MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The Torture
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The morning came bright and loud.
Keifer was in the kitchen, making coffee. Aurora was on the counter. She had climbed up when he wasn't looking. She had flour in her hair. She had eggs on her shirt. She was laughing. She was loud. She was chaos.
"Aurora," Keifer said. His voice was calm. His face was steady. "Get down."
Aurora looked at her father. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She grabbed a handful of flour. She threw it at his face.
Keifer's face was white. His hair was white. His shirt was white. His eyes were not.
Aurora laughed. She was loud. She was chaos. She was her mother's daughter.
Percy walked in. He saw Keifer. He saw Aurora. He saw the flour. His face split into a grin. "She got you."
Keifer looked at his brother. "She got me."
Percy laughed. He was loud. He was happy. He was not the target.
Aurora grabbed another handful of flour. She threw it at Percy's face. His face was white. His hair was white. His shirt was white. His mouth was open.
Keifer's face didn't change. "She got you too."
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Alexander was in the living room. He was sitting on the floor. He was playing with his blocks. He was quiet. He was calm. He was watching. He was always watching.
Keifer walked in. He was holding Aurora. His face was still white. His hair was still white. His shirt was still white. He set Aurora on the floor. She crawled to her brother. She knocked over his tower.
Alexander looked at his sister. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He picked up the blocks. He started building again.
Aurora watched. She was waiting. She was planning. She was chaos.
Keifer sat on the sofa. He was trying to clean the flour from his hair. He was trying to clean the flour from his shirt. He was trying to clean the flour from his face.
Aurora crawled to her father. She pulled herself up. Her hands were on his legs. Her face was red. Her determination was fierce. She climbed. Her father's hands caught her. His arms were around her. His face was soft.
"Dada," Aurora said.
Keifer's heart melted. His face was soft. His eyes were bright. "Yes?"
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."
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Jay walked into the living room. She was holding Alexander. Her son was calm. Her son was heavy. Her son was serious. She looked at Keifer. At the flour in his hair. At the flour on his shirt. At the flour on his face.
"What happened?" Jay asked.
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was on his lap. Her hands were in his hair. Her face was innocent. Her eyes were not. "Aurora happened."
Jay sat beside him. She put Alexander on the floor. He crawled to his blocks. He started building. He was quiet. He was calm. He was watching.
Jay looked at her daughter. "Aurora. Be nice to your father."
Aurora looked at her mother. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She let go of Keifer's hair. She patted his face. Soft. Gentle. Sweet.
Keifer's heart melted. "She's perfect."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "She's planning something."
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was looking at his hair. Her eyes were sharp. Her face was determined. "She's planning something."
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Lyra walked into the living room. Alex was behind her. She was carrying coffee. She stopped. She looked at Keifer. At the flour in his hair. At the flour on his shirt. At the flour on his face.
"What happened?" Lyra asked.
Jay looked at her husband. "Aurora happened."
Lyra looked at her niece. Aurora was on Keifer's lap. Her hands were in her lap. Her face was innocent. Her eyes were not. "She's your daughter."
Jay sighed. "She's our daughter."
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Alex sat on the sofa. Lyra sat beside him. He handed her coffee. She took it. She looked at the twins. At Aurora on Keifer's lap. At Alexander building his tower.
"They're quiet," Alex said.
Lyra took a sip of coffee. "They're planning something."
Alex looked at Aurora. She was now trying to climb onto Keifer's head. "She's planning something."
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Keiran ran into the room. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "AURORA! I FOUND—"
Aurora looked at her cousin. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She grabbed a handful of flour from her father's hair. She threw it at Keiran's face.
Keiran's face was white. His hair was white. His shirt was white. His mouth was open.
Keigan walked in. He looked at his brother. He looked at Aurora. He looked at the flour. His face didn't change. "She got you."
Keiran sputtered. "She—she threw—she—"
Aurora threw another handful of flour. Keigan's face was white. His hair was white. His shirt was white. His eyes were not.
Keiran laughed. He was loud. He was happy. He was not the only target.
Keigan's face didn't change. "She got me."
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Care walked into the living room. Cole was behind her. She was carrying her medical bag. She stopped. She looked at Keifer. At the flour in his hair. At the flour on his shirt. At the flour on his face. She looked at Keiran. At the flour on his face. She looked at Keigan. At the flour on his face.
"What happened?" Care asked.
Jay looked at her daughter. "Aurora happened."
Care looked at her niece. Aurora was on Keifer's lap. Her hands were in her lap. Her face was innocent. Her eyes were not. "She's your daughter."
Jay sighed. "She's our daughter."
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Cole sat on the sofa. Care sat beside him. He put his arm around her. She leaned against him. They looked at the twins.
"They're quiet," Cole said.
Care watched Aurora. "She's planning something."
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Aries walked into the room. Ella was beside them. They stopped. They looked at Keifer. At the flour. At Keiran. At the flour. At Keigan. At the flour.
"What happened?" Aries asked.
Jay looked at her daughter. "Aurora happened."
Aries looked at their niece. Aurora was now trying to climb onto Keifer's head. "She's your daughter."
Jay sighed. "She's our daughter."
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Ella sat on the sofa. Aries sat beside her. They looked at the twins.
"They're quiet," Ella said.
Aries watched Aurora. "She's planning something."
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Percy walked into the room. He was holding a towel. He was trying to clean the flour from his face. He stopped. He looked at Keifer. At the flour. At Keiran. At the flour. At Keigan. At the flour. He grinned.
"She got everyone," Percy said.
Aurora looked at her uncle. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She grabbed a handful of flour from her father's hair. She threw it at Percy's face.
Percy's face was white. His hair was white. His shirt was white. His mouth was open.
Keifer's face didn't change. "She got you again."
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Honey walked into the room. She looked at Percy. At the flour. She looked at Keifer. At the flour. She looked at Keiran. At the flour. She looked at Keigan. At the flour.
"What happened?" Honey asked.
Percy sputtered. "She—she threw—she—"
Honey looked at Aurora. Her niece was on Keifer's lap. Her hands were in her lap. Her face was innocent. Her eyes were not. "She's your niece."
Percy's face was wet. "She's chaos."
Honey pulled him close. "She's our chaos."
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The morning passed. The flour was cleaned. The faces were washed. The hair was brushed. The house was quiet. The twins were on the floor. Aurora was building a tower. Alexander was watching. She stacked the blocks. He watched. She stacked higher. He watched. She reached for the top block. The tower wobbled. It fell. Aurora looked at the blocks. She looked at her brother. She started again.
Jay sat on the sofa. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. His face was clean. His hair was clean. His shirt was clean. "They're quiet."
Jay looked at her daughter. Aurora was stacking blocks. Her face was serious. Her hands were steady. "She's planning something."
Keifer looked at his daughter. "She's always planning something."
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Aurora finished her tower. It was tall. It was steady. She looked at her father. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She crawled to him. She pulled herself up. Her hands were on his legs. Her face was red. Her determination was fierce. She climbed. His hands caught her. His arms were around her. His face was soft.
"Dada," Aurora said.
Keifer's heart melted. "Yes?"
Aurora patted his face. Soft. Gentle. Sweet. She kissed his cheek. Small. Warm. Alive.
Keifer's eyes were wet. "I love you."
Aurora grabbed his hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Keifer's face didn't change. "I love you too."
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Alexander finished his tower. It was tall. It was steady. He looked at his father. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He crawled to him. He pulled himself up. His hands were on Keifer's legs. His face was serious. His determination was steady.
"Dada," Alexander said.
Keifer picked him up. His arms were full. His heart was full. "Yes?"
Alexander touched his father's face. Small. Warm. Alive. He patted Keifer's cheek. Soft. Gentle. Sweet.
Keifer's eyes were wet. "I love you."
Alexander grabbed Keifer's hair. He pulled. He was strong. He was determined. He was his father's son.
Keifer's face didn't change. "I love you too."
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Jay watched her children. Her face was soft. Her eyes were bright. "They're perfect."
Keifer looked at his wife. His hair was a mess. His face was covered in tiny handprints. His shirt was wrinkled. His heart was full. "They're perfect."
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Lyra was in her corner. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was blank. Her eyes were on the twins. Alex was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She's chaos for everyone else," Lyra said.
Alex looked at Aurora. At the niece who threw flour at her father. Who threw flour at her uncles. Who threw flour at her cousins. Who was chaos for everyone.
But who kissed her father's cheek. Who said Dada. Who loved him.
"She's her father's daughter," Alex said.
Lyra watched her brother. Keifer was on the sofa, his hair a mess, his face covered in tiny handprints, his shirt wrinkled. He was holding his children. He was smiling. He was happy. He was chaos.
"She's her father's daughter," Lyra said.
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The afternoon passed. The sun was high. The twins were on the floor. Aurora was drawing. Alexander was watching. She drew a picture. A house. A garden. A tree. Two people. A man. A woman. Two small people. A girl. A boy.
She held up the picture. She looked at her father. "Dada."
Keifer walked to her. He knelt beside her. He looked at the picture. "Is that us?"
Aurora pointed at the man. "Dada." She pointed at the woman. "Mama." She pointed at the small girl. "Rora." She pointed at the small boy. "Xander."
Keifer's eyes were wet. "It's us."
Aurora gave him the picture. She kissed his cheek. Small. Warm. Alive. "Dada."
Keifer pulled her close. "I love you."
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Alexander crawled to his father. He pulled himself up. He looked at the picture. He touched his father's face. "Dada."
Keifer picked him up. "Yes?"
Alexander pointed at the picture. At the small boy. "Xander." He pointed at Keifer. "Dada." He pointed at Jay. "Mama." He pointed at Aurora. "Rora."
Keifer kissed his forehead. "I love you."
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The sun was setting when the family gathered in the living room.
Percy was on the sofa, his face clean, his hair brushed, his shirt fresh. He was holding the picture Aurora had drawn. "She drew this."
Honey looked at the picture. "It's beautiful."
Percy's eyes were wet. "She drew me."
Honey looked at the picture. At the small figure with wild hair. "That's you."
Percy grinned. "That's me."
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Keiran was on the floor. He was looking at the picture. "She drew me."
Keigan looked at the picture. At the small figure with red hair. "That's you."
Keiran's face was bright. "She drew me."
Keigan's face didn't change. "She drew everyone."
Keiran looked at his brother. "She drew you too."
Keigan looked at the picture. At the small figure with cold eyes. "She drew me."
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Care was on the sofa. Cole was beside her. She was looking at the picture. "She drew the house."
Cole looked at the picture. At the small house with the big garden. "She drew home."
Care leaned against him. "She drew home."
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Lyra was in her corner. Alex was beside her. She was looking at the picture. "She drew the garden."
Alex looked at the picture. At the red roses. "She drew Lyra's roses."
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "She drew my roses."
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Aries was on the sofa. Ella was beside them. They were looking at the picture. "She drew the tree."
Ella looked at the picture. At the big tree with the swing. "She drew our tree."
Aries pulled her close. "She drew our tree."
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Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back. They were looking at the family. At the picture. At the chaos. At the love.
"They're perfect," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
Jay leaned against him. "Aurora drew you."
Keifer looked at the picture. At the man with the messy hair. "She drew me."
Jay smiled. "She drew you covered in flour."
Keifer pulled her close. "She drew us."
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The night was quiet. The house was still. The twins were in the nursery. Sleeping. Safe. Home. Aurora's picture was on the refrigerator. The house. The garden. The tree. The roses. The family. Dada. Mama. Rora. Xander. Everyone.
Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back. "They're perfect."
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
The door creaked. Small footsteps. Soft breathing. Aurora stood in the doorway. She was holding her blanket. She was not going to sleep alone. Behind her, Alexander crawled into the room. He was holding his bear. He was not going to let his sister have all the attention.
Jay sighed. "They escaped again."
Keifer looked at his children. "They're our children."
Aurora climbed onto the bed. She crawled between her parents. She pulled the blanket over herself. She closed her eyes. "Dada."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "Dada's here."
Alexander climbed onto the bed. He crawled beside his sister. He held his bear. He closed his eyes. "Dada."
Keifer kissed his forehead. "Dada's here."
Jay looked at her children. "They're perfect."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "They're perfect."
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END OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN