Chapter Seven

I must have fallen asleep after our encounter. Well, encounters. He wasn’t lying when he said he couldn’t get enough of me.

I stirred a little as Caleb began to talk. I couldn’t really make out the conversation, as I was still half asleep. I could just hear his voice in my ear as my head rested on his chest.

“Shhh, she’s waking up. Let’s talk about this later.”

Well, I heard that. I stayed still, acting like I was asleep, when that sentence had woke me up. Was he keeping a secret from me?

Nope.

“You bit her,” I heard. It was…Morgyn? They were fighting?

“Yes, Morgyn, but I didn’t drink from her.” Caleb spoke quietly.

“But why would you anyway?”

“It wasn’t like that, though. Can we please talk about this later? I don’t was to disturb her, and you should probably calm down so I can explain.”

“No. I feel like you’re dodging the question.”

“Dodging?” I felt Caleb tense. “Why would I dodge anything?”

“Why did you bite her?” Morgyn spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

“She wanted it, okay?” Caleb asked. His voice sounded desperate. “She was under some sort of curse thing Vlad put on her. I didn’t know that at the time. I didn’t even realize I was breaking the skin.”

To be fair, I didn’t realize that either. Not until Vlad had pointed it out.

“But you weren’t under a curse,” Morgyn said.

“No,” Caleb admitted. “I wasn’t. And had I known she was under a curse, I wouldn’t have given her what she wanted.”

I wondered if now was a good time to speak up. I didn’t have much of a chance, because Morgyn continued his interrogation.

“Are you sure you weren’t just giving into some kind of sick temptation?”

What?

“What?” Caleb echoed my thoughts.

I furrowed my brow. “That was uncalled for.” I turned to look at Morgyn, sitting up. “Morgyn, this fight is pointless. Caleb wouldn’t intentionally hurt me. He did what I asked him to do in the heat of the moment.” I felt embarrassed all of a sudden. I knew I shouldn’t. After all, I had been intimate with both of them. I guessed my embarrassment was due to my requests.

Morgyn sighed and walked out of the room. the room. I scooted over toward the side of the bed to get up, get dressed and follow him.

“Hey,” Caleb stopped me, grabbing my arm. “Maybe he just needs space.”

“I think he needs clarification,” I said, standing up. “Besides, Jewel will be home soon.”

Caleb nodded.

I got dressed quickly and walked out of the room without a word. I didn’t understand why Morgyn was so upset.

Morgyn was outside, standing on the balcony and looking out over the city. I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his back.

He sighed, but didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything either. I was just telling him without words that I was here for him. I was okay.

“Why did Vlad put that curse on you?” He asked quietly.

I tightened my grip around him. “He wanted Caleb to drink from me, to weaken me,” I explained.

“Did Caleb drink from you?” He turned around to face me.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Then why did he break the skin?” He touched one of the marks.

“I…”I looked away, embarrassed. “I asked him to. It was a sort of heat of the moment thing. Partially because of Vlad’s curse.”

He sighed and closed his eyes. “I overreacted, didn’t I?”

I smiled, touching his cheek. “Maybe a little. But I understand. You thought he hurt me.”

He reached up and grabbed my arm lightly. “I don’t want anyone to hurt you.”

“I know,” I whispered.

He inched closer to me, and I put my arm around the back of his neck, slowly pulling him into a kiss.

“Better now?” I asked, smiling.

A slight smile crept across his lips. “Yes.”

“Get a room!” Jewel called, coming outside to greet us.

We laughed. I walked over to her. “How was your day?”

“Great!” She exclaimed happily. “Things are going so well now! Even my teachers are starting to notice. One of them pulled me aside today to tell me that my overall attitude and effort had increased, and they were really proud of me.”

I beamed. Morgyn stepped closer to us and put his arm around my waist. “That’s great, Jewel! You seem much happier too.”

“I am! You guys are the best parents!”

My eyes widened. “Uh, I,” I stopped. “We’re guardians, not parents.”

She laughed. “But you act like parents, and you’re the best parents.”

“T-thanks,” I stuttered, not sure what to say. I smiled. What she said warmed my heart, but I never wanted to take the role of parent away from her own. Though, what parents kicked their young teen daughter out of the house simply for inquiring about their whereabouts?

I shook my head, shaking those thoughts from it. “Let’s see what you’ve got for homework. Why don’t you head into the living room, and I’ll be right there.”

She nodded and headed back inside.

Morgyn turned to me with a smile. “Parents.”

“Hush,” I laughed.

“I’m going to go talk to Caleb,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“I know,” I said.

We parted ways, Morgyn heading for the stairs as I walked into the living room and sat beside Jewel.

She pulled out her books. “Tonight I just have a lot of reading.” She thumbed through her social studies book. “A chapter here,” she pointed to her science book, “a chapter there.” She looked at me. “Oh, and I need to start journaling for English.”

“Oh, that sounds fun,” I smiled. “Keeping a journal is interesting and fun. I’ve kept a journal since I was in third grade.”

“Third grade?” Jewel asked, stunned. “What do third graders journal about?”

I giggled. “Celebrity crushes?”

She giggled too. After a moment, she turned serious. “I suppose my journals won’t be about crushes or anything like that, huh?”

I took her hands. “Maybe not, but it’s good to let out your feelings, even if it’s on paper. It might help you heal.”

She nodded slowly, gazing at me as she took in what I said.

“I’m sorry if I upset you by saying you and Morgyn were my parents,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t,” I smiled. “I was just taken aback. I would never want to take the role of parent from someone else, but you can view me however you want to.”

“You may not be my parent, but you’re a better parent than mine were.” She scowled. “And I know that sounds mean, but…” she trailed off.

“I know,” I said quietly. “I know what they did. I know why you feel the way you feel.” I pulled her into a hug. “And I understand.”

She hugged me back. “I’m glad someone does,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes. This poor girl. She had been through far too much hurt than any person should have to go through. And she was only 14. It still made my blood boil.

I heard footsteps on the stairs and opened my eyes, glancing up at them to see who was coming down. It was both Caleb and Morgyn. I smiled warmly at them, still holding Jewel in our hug.

Caleb went into the kitchen to make dinner. Morgyn sat down beside Jewel and I.

“Is everything alright?” He asked me.

I nodded. “Yes.”

He smiled.

Jewel pulled away from me and hugged him. She smiled. “Didn’t want you to feel left out.”

Morgyn laughed, hugging her back. “Well, thank you!”

We got back to the task at hand; homework. Most of it didn’t require help. As she had told us, it was mainly reading. As she got to it, Morgyn and I stood up and walked to a quieter area.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“It was fine,” he shrugged. “But I still feel like a jerk.”

I smiled. “Neither of us are upset with you.”

“I’m not really sure what came over me,” he continued.

I narrowed my eyes. “Vlad.”

He nodded a little, understanding. “Yes. He does have us on edge, doesn’t he?”

That reminded me. Where was Kris? He had left in the morning to visit Vlad, but it was approaching evening and he still wasn’t home.

Morgyn tilted his head, seeing my expression shift. “What is it?”

“Kris,” I said simply, the worry creeping further across my face. “I’m not sure where he is or if he’s okay.”

“I’ll go check on him,” Morgyn pulled out his wand.

“No!” I yelped, grabbing his wand quickly. I calmed myself. “No. You can’t go alone.”

He nodded, immediately understanding why.

While I wanted to go, I also wanted to stay behind with Jewel. Sighing, I started to walk away. “I’ll talk to Caleb.”

Morgyn nodded and followed me to the kitchen.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Caleb smiled at us. His smile faded when he saw our expressions. “But that’s not why you’re in here.”

I looked at Morgyn. He bowed his head slightly at Caleb. “Jade is concerned about Kris. I offered to go check on him, but she reminded me that we shouldn’t do that alone.”

Caleb looked at Morgyn and nodded. “I’ll go with you.” He looked at me.

I smiled. “I’ll finish dinner.” I took a step toward the stove. “Provided you trust me with such a task.”

He laughed. “I suppose, but just for tonight.”

“Hey!” I playfully hit his shoulder. “Just go before I purposely burn your dish.”

He laughed again. “Right, Morgyn, that’s our cue.”

They scurried out of the kitchen as I giggled at their silliness. I finished dinner for Caleb. The only thing that really needed to be done was to put it in the oven anyway.

As it cooked, I went back into the living room.

“How’s it going?” I asked quietly, sitting beside Jewel.

She smiled. “Good. I just have to write a journal entry after I’m done with this chapter.”

I also smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”

She nodded, deep into her reading. I stood up and headed out of the room again, letting her focus. I sat down at the computer to check my email. It was just the typical fan mail I got all the time.

Except for one. It stood out to me. The name was “Random Girl” and the subject was, “I understand now.”

“Huh?” I asked aloud. I clicked it.

Hey, it’s me. I decided to do a search for you and my father to get some of my own information. I came across your vlog channel. I’ve binged watched all of your videos, and I’m really starting to understand everything better. I am starting to believe you and Caleb could be my real parents.

So I wanted to say how sorry I am for acting cold at first. I should have been more open to the possibility. Even now, I’m too chicken to call, so I’m writing this email. I’m hoping maybe you two would like to meet for drinks or dinner sometime? I would love to actually get to know the both of you.

Sincerely, Amber.

I smiled wide. Of course I would love to do that! I immediately opened a reply.

Hey Amber! Yes, of course we could do that. I can’t say a definite right now as Caleb is preoccupied. I’ll talk to him when he comes home.

I’m so glad you got to watch the videos. When I started that channel, I had run out of options. I was getting nowhere in my search and thought that putting that info out there into a public space would help our search.

I look forward to talking more about it when we meet!

Sincerely, Jade.

I closed out of the browser after sending the email. Right on time too. The timer went off, signaling for me to take the food out of the oven. I set it on the stovetop to cool, then sat down in the living room. I was feeling quite tired, though I didn’t know why. I napped during the day. Any sleep I may have needed should have been fulfilled during that time. Alas, I laid down on the couch, closing my eyes and just getting lost in the silence. Jewel had retreated to her room, leaving me alone.

Before I knew it, I was being awakened by a soft voice. “Jade?”

I opened my eyes, groggy. I was met by Morgyn’s bright green eyes and a smile.

“Oh,” I smiled back. “Hey.”

He leaned in and kissed me. “Are you alright?”

I nodded slowly and closed my eyes again. “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m just sleepy.”

He sat beside me, resting my legs on his lap. I pulled myself up and laid the other way, resting my head in his lap instead. He smiled at me again, stroking my hair.

“You could sleep if you wanted to,” he said quietly.

I shook my head. “I can’t just sleep all the time.” I remembered the email, and my eyes shot open. “Where’s Caleb?”

“In the kitchen, with Kris,” Morgyn replied, gesturing toward the kitchen.

I sat up again. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.” I quickly stood up and made my way to the kitchen.

As I did, Caleb handed me a plate. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a grin.

“Hush,” I giggled a little.

Kris smiled at me. “Jade.”

I smiled warmly back. “How did it go with Vlad?”

“Surprisingly well,” he said. “I made it clear that I wanted no part of his antics, and if he attempted to “train” me again, I would sever ties completely.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And he was okay with that?”

“It was better than the alternative, no?” He laughed.

I nodded. “Yes, I suppose so then.” I took a bite of my food and turned my attention to Caleb. As I swallowed, I gave him a big smile.

“Amber wants to schedule dinner with us,” I said. “She believes us.”

His eyes widened as a smile took over his face. “That’s great news!” He smiled. He hugged me tightly, lifting me into the air and spinning me. “What made her change her mind?”

I giggled as. He put me down. “She came across our videos.”

Caleb put his plate down and folded his hands in front of him, like he was in a praying position. “I can’t believe it.”

I put my plate down as well and kissed him. “After we’re done with dinner, I say we contact her together.”

He nodded, gazing into my eyes. “I agree.”

We happily picked up our plates again and finished our dinner.

Jewel came out of her room to grab a plate as well.

“I just finished that journal entry,” she said to me. “Filled up probably a quarter of the notebook.”

“Wow,” I smiled. “You had a lot to say.”

“Yes, but it made me realize something,” she put her hands behind her back and looked at the floor nervously. “I know you said you’re just my guardian, but…” she stopped. Sighing and closing her eyes, she continued. “What if you…” she exhaled again. “I can’t say it.”

I rubbed her back, pulling her close to my side. “Take your time.”

She furrowed her brow and sighed again, looking at me with a determined look. “I want you and Morgyn to be my parents.”

My eyes widened and filled with tears. “You…” I choked. “You want us to adopt you?”

She nodded. “I know it’s sudden, but I don’t want anything to do with my parents. You and Morgyn were there for me when no one else was.” She looked at Caleb. “And it’s nothing against you. I see you just the same as Morgyn; a father. But you and Jade have Ambrosia.”

Caleb bowed his head and smiled. “I understand completely.”

I pulled her into a hug again. “Adoption is complicated, but you, Morgyn and I can talk about it, and we can see what we can do for you.”

She smiled and hugged me tightly. “Thank you.” She picked up her plate and served herself dinner, then walked away to sit at the counter to eat.

“I…” I stopped, smiling happily, but crying at the same time. “This is unbelievable. Between Jewel and Ambrosia, I just…”

Caleb rubbed my back. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“It is,” I agreed. “And you’re sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” he replied. “She sees Morgyn as a father.”

I nodded, but didn’t say anything. I suppose I was still in shock, and it seemed to be causing me some nausea. I started to set my plate down, but decided to push through it and finish my food quickly. I didn’t want it to go to waste.

After I was done, I quickly washed my plate and laid back down on the couch. I assumed the nausea would fade, but it didn’t. It only got worse. Perhaps rushing myself to finish dinner wasn’t the best idea. I clutched my stomach and winced.

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked me, leaning against the back of the couch.

I nodded. “Yes. I just ate too fast.” I thought for a moment. “I could also be nervous. There are a lot of exciting things hap-” I stopped myself as a particularly bad wave of nausea gripped me. Jumping up, I sprinted to the bathroom to vomit.

“Ugh,” I grumbled under my breath as I stood up. I walked over to the sink to wash my face and brush my teeth. I felt much better, though. Maybe dinner just didn’t sit right with me. If it did that to anyone else, I assumed Caleb would never leave me in charge of finishing a dish he made. Looking at myself in the mirror, I chuckled a little. He would be right to not allow me to touch any of his food. While I wasn’t a horrible chef, I certainly was no way on the same level that he was. I could make a great dinner or bake an amazing cake…from a box. From scratch? Something would go wrong, for sure.

I walked back out to the living room and sat on the couch again.

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked me again, sitting beside me. He tilted his head, curiously. I couldn’t read his expression. It wasn’t worry, but I didn’t know what it was.

“Yes,” I smiled. “I feel much better now.” I rested my head on him. “I think I screwed up our dinner.”

He laughed. “I don’t think so. You said there are a lot of exciting things happening. You’re right. They’re exciting, but they’re also life altering. It makes sense that you would have a nervous stomach.” He placed his hand on my belly.

I smiled at him. “True.”

“Maybe you should rest,” he said. “I’ll contact Ambrosia and see if we can set something up for tomorrow, okay?”

I gazed at him, unsure. “You don’t need me for that?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” he laughed. “But if you need rest, I think I can manage making plans.”

I looked down and placed my hand on his. “Alright.”

“So you’ll rest?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll carry you.”

“No, you don’t n— whoa!”

Before I knew it, I was in the air, in Caleb’s arms. He grinned at me playfully.

“Told ya.” He laughed quietly.

I wrapped my arm around the back of his neck, helping him hold me up. “I suppose I can’t really say no to this, since I’m already in the air.”

He laughed a bit louder. “Nope!” He started heading for the stairs. I decided to enjoy the ride, so I rested my head on his chest, happily.

Once in the room, he let me down gently on the bed, hovering over me and kissing me softly.

I pulled him down with me, wrapping my arms around him and giggling as he yelped with surprise.

“Two can play at this game,” I whispered in his ear.

He giggled flirtatiously. “Haven’t you had enough of me?”

“Never,” I shook my head. “Besides, who said it would lead that way, anyway?”

“Your whole demeanor,” he laughed.

“Shhh.” I held my finger up to his lips. He quickly opened his mouth and gently bit my fingertip. I giggled a little. “Just kiss me.”

“Fine, but that’s all you’re getting,” he winked. “You need sleep.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“Yes.”

I pulled him into a kiss. “Good.”

He laid beside me, pulling the blankets up over us. I heard him tapping away on his phone, responding to Amber’s email. Despite being exhausted, the excitement of her finally believing us made me restless. On top of that, I was thinking about what Jewel had said to me, and the request she made. Between Ruby and I, it seemed I was acquiring two daughters, despite not ever carrying either one of them. I opened my eyes, gazing at nothing, but sweeping the room with my eyes. I assumed at this point, I would never have a child of my own, but it was alright. I had Jewel and Amber.

My eyes became heavy as Caleb gently stroked my skin, relaxing me. I leaned into him.

“Sleep,” he whispered.

“I can’t,” I whispered back. “But keep doing that. It’s calming, soothing.”

He obliged with a nod. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.

“Don’t you think they’ll notice?” I said, turning to Caleb.

He looked me up and down and shook his head. “No, Ruby. I don’t see the bump at all.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “We don’t have to go to this ball, you know. If you are worried people will be alerted to your condition, we could just rest here, at home.”

I shook my head. “I know how much this means to you.”

He smiled. “Yes, you’re correct, my love, but you know I will halt anything for you and your comfort.” He placed his hand on my belly. “And for them.”

I held my finger up. “Not an option, Caleb Vatore.”

He laughed and pushed my hand down. “Alright, as you wish, Ruby Vatore.”

I shivered. Just thinking of myself with his last name made me feel like the luckiest girl on the planet. I suppose I was, though. I was convinced that there was no man out there who was better than Caleb. Even now, he was offering to have us stay home rather than going to his big sister’s birthday ball. Lilith was never into extravagant parties like that, but the parents insisted on throwing her a party.

“Only the best for my sweet daughter, Lilith!” I recalled Mrs. Vatore saying.

“Mother, please. I’m not a little girl anymore.” Lilith crossed her arms in front of her, her long black hair resting over them.

“No, no,” her mother smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re a little girl to me. My little girl, and as such, I will throw you another ball.”

Lilith sighed and sat down, taking her mother’s hands. “Mother, the only thing that’s important to me is spending time with the people I care about the most.” She looked around at all of us. “Maybe a few family friends. But I don’t need any lavish party to tell everyone in town that I’m another year older.”

“Then this shall be the last,” her mother grinned. “Please?”

Lilith sighed again, but smiled. “Alright, you win. Just one more.”

Neither of them realized that would be the last for another reason. That was the year their mother passed.

“Are you ready?” Caleb asked me, and I stared off, deep in thought.

“Yes,” I smiled as he took my hand. “Let’s go.”

We headed to the ball, and I tried my hardest not to think about others possibly knowing I was pregnant, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Granted, I wasn’t too far along, so I didn’t have that large of a bump, and my large dress masked it well, but I was still worried someone would notice. I didn’t want us to get labeled anything poor. We were of higher status, and a blow to reputation could damage any future careers for Caleb or even any future family we had. Word traveled fast. And all it took was a rumor.

I sat down at a table, across from Mrs. Vatore, who smiled happily at her children. Caleb had walked over to Lilith to greet her. Lilith looked at me and gave me an unsure smile. Caleb must have told her of my worries. Wonderful. I didn’t need the three of us being paranoid.

“Ruby,” Mrs. Vatore smiled. “Dear, you’re okay. No one will see a thing. Your dress is lovely, and it hides your growing bump well. Don’t you worry about that.”

I nodded with an unsure smile much like Lilith had given me.

“Really,” she continued. “Go have fun with your fiancé. Don’t worry about anyone else.”

I nodded with a genuine smile. Standing up, I headed over to Caleb.

He held out his hand, and I took it. We immediately set into a dance together.

“You know,” he said, chuckling softly. “They don’t really call them balls anymore. This is a party. Mother is just traditional.”

I laughed. “Call it what you will, it still feels the same as any ball I’ve ever attended.”

“Well I don’t care much for labels. As long as it’s fun, and I’m with those I love.” He smiled warmly. “Like you.”

I blushed. Caleb’s charm never ceased to make me feel like he was courting me all over again.

“Are you feeling alright, though, my love?” He asked quietly.

I nodded. “Yes, I’m alright.”

“Good,” he smiled. “I just want to make sure.”

As the night progressed, I understood why he asked me such a question. Morning sickness is a myth. My child decided to make me feel nauseous at any time they felt, morning, night, afternoon. Though, I had noticed it more in the evening than any other time. My child didn’t seem to care much for any event happening at that time. Such as a birthday party for their future aunt. About an hour into the party I started to feel it. I excused myself to go outside for some fresh air. I couldn’t be around the guests if I were to be sick like this.

I clenched my belly. “Please, little one,” I begged. “Not now.”

As I stood still, eventually the urge went away.

“Thank you,” I smiled. I headed back inside, and everything went smoothly for the rest of the night.

I startled awake, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. I looked around. I was alone. Thank God. I laid my head down again, trying to calm my breathing. As I did, that nausea rose again.

“No,” I whispered. I sat up. “I just want to sleep.”

My stomach had other plans. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom again.

As I came out, Morgyn was walking into the bedroom.

“Hey,” he smiled. “Are you alright?”

My heart was racing so fast I thought it might just fly out of my chest. “Fine,” I choked out. I sat on the bed, tucking my legs under my arms and resting against the backboard.

“That doesn’t look fine to me,” he laughed quietly as he put on the shirt he normally wore to bed.

“Dinner didn’t sit well with me,” I said.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He laid down and faced me. “But you’re white as a sheet, like you’re nervous.”

“It could be nerves, yeah,” I nodded. I laid down as well. “I wanted to talk to you in a more ideal setting about this, but Jewel came to me with a very touching, but shocking statement.”

“Oh?” Morgyn propped himself up on his elbow to listen.

“She wants you and I to adopt her,” I said, smiling as I spoke.

“Wait, what?” He gazed at me, his eyes wide.

I smiled wider. “Yeah.”

“What about Caleb?” He asked.

“She sees you more as her father. Caleb totally understands. After all, we have Ambrosia. Well, sort of.” I cleared my throat. “You know, because she’s Ruby’s daughter, not uh, mine.”

Morgyn raised an eyebrow. “Are you alright?”

I sat up again. “Guess this is more comfortable.”

Morgyn took my hand. “You should try to sleep again. Rest is the best thing when you’re not well.”

I nodded. “I know, Morgyn. Thank you.” I smiled warmly at him. The truth was, once again, I felt fine. I got back under the covers and laid down.

“Come here,” he put his arm around me, lying on his back. I moved my body close to his and rested my head on his chest, cuddling with him. The warmth of his body almost immediately calmed me, and I closed my eyes, ready to sleep again.

He kissed my forehead. “I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you too.”

I woke up the next morning feeling much better. I felt well rested and with no signs of nausea. I came to the realization that Ruby was just teasing me with that dream.

Caleb came up to me. “Good morning, my love. How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” I smiled. “Thank you.”

“Good. Would hate to cancel dinner tonight.” He winked.

I smiled brightly. “Tonight?”

“Tonight.” He repeated, smiling as well.

I hugged him. “Oh, this is going to be great!”

He laughed softly and held me close. “She’s excited too.”

Morgyn came down shortly after, and we sat down for breakfast.

“Where do we start with this whole thing with Jewel?” He asked.

I shook my head. “It’s something the three of us should talk about.”

“Right,” he agreed. “I’m really excited.”

“Me too,” I smiled. “I know it’ll bring us to speaking with her parents, though, and I’m not looking forward to that.”

Morgyn sighed. “Yeah, they seem like real pleasant people.” He rolled his eyes as he spoke sarcastically.

I nodded and looked down at my food as I poked it with my fork. “Real nice.”

Right on cue, Jewel came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. “Morning,” she said quietly.

“Morning,” Morgyn smiled happily. “How did you sleep?”

“I’ll let you know when I wake up,” she said, walking into the kitchen to grab coffee.

I snorted as I giggled.

Jewel sat beside me and took a sip from her mug. “I slept well,” she said quietly.

“When you are more awake, maybe we could go have a chat?” I asked.

“Yeah. I do want that,” she agreed.

Caleb grinned a little at me.

“Are you going to the realm today?” She asked me.

“I had plans to at least see if I was needed, yes,” I nodded.

Morgyn also nodded. “I have to set up for another lecture.”

Jewel bowed her head briefly in acknowledgment. “I want to have some more duel training.”

Morgyn grinned. “I can help with that.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

We finished breakfast and Morgyn, Jewel and I headed into the living room.

Jewel sat between Morgyn and I. She looked at Morgyn. “Did Jade tell you?”

Morgyn nodded. “Yes. Briefly.”

“I just see you two as my parents, even in the short time I’ve been here,” she explained. “I have more love for you two and Caleb than I ever had for my parents. It just makes sense that you guys would be my parents.”

Morgyn nodded, smiling. “Of course, there’s a lot of factors in adoption,” he said, glancing at me. I nodded in return, confirming what he was saying. He continued, “we would need to talk to your parents. We can’t do anything without their permission.”

“They’ll say yes,” she sighed. “They want nothing to do with me.”

I looked at the floor. She wasn’t wrong, and that still angered me.

“I’ll call them later today,” Morgyn said to both of us, as if he was telling me that I didn’t have to. “And we’ll go from there.”

Jewel and I nodded in unison.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, looking at the floor.

Morgyn pulled her into a hug. “Of course.”

I smiled happily. If all went well, Morgyn would be the best dad. Well, he would be even if we didn’t have a document saying so.

“Ready?” He smiled at us.

I nodded. “Ready.”

We headed off to the realm to train Jewel some more and tend to our normal tasks. Morgyn and I took turns training Jewel in our own dueling and combat styles. I was thankful we weren’t training her as hard as Morgyn had trained me when I became a spellcaster. While I understood the rush due to the dragon war, there were plenty of times when I wanted to just kill him and forget about magic completely.

Well, I was certainly thankful I didn’t kill him. And it all paid off. The realm added a new sage role just for me because of our hard work. Still, I didn’t want to push her that hard. She could still learn the same either way.

“So,” I stood in front of her. I conjured magic and held it in my fingertips. “Say I attack with this.” I teleported behind her and let it go, much slower than I would have in actual combat.

She whirled around quickly and blocked it with a magic shield.

I smiled. “Well done!” I took a few steps back. “Now, do your worst to me.”

“Like, my strongest attack?” She asked, nervous.

“Yes.” I nodded. “Don’t worry about harming me.”

She furrowed her brow. “Okay.” She summoned her strongest attack, a beam meant to grab me. I countered with my own magic, but it was apparent she was almost as strong as I was. I was impressed.

“That was great!” I exclaimed happily. I was getting quite warm, so I rolled up my sleeves. “Let’s continue.”

Morgyn headed over to us. “How’s it going?”

“Great!” Jewel and I said in unison.

Morgyn smiled, folding his hands in front of him. “Good. Need a break?”

Jewel shook her head no, but I nodded. “Yeah, actually, I could use one. Feeling a bit warm.”

Morgyn bowed his head in agreement. “I’ll take her to the gardens and show her around there.”

I followed them outside and sat on the bench under the tree. The one I had sat under so many times during my training with Morgyn. I smiled, feeling nostalgic and just taking in the fresh air. I needed it. I was really hot. This was a bit unusual for me. Maybe I was still feeling a bit under the weather. I shrugged it off and headed back into the HQ to help any students with potions. Morgyn and Jewel came back after a little while. Jewel proudly showed me a new wand she had bought at Caster’s Alley. I smiled at her, then at Morgyn, who wrapped his arms around my waist as he kissed my forehead.

“I gave her a full tour instead.” He laughed softly.

I giggled. “I see this.”

We sat down together, Jewel sitting between Morgyn and I again, like she had back at the house. She rested her head on Morgyn’s shoulder. Morgyn smiled and closed his eyes briefly.

“My parents always said there was something wrong with me,” Jewel said quietly. “That because I was a powerful spellcaster, I was dangerous.”

I sighed. “Some people just don’t understand spellcasters.”

“But they were right,” she said. “Before I could control it, I was dangerous.”

Morgyn and I looked at each other sadly. Morgyn put his arm around her. “Well, we don’t see you as being dangerous.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

We sat in silence for awhile. Eventually, Jewel lifted her head and smiled. “You guys are the best.”

We both smiled as well.

She took our hands and pulled us up. “I think I’ll go home, but thank you for training me.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Actually, I’m done for the day,” Morgyn said. “I’ll head home too.”

I decided to follow. We placed our hands on Jewel’s shoulders and teleported back to the house.

“Oh, there you are!” Caleb smiled, adjusting his jacket. He was dressed up in a casual suit for dinner.

I looked at the time. We were due at the restaurant in fifteen minutes.

“Oh no!” I rushed upstairs to change. I decided to keep my hair as-is, changing into a short black dress and black heels to match. I put on some nice makeup after washing my face. I ran back downstairs quickly.

“I’m ready,” I said, breathing heavily.

Caleb smiled and caressed my cheek. “And gorgeous, as always.”

I giggled.

We headed to the restaurant. On the way there, I had started to feel a little unwell again. Decided I would just have some water instead of eating dinner. I would just take my food to go. After all, we were just there to socialize, really.

We were seated, and Amber came in shortly after.

“Amber,” Caleb smiled, standing up.

She hugged him. “Please, you can call me Ambrosia. I know that was the name you gave me.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

They sat back down, Caleb sitting beside me as Ambrosia sat across the table from us.

“Hey Jade,” she smiled. “How are you?”

I smiled back, brightly. “I’m great! So excited to be doing this.”

“Me too,” Ambrosia agreed. She looked at Caleb, then back at me. “I had planned to have my fiance join us, but I wasn’t sure if that would be appropriate.”

“It would have been fine,” Caleb assured her. “But I understand.”

She smiled and nodded. “So, I mean, I don’t know what to say to make sure this isn’t awkward,” she bit her lip. “I don’t know if I should be calling you father or whatever. Or you,” she looked at me, “mother.”

I blushed. “Biologically, I’m not your mother.”

She smiled warmly. “That’s debatable. You and Ruby are the same. That would make you my mother, even if you didn’t give birth to me. The spirit within you did.”

Caleb nodded in agreement. “I agree.”

I also nodded. “Right. Well, whatever your comfortable with.”

She glanced between us with a nervous smile. “I would like to call you mother and father, if you’re alright with that.”

“I am,” Caleb bowed his head.

“Me too,” I smiled.

The waiter came to take our order. Ambrosia and Caleb ordered their meals.

“I’ll just have water,” I smiled. “I’ll order a box to go later.”

The waiter nodded with a smile and walked away.

I felt Caleb’s eyes on me, and I looked at him. He looked confused.

“No food?” He asked.

“Not right now,” I said. “Not really hungry.”

He gave me a skeptical look. “Alright.”

I turned my attention back to Ambrosia, but I could tell something was bothering Caleb. He wasn’t alone. This was bothering me too.

“So, Mom, you’re having visions from well…my mom?” Ambrosia laughed a little. “Maybe that’s confusing.”

I laughed with her. “Yes, Ruby started showing me her memories. I saw Caleb’s turning, then hers, as well as other things, and then finally visions of their pregnancy. Then of course, 6our birth and Ruby’s passing.”

“That had to be traumatic,” Ambrosia looked down sadly.

“Yes, I woke up in a panic,” I nodded. “But I’m glad she showed me. Caleb assumed she had died before giving birth. He didn’t know you were alive.”

“I had mourned for my fiance and for my child.” Caleb nodded sadly.

“And now you have them both back!” Ambrosia smiled brightly.

I also smiled, looking at Caleb. As I did, a wave of nausea gripped me. No, I thought, not now. Please not now. I placed my hand on my belly, trying to ignore the feeling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caleb glance down at my hand, then look back at Ambrosia.

The nausea got worse. I smiled at both of them. “Excuse me for a moment,” I said, standing up. I headed for the bathroom calmly, trying to hold back the feeling.

As I left the bathroom after the inevitable, I was greeted by Caleb.

“I think you should see a doctor,” he said, his eyes worried.

“No,” I said. “I’ll be alright. Maybe it’s just a bug.”

He folded his arms in front of him. “Jade.”

I furrowed my brow as I looked at him. “Caleb.”

“I’m just worried about you,” he hugged me.

“Caleb, really,” I hugged him back tightly. “I’m okay. Just have a bug or something.” I pulled away from him. “Let’s not keep her waiting.”

He nodded. “Promise me you’ll make an appointment?”

I sighed and tilted my head, smiling at him. “If I feel like this tomorrow, then yes, I’ll make an appointment. Okay?”

He smiled slightly. “Okay.”

We went back to the table and continued our conversation with Ambrosia.

“I’m rather appalled that I grew up thinking my mother’s murderer was my father.” Ambrosia sighed.

“You had no way of knowing otherwise,” I shrugged. “But I can’t even imagine how it makes you feel.”

“I hope you understand that I can’t see him as a monster,” she said. “He didn’t act like a murderer. Of course, I’m not happy with him, and I’ll never understand his motives, but he wasn’t a monster or a killer in my mind.”

“He wasn’t a murderer,” Caleb sighed, looking at the table. “He was doing his job.”

I was shocked to hear those words come out of Caleb’s mouth. He wasn’t wrong. But with all of the anger he held in his heart for that man, hearing him say the hunter wasn’t a murderer was shocking.

Ambrosia looked just as dumbfounded as I felt. “But, he killed Mother,” she said quietly.

“He was a vampire hunter, and she was a vampire.” Caleb looked at her.

Ambrosia shrugged. “Well, I still see him as a murderer. I would have had a completely different life with you two,” she said.

I placed my hand on my belly again, recalling the dreams I had about pregnant Ruby. “Well,” I smiled. “Now we can start fresh.”

She nodded with a smile. “Yes. And I’m excited for that.”

The waiter came back with the food. As he placed the plates down, I looked away. The smell and sight of the meals caused a strong wave of nausea.

Oh, come on! I got up quickly and rushed to the bathroom again. I didn’t even try to stay calm. I couldn’t.

When I was done in the bathroom, I opted to go outside rather than back to the table.i closed my eyes.

“Ruby, stop it. I’m literally doing what you wanted me to do; reconnect with our daughter, but you’re showing me dreams of your pregnancy while I’m in the middle of a stomach bug? Come on. Let me enjoy this time!” I sighed. I headed for the door again, feeling lightheaded.

Sitting back down at the table, I looked away from the food. I tried to ignore the smell. Caleb and Ambrosia were having a nice conversation, and didn’t draw attention to the fact that I had left in a hurry. Caleb did reach under the table to take my hand. I squeezed it a little, telling him I was okay.

“So, may I stop by tomorrow with Wolfgang?” Ambrosia asked. “Wolfgang is my fiance.”

Caleb nodded. “That sounds great. Of course. You’re welcome at any time.”

“Thanks!” She smiled brightly. “He’s a pain sometimes, but I adore him.”

Caleb also smiled. “I know how that is.”

My eyes widened. “Hey!” I glared at him.

He laughed and kissed my forehead. “I’m just kidding.”

“How are you feeling, Mom?” Ambrosia asked.

I felt embarrassed. “Better, for now.” I looked at her with pleading eyes. “I’m not usually like this. I think I might have some type of bug. But I won’t miss this for anything.”

She nodded. “I know. I just want you feel better.”

“I will,” I smiled reassuringly.

“If you need to go home, I get it.” She continued.

“No,” I shook my head. “I won’t miss this.”

She gave me a sad smile.

“So,” Caleb started, changing the subject. “How did you meet Wolfgang?”

Ambrosia smiled. As soon as his name was mentioned, her whole face lit up. She was so in love with him, and it showed. “He was at one of my modeling shoots. He was working as a set designer in neighboring studios, but came over to ours to chat with the cameraman on his break. I guess they were close friends. We hit it off, chatting about anything and everything. He says going to see his friend that day was the best decision he ever made.”

I tilted my head. “That’s awesome!”

“He’s amazing,” she smiled brightly. “I’m so lucky to have him.”

“I can relate,” I grinned flirtatiously at Caleb.

“As can I,” he did the same.

Ambrosia clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh my God, the way you two look at each other!”

I blushed. “I do love him a lot.”

“So, when’s the wedding?” She asked playfully.

“I…uh,” I laughed nervously. “Don’t think there will be one.”

“Wait, why?” She asked, confused.

“There are three of us,” Caleb clarified with a smile.

“Oh, right, Morgyn,” Ambrosia nodded.

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Well, surely you could all be engaged, right? And just pretend you’re married?” Ambrosia laughed.

Caleb poked his food with his fork. “We’ll see.”

I cleared my throat. “It’s funny too, because there’s a teenage girl who was pretty much abadoned by her parents. We took her in, and she wants Morgyn and I to adopt her legally.”

“Oh so you’ve got her with Morgyn, and me with Dad.” Ambrosia smiled wide. “I’d love to meet my future sister.”

“You will,” Caleb smiled.

“Have you every considered having kids now together?” She asked. “It’s my understanding from your videos that Morgyn can’t have children, right?”

“Right,” I nodded. “He’s female to male trans. He had the surgery, but obviously, those organs don’t actually produce children.”

Ambrosia also nodded. “So if you ever wanted kids, it would have to be with Dad, right?”

I glanced at Caleb nervously. “Y-yeah.”

Caleb grinned a little. “Obviously, we haven’t talked about this yet.”

Ambrosia laughed as I blushed.

They finished their food, and I finished maybe a half of my glass of water.

Caleb looked at the glass, then at me. “You should really drink more of that, so you don’t get dehydrated.”

I grinned. “We have a sink at home.”

Ambrosia smiled. “Dad, I’m sure this isn’t her first stomach bug.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m just worried.”

“Don’t be,” I smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be alright.”

The waiter came back to take my to go order. I ordered a small bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. It didn’t take them long to come back with the box. In the meantime, we made small talk. Despite having so much to catch up on, we didn’t have much to say.

Finally, as my food came, Caleb looked at Ambrosia with something he had forgotten in his mind.

“You should meet my sister, Lilith,” he said. “Your aunt.”

Ambrosia’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, an aunt! Is she nice?”

“Very,” I added. “So is her boyfriend, Kristofer.”

“They just reconnected,” Caleb said. He explained what had happened.

“Oh, her boyfriend is that guy you resurrected,” Ambrosia looked at me.

I nodded. “Yes, reluctantly.”

She laughed softly. “Is he less grumpy now?”

“Yeah, he’s a lot happier now,” I nodded happily.

“Good, well, I’d love to meet him under better circumstances,” she smiled.

We finished up our conversation, paid our bills and headed outside.

Ambrosia hugged Caleb. “I’m so, so glad I saw your videos.” She pulled away and looked at me. “I don’t know if I would have considered the possibility if I hadn’t.”

I smiled as she hugged me as well.

“I hope you feel better soon,” she continued.

“Thank you. Me too,” I laughed.

We said our goodbyes, and Caleb and I headed for the train.

He glanced over his shoulder, then picked up his pace to stand in front of me. I looked at me, his eyes filled with concern, even more than at the restaurant.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I grinned.

“I remember Ruby was just like this.” He placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Yes, a lot of people have the same reactions when they are sick for whatever reason.” I narrowed my eyes.

He sighed and looked down.

I caressed his cheek. “I’ll make an appointment if I feel like this tomorrow, okay?” I smiled as he pulled me closer to him. “Just like I promised.”

He nodded.

We kept walking and headed home.

Kris was in the kitchen as we came in. The apartment was filled with smoke, and he was laughing nervously, staring down at a very burnt casserole of some kind.

I felt a rush of nausea and ran off again. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. “Ugh.”

Heading back to the kitchen, clenching my very sore stomach from all of my trips to the restroom, I heard Kris and Caleb laughing.

I grabbed a glass of water and took a sip without a word.

“I really didn’t mean to burn it,” Kris chuckled a little. He looked at me. “Oh, Jade, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

I sighed. “I have a bug or something. I’m fine.”

He nodded.

I looked at Caleb. “Maybe I should just go to bed.” I clenched my nauseous stomach again.

He smiled. “I’ll go with you.”

As I laid down, my nausea disappeared.

“Oh, finally,” I breathed a sigh.

“Better?” He asked.

“Mhm,” moved closer to him. “Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be alright.”

He stroked my skin softly. “And if you’re not?”

I looked away, hesitantly. “I’ll see a doctor.”

He kissed my forehead. “Good.”

I pulled him closer and kissed him. He laughed softly.

“You’re not feeling well,” he said.

“Lying down made me feel better.” I leaned in to kiss him again, but he stopped me.

“Maybe we shouldn’t rock the boat too much, hmm?” He grinned playfully. “You need sleep.”

I sighed and rested my head on him. “You suck.”

He laughed. “No I don’t. I’m a good vampire.”

I laughed as well. “That’s not what I meant!”

He kissed my forehead. “Shhh. Sleep.”

I nodded obediently and closed my eyes, drifting into a deep sleep quickly.

There was no dream. There was no Ruby. My mind was just blank that night. As I awoke the following morning, I gazed around the room. No one was with me.

“Odd,” I said, sitting up. I rubbed my eyes, still groggy. I checked my phone for the time, and was shocked to see it wasn’t morning at all. It was one o’clock in the afternoon!

“What the-” I jumped up and got dressed. As I was pulling my pants on, I felt a sense of dread as a wave of nausea hit me again. As I promised Caleb, I sat down and made a call. I had to see a doctor.

“We can get you in today,” the receptionist said.

“Great, thanks,” I nodded in agreement.

They scheduled me for three o’clock. I got up and went downstairs to greet everyone.

“How are you feeling?” Caleb asked as he pulled me into a hug.

“I scheduled an appointment,” I said plainly.

I felt his body tense. “I see.” He pulled away from me to look at me. “Do you mind if I go with you?”

I sighed. “No,” I looked at the floor. “I don’t mind.”

We left around two-thirty. We sat down in the train in silence. I was worried about this visit. With everything going on, I didn’t have time to be sick. I had so much to do! Being tired and sick all the time just got in the way.

Caleb put his arm around my waist. I rested my head on his shoulder, still without a word. I know we had our suspicions, but I didn’t want to think about it. This came on so suddenly, it couldn’t be. I was clearly sick for some reason. Some type of bug. I felt like my head was spinning all of a sudden. No. It wasn’t that.

“Hey,” Caleb said softly in my ear, “it’s okay. I’m sure everything is alright.”

I nodded and gave him a genuine smile, or so I thought. He laughed softly.

“You can’t fake it. I know you’re nervous.” He kissed my forehead. “Relax, okay?”

I nodded again.

We got into the office and we’re called almost immediately.

“So,” the doctor said with a smile as I sat on the examination table. Caleb stood at my side, his arm around my waist. “What is the issue today?”

I swallowed hard. “I’ve been sick for the last few days.”

“Sick?” She tilted her head. “What’s been going on?”

“Nausea,” I clarified.

“With vomiting?” She asked.

“Yes.” I nodded. “I think I have a stomach bug, but today makes the third day I’ve had this nausea.”

“I see,” she replied, glancing at Caleb, then back at me. “Is this your husband?”

I shook my head. “We aren’t married.”

“Okay, but he’s your partner?” She smiled warmly.

We both nodded. “Yes,” I said.

“And you are active?” She asked.

I blushed. “Yes.”

“Do you know when you last had your period?” She asked.

My heart raced. “It’s always, um, been, irregular.”

“Have you taken a test to rule out pregnancy?” She pulled out a notebook and a pen.

“I, um, no,” I admitted. “I don’t think that’s what’s going on.”

“Well, I’ll order a urine test just to be sure,” she said, writing in the notebook. “And, if it makes you more comfortable, we’ll do a blood test as well.” She stopped writing and smiled at me. “But the standard urine tests are accurate usually. Are you on birth control?”

God dammit. I was irresponsible and had never really thought about that. We occasionally used condoms, but even at that, in the heat of the moment, they were often forgotten. “No.” I looked at the floor.

She smiled and rested her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s quick and painless.”

Dammit, woman! I am not worried about the pain! I found myself getting angry at her. Did she really think that’s what this was about? “Okay,” I said simply. “Where can I take the test?”

“The bathroom is just outside the door, to the left,” the doctor said softly. “We have a medical sample cup in there. Just use the bathroom normally, but in the cup. We only need a little.”

I blushed. Pee in a cup. Okay… I nodded shyly.

“You can wait in here,” she said to Caleb. “I’ll be back shortly with the blood order and a script for anti-nausea pills.”

She was pretty dead-set on me being pregnant, wasn’t she? I sighed and stood up. “Guess I’ll be back then.” I walked out, slamming the door behind me.

“I’m not pregnant,” I mumbled, walking into the bathroom. Sure enough, there was a plastic cup with a white top and a label with my name on it sitting on the counter. I did as she asked, screwing the top on and leaving the cup on the back of the toilet.

Walking back into the room, I saw Caleb was alone.

“Are you al-“

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, sitting on the table again.

He tilted his head and smiled a little. Crouching down, he looked up at me. “No you’re not.”

I felt tears fill my eyes. “Yes I am,” I said. “Yes…I…am.” I put my head in my hands and started to sob. “I’m fine!”

He stood up and held me as I cried. Why the hell am I crying?

The doctor came back in. “Oh,” she said quietly. “Is everything alright?”

“I think she’s overwhelmed,” Caleb said, rubbing my back.

I nodded quickly. “Yes.” Sure, we’ll go with that. The truth was, I was scared to death.

“Well, I have the results here,” the doctor said, smiling slightly. She handed me the paper.

Chapter Eight (click here)