MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: The Walking
The morning came bright and chaotic.
Aurora was standing. She had been practicing for weeks. Holding onto the sofa. Holding onto Keifer's legs. Holding onto Jay's hands. She wanted to walk. She was determined. She was stubborn. She was her mother's daughter.
Alexander was watching. He was sitting on the floor. His legs were crossed. His face was serious. He was waiting. He was always waiting.
Jay sat on the sofa. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. "She's going to walk today."
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was holding onto the coffee table. Her legs were wobbling. Her face was red. Her determination was fierce. "She's going to fall."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "She's going to walk."
Keifer kissed her hand. "She's going to fall."
Aurora let go of the coffee table. She stood. Her legs wobbled. Her arms waved. She took one step. Two steps. Three steps. She fell. She landed on her bottom. Her face was shocked. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth was open.
Keifer's face didn't change. "She fell."
Jay smiled. "She walked first."
Aurora stood up. She tried again. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. She fell again. She stood up. She tried again. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. Five steps. She reached Keifer. She grabbed his legs. She was laughing. She was loud. She was chaos.
"Dada," Aurora said.
Keifer picked her up. His daughter was warm. His daughter was wiggly. His daughter was loud. "You walked."
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."
Alexander watched his sister. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He stood up. He walked to his mother. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. Five steps. He did not wobble. He did not fall. He was steady. He was calm. He was his father's son.
Jay's eyes were wide. "Alexander."
Alexander reached his mother. He touched her face. Small. Warm. Alive. "Mama."
Jay picked him up. Her son was calm. Her son was heavy. Her son was serious. "You walked."
Alexander looked at his mother. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He touched her face. "Mama."
Jay kissed his forehead. "I love you."
Percy ran into the room. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "I heard crying! What happened?"
Jay looked at him. "Aurora walked."
Percy's eyes went wide. "She walked?"
Jay nodded. "She walked."
Percy ran to Aurora. He picked her up. He spun her around. She was laughing. She was loud. She was chaos. "You walked! You walked!"
Aurora grabbed his hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Percy's face didn't change. "You're your mother's niece."
Keiran ran into the room. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "Who walked?"
Jay looked at him. "Aurora walked. Alexander walked."
Keiran's eyes went wide. "Both of them?"
Jay nodded. "Both of them."
Keiran ran to Alexander. He picked him up. He spun him around. Alexander's face was serious. His eyes were calm. He did not laugh. He did not cry. He just watched.
Keiran stopped spinning. "You're not excited?"
Alexander looked at his cousin. His face was serious. He touched Keiran's face. "Kei."
Keiran's eyes were wet. "He said my name."
Keigan walked into the room. His arms were crossed. His face was cold. He looked at Alexander. "He said your name."
Keiran hugged his brother. "He said my name!"
Keigan's face didn't change. "He said your name."
Care walked into the room. Liana was in her arms. The baby was teething again. Her face was red. Her fists were clenched. She was crying. She was loud. She was chaos.
"The twins walked," Care said.
Jay looked at her sister. "They walked."
Care smiled. "They're growing."
Jay pulled her close. "They're growing."
Liana stopped crying. She looked at Aurora. Aurora was on the floor, building a tower. Liana reached out. Her hand touched the air. She wanted to go to her cousin.
Care looked at her daughter. "You want Aurora?"
Liana kicked her feet. She reached again. She wanted Aurora.
Care set Liana on the floor. The baby crawled. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos. She reached Aurora. She pulled herself up. Her hands were on the tower. She looked at Aurora.
"Rora," Liana said.
Aurora looked at her cousin. Her face was serious. Her eyes were bright. "Lia."
Liana smiled. She had no teeth. Her gums were pink. Her smile was wide. "Rora."
Aurora handed her a block. Liana took it. She put it on the tower. The tower grew. The tower was tall. The tower was steady.
Alexander crawled to his cousins. He sat beside them. He watched. He was always watching.
Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back. Their children were on the floor. Their children were building. Their children were loving.
"They're perfect," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
Jay leaned against him. "They walked."
Keifer pulled her close. "They walked."
Lyra was in her corner. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was blank. Her eyes were on the children. Alex was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"They walked," Alex said.
Lyra watched her niece and nephews. At Aurora building. At Alexander watching. At Liana grabbing blocks. "They're growing."
Alex pulled her close. "They're growing."
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "They're chaos."
Alex kissed her forehead. "They're perfect chaos."
The sun was setting when the family gathered in the living room.
The children were on the floor. Aurora was walking. Back and forth. Back and forth. She was practicing. She was determined. She was chaos. Alexander was sitting. He was watching. He was always watching. Liana was crawling. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos.
Percy watched from the armchair. His face was soft. His eyes were bright. "They're growing."
Honey was beside him. Her hand was in his. "They're growing."
Percy pulled her close. "We're growing."
Honey kissed his cheek. "We're growing."
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. The twins were in their cribs. Sleeping. Safe. Home.
"You're thinking," Keifer said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about the twins. About their first steps. About their first words. About the people they'll become."
He kissed her hair. "They'll be strong."
She smiled. "They'll be stubborn."
He laughed. "Like their mother."
She touched his face. "Like their father."
He pulled her close. "Like us."
She held him. "Like us."
The door creaked. Small footsteps. Soft breathing. Jay looked up. Aurora stood in the doorway. She was holding her elephant. 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.
"Mama," Aurora said.
Jay's heart melted. "Yes?"
Aurora climbed onto the bed. She crawled between her parents. She pulled the blanket over herself. She closed her eyes. "Mama."
Jay kissed her forehead. "Mama'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."
END OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN