Chapter 481


    It takes a little over two hours, but finally thest of the doctors leaves, the door clicking shut behind


    them.


    “Finally,” Roger sighs, falling back into the linens of the freshly-changed bed.


    “Now we just have to get our stupid family to leave and we’ll get some sleep – ” “Excuse me,” I say,


    ring over at him. “If you think you’re tired -” “Fine fine,” he sighs, turning his head to grin at me.


    “You’re right. What can I get you, my love? Do you want anything?” The doctor officially gave me and


    Jesse a clean bill of health after I delivered the centa and Jesse had his first feeding and full check-


    up. It was, of course, a relief to have everything turn out right and rtively easy -especially in


    comparison to E’s experiences – but now that they’re all gone?


    Honestly, it all feels very real.


    Like now I have to be a mom, and Roger has to be a dadall by ourselves.


    “I don’t know,” I say,ughing a little and looking between Roger and our little baby. “Honestly, it’s all


    kind of weird, isn’t it? All of this fuss and then they just… leave you alone with a baby. To do what you


    will.” “I know,” he says, looking at me with wide eyes. “I’m d you know what to do.


    I’m totally lost.” “I don’t know what to do!” I protest,ughing and shaking my head.


    “What!?” he breaths, sitting up sharply.


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    “I’m just a doctor, Roger!” I say,ughing harder now and feeling a little hysterical as well as exhausted.


    “Peoplee to me pregnant, but then I send the babies home with them! I don’t know what to do with


    a kid – that’s E’s department.” “Well then,” he says, looking anxiously towards the door. “I take back


    my previous words. E has to stay – for like, ever.” “Or at least until this kid is six -” “Can we push to


    seven?” Roger asks, looking at me with real anxiety that just makes meugh harder.


    There’s a little knock on the door but suddenly Roger and I areughing too hard to answer it. It cracks


    open anyway and E again peeks her head in.


    “I thought I heard the hysteria of new parents,” she says, shaking her head at us and smiling as she


    comes into the room. “Are you totally freaking out?” “Full meltdown,” Roger says, wiping a tear of mirth


    from his eyes. “What are we supposed to like…do with him?” he asks, gesturing to the baby as Sinir


    comes in after E, shutting the door and grinning at us. Rafe fusses, starting to blink awake in


    Sinir’s arms.


    “You’re suppose to love him,” E says,ing close and reaching for the baby, which I dly hand off


    to her. ” And, you know. Keep him alive.” “Loving I can do,” Roger sighs as E folds her legs beneath


    her on the bed and Sinir pulls a chair up to the bedside,pleting our little group of six. “The rest…


    we’re going to need some help.” “It’s not so hard,” Sinir says kindly, smiling down at Rafe who


    yawns and looks around at us sleepily, a little confused. “They sleep a lot their first couple of weeks.


    And then, after that, they find ways to tell you what they want.” “Maybe we should trade,” Roger says,


    looking dubiously between Rafe and Jesse. “Yours looks…sturdier.” E grins suddenly and looks at


    me like she’s considering the idea but I justugh and shake my head. “You can’t take my baby, E,” I


    say, crossing my arms.


    “Even if Roger is inept, I still like him.” “I didn’t say I didn’t like him,” Roger murmurs, sighing and


    leaning against me, happy.


    Rafe lets out a surprised little screech all of a sudden and all of our eyes turn to him as his own gaze


    fastens on his cousin, his eyes going wide like he’s noticing him for the first time.


    Which, I mean, he honestly probably is.


    “Do you want to see the baby, Rafe?” E coos, leaning forward so that Rafe can meet Jesse face-to-


    face for the first time.


    I smile in surprise and delight when my sweet nephew really does lean forward to see Jesse, his face


    very curious. Rafe lets out another little squeak, more demanding this time, and reaches out his hands


    towards the baby.


    “Oh my god,” Sinir murmurs, looking down at his son with a fascinated and pleased expression. “He


    really does want to go to him!” “This is Jesse,” E says,ughing a little as she beams at her own


    baby. ” He’s your new cousin! And I think you’re going to be best friends.” “They’d better be,” Roger


    murmurs.” Because they’re going to be together a lot.


    It’s going to be very inconvenient if they don’t like each other.” “Oh,” I scold, giving him a light smack on


    the chest. “They will. Besides, shut up, I want to watch this…” And the two of us lean forward as


    Sinir sits Rafe on the bed, letting him lean forward and continue to reach for the baby.


    “Lay them down,” E says softly, her voice a little awed, “next to each other -” “What?” Sinir asks.


    “Please,” E says, almost beyond herself, as if she’s speaking from instinct.


    “Let’s just…try it…” Sinir looks at me and Roger and I just shrug, fine with it if E is. I don’t see


    Roger’s response, but I don’t hear a protest, so I assume it’s okay.


    And so Sinir gently flips Rafe on his back andys him out on the nkets, and E very gently, very


    tentatively ces Jesse next to him, close enough for Rafe to touch.


    To my shock, the usually rambunctious Rafe stays very, very still for a moment as he stares at his


    cousin. And then he begins to turn, and almost gently reaches for Jesse – And the moment they touch,


    when Rafe’s fingers brush against Jesse’s cheek, and Jesse’s little eyes flutter open – All four of us


    parents take a sharp intake of breath.


    Because we all feel it – each and every one of us.


    We look around at each other for a spilt second and then all of our eyes dart back to our kids, who are


    still touching, just barely, skin to skin.


    Rafe babbles a little, saying hello to his new cousin, who just sighs and closes his eyes again.


    “Oh…oh my god…” E says, her hands going to her mouth for a split second before she reaches


    down and gathers Jesse back up into her arms. ” Did you guys…” “Um, yeah,” Roger says, and I turn


    my head to see him staring wide-eyed at E.


    “Yeah, I think it’s fair to say we all felt that.” “What was it?” I breathe, fascinated and confused but…not


    at all scared.


    “It’s a bond,” Sinir murmurs, pulling a now-giggling Rafe into hisp and stroking his broad hand


    over his son’s hair as he looks around at the rest of us.


    “Can’t you all feel it?” Each of us, I think, shifts our minds inwards to that ce in our hearts or our


    minds or our souls where our wolves live, where we ess our bonds. And Dominic is right – it’s not a


    bond with me, not really. But the bond between me and Jesse, which shines rich and bright between


    us? There’s… something new there, another bond that I can sense beyond it. I can’t reach it, or touch


    it… But I know it’s there.


    “Oh…weird,” Roger murmurs, his eyes bright now as he smiles at his brother.


    “Our kids have a bond? Do…do we have a bond?” “Uhm, only the bonds of brotherhood that we forged


    sharing a bedroom for ten years,” Sinir says, shooting Roger a little re. “I mean, siblings are


    bonded through their parents, of course, but a bond like this? And between cousins?” He shakes his


    head.


    “I mean,” E says, giving a smug little shrug. “We knew they were special.” “Just because you like


    them doesn’t mean they’re special,” I say, rolling my eyes at my sister and reaching out for my baby.


    Eughs and leans over to pass Jesse back to me. I smile when he’s back in my arms, dropping a


    kiss to his perfect, tiny little cheek.


    “I like them and they’re special. What do you think it means?” We all look to Sinir, who just gives a


    little shrug. “I have no idea,” he says, “why should I know?” “Because you’re the one who figured it out,”


    Roger says,ughing a little.


    “Well,” Sinir says on a sigh. ” That’s all I’ve got. Maybe it has something to do with being


    grandchildren of the goddess. Or…their gifts, or something. I have no idea.” “I wonder if any future kids


    will be likewise bonded,” I murmur, smiling a little as I think of that possibility. Because, honestly, even


    though I’m bone tired…I’m already starting to forget some of the miseries of pregnancy.


    I know that I’ve only been a mom for a couple of hours now but…I already really love it. I’m starting to


    understand E’s mania for more, honestly. I smile down at my baby, thinking that if he’s this great


    already… Well, then I probably want like…five more. Maybe not anytime soon…I want to enjoy this one


    first. But yeah. Quite suddenly, I definitely want more.


    “Only one way to find out,” Sinir says, and I don’t miss the way that he smiles at E. I grin privately


    to myself, but my smile quickly turns into a yawn.


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