Chapter 11
“Annie, you really don’t have to do this,” I pleaded.
“Of course I do.” She rolled her eyes.
“Who else is going to take care of that little girl?”
“Umm, the little girl is still brewing. Besides, there’s me, her dads, not to mention the parentals, Sean, and the multitude of other people that live in this castle, pretending to be a house.”
“Yeah, whatever. None of them can compare to the awesomeness that is Auntie Annie.”
I just sighed when she began to make baby noises at my belly.
“That’s right, little lovey, your aunt Annie is going to teach you everything she knows. You are going to be able to wrap all your daddies around your tiny little fingers in no time. Yes, yes you are. You are just the most precious little thing ever. I’ve seen your pics, you look just like me.”
“Annie, we are not blood related. And you have seen an ultrasound.”
“Shut up, you B-I-T-C-H!”
“Ignore your mum, it’s the hormones. She knows she’s secretly related to me. That’s why you look just like me, sugarplum. Yes, you do. I can’t wait to see you. I’m going to love you, and hug you and––”
“Call her George?” My brother’s deep voice joined the conversation.
“Who asked you, you walking penis? However, Georgina is a great name. It’s,” she waved a hand regally in the air, “Royal. Let’s not forget, when she grows up and catches the eye of our future king, their names will match. How cute is that? Princess Georgina,” she sighed.
“No––sorry to break it to you, Annie, but she is not being called Georgina.”
“You need to tell me what you have on the list. I mean, we need to start vetting those names. We can’t have her going around with a moniker like Sally or Molly or something else common like that. She has to have a name that means something.”
I smiled. Annie was right there. She did need a name that meant something. I just haven’t discovered it yet.
“I promise, Annie, as soon as I know, I will tell you. After my guys. As much as I love you, they are the daddies.”
“Yeah, yeah, go and be all sensible on me.”
Sean just looked at me and shook his head. He was well used to Annie’s dramatics.
“Anyway, name aside, you still really don’t have to do this,” I tried one last time.
“Give it up, Dia. I’m moving in and that’s final. It’s not like you don’t have the room or anything. I bet there are more bedrooms in this place, than you have a clue about.”
Well, she wouldn’t be lying. I never counted the rooms, but I’m sure there were plenty of guest rooms to go around.
It was surprising when Sean agreed with Annie.
“I think it’s a good idea, baby girl.”
“What? Sean, you are supposed to be on my side.” I looked at my best friend and winced when her brows lowered, and her hands went to her hips. “Not that I wouldn’t love to have you staying with me, but you have your own life, Annie. What about your job? It’s too far to commute every day, and you’ve never been this far away from your family.”
“Ha!” she crowed in triumph. “You are my family, Dia. And so is Daniel––by blood. And through you two, the rest of them, and everyone else related to them. That’s how it works. You get one of us, you get all of us. Just be glad it’s just me, and not your mum as well!”
Oh, thank the good Lord for small mercies. The thought of my mum and Kale’s mum taking over was akin to torture. At least Kale could use his Alpha mumbo jumbo to keep his mum under some semblance of control.
“Besides, we live in the modern world, babe. I can work from home most of the time. And you are just crazy if you think our respective families are going to leave you alone,” she laughed.
“Our mums are probably plotting as we speak. I know for a fact that they are planning a wedding. In fact, Mum told me to tell you, and these are her words, ‘Ta pick one of them boys to march to the altar or she would.’ By the way, if Mum picks, it’s going to be Daniel. Just so you know.”
I began to cry. No idea why, the waterworks just started flowing. Someone needed to call Thames Water, because I think I broke a pipe somewhere.
Sean looked at me in dismayed horror before pulling me in for a big hug. “What the hell did you do, Annie? You broke her!”
“What did I do? Dia? Are you ok, babes? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry. You don’t have to marry Daniel,” she pleaded.
The sobs turned into a choked laugh as I began to hiccup. That’s how the boys found me, sobbing, laughing and hiccupping in my brother’s arms, with a worried Annie bouncing up and down, patting me on my head, trying to soothe me, by telling me I could marry Kale or Robin instead.
“Dia, please stop crying! Hell, don’t marry any of them! Live in sin, have wee bastardly babies and the moms will just pray extra for you! You are a totally modern woman, you don’t need no ring on your finger to prove anything to the world.” Annie pleaded pitifully.
I had now added snorts to the crying, hiccupping and laughing.
I couldn’t breathe. Finally, I pushed Sean away and hugged my best friend. “You silly cow,” I snotted all over her. Green slime on a white top? Yeah, that’s not a great look, but payback’s a bitch, and I’m the queen.
“Ewww,” she looked disgustedly at her shirt.
“This is the only time you are allowed to get bodily fluids on me––ever. You hear me, bitch? I will cut you next time.”
I laughed. “So, you are not going to be there when the baby is born?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I am!” The light bulb moment happened as she grimaced. “Ok, once more when the baby comes out, you can touch me with bodily fluids, but only because I’m an awesome, kick ass Auntie.”
I wiped my face on her other shoulder, just to see if I could do it, and then pulled away and turned to my guys.
All three were looking bewildered and ready to sweep me away to an undisclosed, safe location.
“I’m fine guys, it must be hormones.” I sniffed.
Crying sucks. It makes you all blocked up and snuffly, and I was not a pretty crier. Think red puffy eyes, snotty nose and wobbly chin.
“It was totally my fault,” Annie told them.
“How was it your fault?” Robin asked.
“Umm, I told her the mums were planning the wedding and said she needed to pick one of you for the altar. I mean, it’s just for the paperwork––but,” she waved her arms in my direction. “That happened.”
“I see,” Robin nodded while watching me.
“Dianthe, do you have a preference to whom you would like to marry in the human tradition? Do you want to be married? You don’t have to do anything you don’t wish to do. No one would hold it against you, my love.”
I sniffed once more before nodding my head.
“I’ve always wanted to get married someday, Robin. The whole white wedding, with bells and lace, Daddy walking me down the aisle, mum crying into her handkerchief. All of it. It never came up though, you know––with us. We’ve done your things and I’m happy with that.”
“Well I’m not,” Daniel practically growled.
“Ohhh,” Annie practically purred and my eyes widened in surprise when Daniel went to his knees in front of me.
The others stilled and stood slightly back, watching this moment in complete reverence and silence. Even though I knew what came next, it was still shocking and felt as if I had no clue what was happening.
Daniel looked at Sean quickly, and with a firm nod from my brother returned his gaze back to me, before he spoke.
“Dianthe McLearey, the first moment I saw you, standing beside Annie, looking so unsure of yourself, I think I knew. I felt like I had been sucker punched in the gut, and every ounce of breath in my body was just––gone. You will never know how hard it was to pretend that you were just another girl. Our first date––I was so nervous, I threw up before I came to get you.”
There were quiet chuckles from everyone at that.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat before continuing. “Nothing, had ever scared me, or been so important to me, before in my life. I have seen some scary shit in this world, but I was never more afraid than I was that night. I was so scared that I would disappoint you.”
“You could never disappoint me, Daniel.”
“Don’t, Dia––if I don’t get this all out, I never will. I think I’m actually more nervous now than I was then.” He laughed nervously. “What I’m trying to say, is I love you, Dia. I love everything about you. Your innocence, even after all you have seen and done. I love your strength, and how easily you hurt for those you love. You have so much compassion and empathy, but at the same time, you are so damn fierce. There is no one else like you, anywhere. In this world or any other. I want nothing more in my life, than to follow the same path that you walk, and to be by your side. I want to be your husband, your lover, your friend, and anything else you will let me be.”
He paused and reached into the neck of his shirt, pulling out a chain with a golden ring hanging from it. Quickly unfastening it, he held it up to me.
“I bought this months ago, not long after we met. I knew then, you were my future. You were it for me, Dia. I could never love anyone else the way I love you. If you want to get married, would you consider this poor Irish boy, even if I am related to the blonde demon you call a best friend?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“YES!” Annie screamed. As soon as Daniel had the ring on my finger, she had jerked me around, so she could look at it. Sean gently pulled her away so Daniel could stand up and take my hands.
“Are you sure, Día?”
“I have never been more sure of anything in my life, Daniel. Oh sweet baby Jesus, I love you so much. Yes, a million times yes.”
“Oh thank fuck for that,” he moaned before sweeping me up into one of the most epic kisses ever. We are talking storybook quality––where the price finds his princess and makes her swoon.
By the time it was done, I was breathless and smiling up at him.
“Wow!”
“Wow?” he laughed.
“Yeah, wow,” I giggled.
He kissed my nose and pulled me to his side.
“I’m glad you said yes, because there wasn’t really another choice. The only other option was a shotgun wedding in Gretna,” he winked.
“My dad would be agreeing with you on that one, Danny-boy,” Sean laughed.
“Ohhh, I love it, Danny-boy!” Annie squealed and began texting furiously on her phone.
Kale and Robin joined us, and wrapped their arms around both Daniel and I. Congratulations, beautiful.” Kale smiled before kissing my hair.
“As Kale said, Dianthe––Congratulations. We are very pleased with this outcome. You and Daniel can be married in your faith, and we,” he motioned to himself and Kale, “Can keep our own private vows. It doesn’t matter to us who you are bound to on paper. We know that we all belong together.”
I was just about to answer him when my phone started to ring. I pulled it from my pocket, saw fifteen text messages, and my mother’s name on the screen.
“Annie,” I groaned.
“What? It’s not my fault we live in the age of social media!”
“Oh God,” I sighed before answering my phone. “Hi, Mum.”