Chapter 2
Iarrive in the kitchen just as the last dish is being put on the table.
“Sorry, I'm late,” I say in greeting.
“You’re not,” Emily replies, smiling at me.
My eyes must still show something, as her smile slips a bit and she looks concerned. I sit next to Kean and look around the table. It’s a full house tonight. John must be covering the bookshop, and Melody doing late surgery, as Ernest, Alfred and Justice are home.
There is happy chatter as the dishes are passed around.
I really am trying to be cheerful, but I’m obviously not succeeding very well, if the looks Temp and Cassie are sending my way are anything to go by.
“I have to go into the office tomorrow. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning and be back sometime tomorrow evening,” I tell my brothers.
“Drive safe and remember you can now blow a demon up if needed,” Temp cheerfully tells me, before eating a potato.
I laugh at that. One evening, before I was a true witch, I was travelling back from the office, and due to dark magic, my car broke down.
I walked along a country road, being stalked by a demon.
We ended up having a fight, and I was tiring fast. I was rescued when Temp, Ernest, Kean and some of the brothers turned up.
Ernest ended up blowing the demon up. Demon body parts and whatnot covering everyone.
“I can. But I don’t think that will happen again,” I say hopefully. I mean, I’ve done that trip a number of times since the demon incident and not had any other problems getting home.
I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear Ernest talking about the play he and the drama society are putting on.
The town used to put on a lot of plays, not that I ever watched any of them, being too wrapped up in my work, but their chairperson stepped down, and they haven’t put one on since.
Then Ernest had the idea that the town should put on the play Wicked.
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, the drama society had a meeting in the tearoom and Ernest, being Ernest, told them about his idea and they voted him in then and there as their new chairperson.
“So, the script is now written, and auditions are scheduled to start at the end of the month. I also have a list of jobs that will need to be done backstage. A sign-up sheet will be going up later.”
“This is so exciting,” Nora happily says, bouncing in her seat. “The musical is bound to be amazing.”
“It will be something,” Nix mutters, putting his cutlery down.
“Nix, be nice,” she says, glaring at her brother and pointing her fork at him.
“Don’t point with your fork, and I am being nice,” he protests. “I’m even going to put my name down to help.”
“We all are,” Justice adds with a fake smile, before a proper grin covers his face. “I’m sure I can supply killer Munchkins or something.”
I’m not the only one who laughs at that.
Justice is a grey witch, but he can make his magic go almost black and still stay good.
Something that has come in handy a few times.
The first when Alfred was kidnapped and nearly burned at the stake, the second time when we were all trapped in the dream versions of the haunted Halloween house. He, along with Sly, rescued us.
“It will be epic,” Ernest says happily. “I’ve also spoken to Sly, Ebby and the boys about it, and they are all happy to be involved as well.”
There is general muttering going on as we all finish our dinners. I’ve just put my knife and fork down when Kean takes my hand.
Shall we tell them? He asks through our mind link.
Okay, I reply, only sighing a little, which I call a win.
Kean waits until there is a break in conversation, then starts. “So, Titus and I have something to share with you all.”
“Is it the reason why the two of you look unhappy at times?” Adhan asks us, concern showing on his face.
“Yeah,” I say. “Kean and I have registered with some adoption agencies. Two we approached turned us down for being a same sex couple.”
“We found some that would accept us. We’ve been close to adopting three times now, but they’ve fallen through.
We found out early today that the lady who was putting her child up for adoption changed her mind,” Kean adds.
“We were told it could take a while, and we understand that, but it’s still disappointing when it falls through. ”
“The right child or children will come to you, just wait and see,” Emily tells us.
“And whenever that happens, you know we will all love and spoil the heck out of them,” Ben says.
“Too right we will,” Cassie adds. “But you said yourself adoptions can take time.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how heart breaking the process can be,” Temp says. “But we’re all here to support you through the process. We can hug you when needed, offer you a shoulder, whatever, but we are all here to support you.”
“We really are,” Ernest says. “You two will make amazing parents, and the universe knows this. You watch, the right amazing child will come to you and have an amazing life, and yes, I realise I’ve used amazing a few times, but it’s true.”
There are a few chuckles around the table.
“Thanks,” both Kean and I say at the same time.
“Are you going through normal agencies or paranormal?” Emily asks.
“Both,” Kean replies. “We’ve also told the paranormal agency that we don’t mind what kind of paranormal we get, as that leaves the field wide open.”
“If you get a paranormal that needs water, we can build a pool in the garden,” Adhan tells us. “There’s more than enough room to put one in and still have a large grass area.”
“Also, the room next to your bedroom is empty. Do you want to use that for a nursery or a child’s bedroom? If you do, I can add a door and make furniture,” Jude asks.
“And I can decorate it for you,” Nix adds.
“Thank you, guys. We’ll let you know,” Kean says, looking at Adhan, Jude and Nix.
“We can give you anything that Connie no longer needs,” Sal comments.
Little Connie is sitting in her highchair, watching and smiling, like she always does.
I smile at Sal. “Thanks.”
“When are you and Cam going to adopt? I’ve been waiting ages,” Nora gripes, looking from Nix to Cam.
“It’s not been that long, Doobs. Cam and I have plenty of time before we need to think about that,” Nix tells her.
“But Nix, you’re getting old. I want a brother or sister soon, so you can still properly play with them, like you did with me.”
I’m not the only one who laughs at that.
“Thanks, Doobs, but I’m really not that old.”
“Your hair’s going grey,” she tells Nix, looking perfectly serious.
Nix gasps and touches his hair. “No, it isn’t, and if I am getting grey hairs, it’s because of you.”
Nora frowns at him, then grins.
I see Cam looking at Nix’s head. “There are a couple of grey hairs there, baby.”
Nix drops his head to the table and bangs it a couple of times.
“Pretty sure banging your head won't cure grey hairs,” Ben helpfully points out.
Nix looks up and glares at him. “I blame Ernest.”
Ernest snorts out a laugh. “How is you going grey, my fault?”
“I need someone to blame, and you do attract the crazies.”
“It’s not just me, thank you very much, Nix Washington. We all attract the crazies.”
“But the crazies only started showing up after you arrived, sweetheart,” Adhan tells his lover.
“Actually, I blame Molly. She’s the one who told me I was a witch and started training me, so if anyone’s to blame, it’s totally her.”
“I’ll let you tell Molly that,” I say to him, grinning.
I see Temp put his phone down.
Ernest obviously notices as he gasps. “Did you just put that on the town chat?” he demands.
“Umm, no, I was just checking my phone for messages,” he says, sounding unconvincing.
Ernest quickly pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks. “You did, you fiend.”
We all pull our phones out to look.
Nix is blaming Ernest for attracting the crazies. Ernest is blaming Mollyanne... which side are you on?
Replies have already started.
“Well, look at that, Ernest, looks like the blame rests with you,” Sal says, chuckling.
“Look, even Sly agrees,” I point out.
“So rude,” Ernest mutters.
“Look at that, Molly’s replied,” Sion says, grinning.
I look to see what she’s said.
Young’un, everyone knows you attract the crazies, but we love you anyway.
Ernest huffs.
Thanks cuz... I think.
There are a lot of laughing emojis from other residents.
“So one of the jobs backstage is a cleaner. Especially for the toilets, which will be Temp and Nix’s job.” Ernest tells them.
“Wait, what? I’m sure I didn’t put my name down for that!” Nix exclaims.
“Me either,” Temp says.
“Don’t pick on Ernest then,” Nora points out.
“Thank you, Miss Nora,” Ernest says, grinning at her.
“Yeah, thanks, Doobs,” Nix adds sarcastically.
I laugh at them. I love our family.
We’re not having a film night in our lounge tonight, as I want to finish reading the papers for tomorrow’s meeting.
We have a film night in our lounge most evenings.
Before I got together with Kean and my brothers came into my life, I had nothing but work going on.
Occasionally, I had town witch meetings, but apart from that, it was just work.
So much so, I had no life and missed out on a lot, especially films, hence film nights.
A few hours or so later, Kean came to collect me so we could go to bed. I’ve not finished all my reading, but who cares? It’s a bed with Kean in it.