's face fell. "What about me?"
Keigan looked at his brother. His face was cold. His eyes were warm. "You're okay."
Keiran grinned. "You love me."
Keigan looked away. "You're okay."
---
The sun was setting when the family finally moved inside.
The twins were in the nursery. Sleeping. Safe. Home. Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back.
"They're perfect," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
Jay leaned against him. "Aurora escaped today."
Keifer pulled her close. "She's fast."
Jay smiled. "She's your daughter."
Keifer kissed her neck. "She's our daughter."
---
Lyra stood in the doorway of her room. Alex was behind her. His hand was in hers.
"They're loud," Lyra said.
Alex smiled. "They're family."
Lyra looked at him. "They're annoying."
Alex kissed her hand. "They love you."
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "I love them."
---
Percy stood in the garden. The roses were red. The sun was setting. Honey was beside him. Her hand was in his.
"They're happy," Honey said.
Percy nodded. "They're happy."
Honey leaned against him. "We're happy."
Percy pulled her close. "We're happy."
---
Aries stood in the kitchen. Ella was beside them. Their hands were in the dough. Their faces were soft.
"They're happy," Ella said.
Aries nodded. "They're happy."
Ella smiled. "We're happy."
Aries pulled her close. "We're happy."
---
Care stood in the medical room. Cole was beside her. Her hands were on the supplies. His hands were on her waist.
"They're happy," Cole said.
Care nodded. "They're happy."
Cole pulled her close. "We're happy."
Care kissed him. "We're happy."
---
Keiran stood in the hallway. Keigan was beside him. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "Aurora escaped today."
Keigan's face was cold. "She escaped."
Keiran grinned. "She's fast."
Keigan looked at his brother. "Don't blink."
Keiran laughed. "I won't."
Keigan almost smiled. Almost. "You will."
---
The night was quiet. The house was still. Jay lay in Keifer's arms. Her head was on his chest. His heart was beating beneath her ear.
"You're thinking," Keifer said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about Aurora. About how she escaped. About how she found us. About how she interrupted us."
He kissed her hair. "She's your daughter."
She smiled. "She's our daughter."
He pulled her close. "I love you."
She kissed him. "I love you too."
The door creaked. Small footsteps. Soft breathing. Aurora stood in the doorway. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She was holding her blanket. She was not going to sleep alone.
Jay sighed. "She escaped again."
Keifer looked at his daughter. "She's your daughter."
Jay looked at her husband. "She's our daughter."
Aurora crawled onto the bed. She climbed between her parents. She pulled the blanket over herself. She closed her eyes. She was sleeping. She was safe. She was home.
Jay looked at her daughter. "She's perfect."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "She's perfect."
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END OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SIX