midwife—and Suze—had either
not seen, or chosen to ignore Sael. Livvy chose to ignore their ignorance. To just
say thank you and let Suze go to make a cup of tea,
and Doris all the things she had to. To pronounce the twins fit and well, and
depart, with the dire—to Livvy—threat that she'd be back the next day.
She'd face that when
she had to.
Two hours later,
clean, tidy, and tired, Livvy sat in bed, and looked at her babies, one on each
breast. Suze had gotten rid of the midwife as soon as it was decent. And the
two of them had defiantly had a glass of champagne each.
To Livvy's sorrow,
Sael—or his memory—had disappeared once Cherie, twin two, had been born. She
could still feel his lingering kiss, hear his soft, "Thank you," and
imagine his hug.
"Okay, time to
sleep." Suze said in her best “do as I say” voice. The one she used when
unruly children shouted and screamed in the library. "I've made my bed.
Shout if you need me. And do not argue. I'm a very light sleeper. Shout
and I'll hear you."
"Says the woman
who slept through an earthquake," Livvy said, and laughed. "Seriously,
Suze, if I need you, I'll shout."
Not that she thought
she would. Somehow, she knew she would be fine.
Suze departed into
the spare bedroom, still reiterating the "call me and I'll come"
rules. Livvy snuggled down, a baby on each side. None of this put in a crib
stuff, not yet. She needed her babies close to her. It was almost as if she
could feel Sael there, loving them all.
She dozed off. And woke with a jolt, and no babies.
"I have them,
love." Sael stood by the bed, a babe on each arm and the biggest, smuggest
grin she had ever seen on a face.
"You're dead.
You're fucking dead," Livvy cried. Big fat harsh sobs, with tears that
racked her body.
"No, love, you
saved me. Because you showed what you were prepared to do for us, you saved me.
Because I wouldn't let you, I was also saved, to eventually be allowed to be
with you. My penance for my defiance was to wait until now to come to you
openly."
Sael is really here,
eyes twinkling, that wicked grin on his face, looking at
me, at the babies? He really is, no dream, no wish, just here?
"But you were
dying. I saw you."
He nodded.
"Remember, I am Saffaulian. As long as I had some breath, my father could
choose to allow me to live. He did—eventually—but I'm sure he made certain I
wondered for a while. I think the best way to describe it is I was in a coma. I
was here. I could see you, but I couldn't reach you. My world chose to let me
live, but it was many moons before I came back to, well, full life, I
guess."
He smiled at her, a
smile full of promise and love.
"My, didn't we
do well." He pressed a kiss on her forehead, careful not to squash either
baby as they nestled comfortably in his arms.
"Didn't we just?"
Livvy said faintly. Was this a dream? Like the one she had prayed for,
and never had her prayers answered about, whilst their babies grew inside her?
One she would wake from, feeling lost and bereft?
She felt the nip on
her neck.
"No, no more.
I'm here if you want me. To be us, you, me, and our children. Are you up for it? Weird kids, even weirder husband, but lots
of love? Sir and sub; husband and wife. Will
you go for it, Liv?"
She looked at his
beloved face, touched it, lifted his wrist, and meshed their tattoos.
"Really?" Could she
believe it? So many times, she'd dreamed he was there, only to wake up lost and
lonely.
"Really. I've paid
my dues. I'm with you forever. If you'll have me. The
fact I put you above Saffaul, the fact you were prepared to do all to save me?
Well, evidently, that's what Saffaul needs. I'm now officially alive, and not
due to die until any human would. Oh, and the leader elect. Can you stand
that?"
His eyes were bright,
the love shining out of them.
Oh, could she. She
showed him just how much. Even with two babies hampering them. This was love.
The End
www.ravenmcallan.com
Other Books by Raven McAllan
not seen, or chosen to ignore Sael. Livvy chose to ignore their ignorance. To just
say thank you and let Suze go to make a cup of tea,
and Doris all the things she had to. To pronounce the twins fit and well, and
depart, with the dire—to Livvy—threat that she'd be back the next day.
She'd face that when
she had to.
Two hours later,
clean, tidy, and tired, Livvy sat in bed, and looked at her babies, one on each
breast. Suze had gotten rid of the midwife as soon as it was decent. And the
two of them had defiantly had a glass of champagne each.
To Livvy's sorrow,
Sael—or his memory—had disappeared once Cherie, twin two, had been born. She
could still feel his lingering kiss, hear his soft, "Thank you," and
imagine his hug.
"Okay, time to
sleep." Suze said in her best “do as I say” voice. The one she used when
unruly children shouted and screamed in the library. "I've made my bed.
Shout if you need me. And do not argue. I'm a very light sleeper. Shout
and I'll hear you."
"Says the woman
who slept through an earthquake," Livvy said, and laughed. "Seriously,
Suze, if I need you, I'll shout."
Not that she thought
she would. Somehow, she knew she would be fine.
Suze departed into
the spare bedroom, still reiterating the "call me and I'll come"
rules. Livvy snuggled down, a baby on each side. None of this put in a crib
stuff, not yet. She needed her babies close to her. It was almost as if she
could feel Sael there, loving them all.
She dozed off. And woke with a jolt, and no babies.
"I have them,
love." Sael stood by the bed, a babe on each arm and the biggest, smuggest
grin she had ever seen on a face.
"You're dead.
You're fucking dead," Livvy cried. Big fat harsh sobs, with tears that
racked her body.
"No, love, you
saved me. Because you showed what you were prepared to do for us, you saved me.
Because I wouldn't let you, I was also saved, to eventually be allowed to be
with you. My penance for my defiance was to wait until now to come to you
openly."
Sael is really here,
eyes twinkling, that wicked grin on his face, looking at
me, at the babies? He really is, no dream, no wish, just here?
"But you were
dying. I saw you."
He nodded.
"Remember, I am Saffaulian. As long as I had some breath, my father could
choose to allow me to live. He did—eventually—but I'm sure he made certain I
wondered for a while. I think the best way to describe it is I was in a coma. I
was here. I could see you, but I couldn't reach you. My world chose to let me
live, but it was many moons before I came back to, well, full life, I
guess."
He smiled at her, a
smile full of promise and love.
"My, didn't we
do well." He pressed a kiss on her forehead, careful not to squash either
baby as they nestled comfortably in his arms.
"Didn't we just?"
Livvy said faintly. Was this a dream? Like the one she had prayed for,
and never had her prayers answered about, whilst their babies grew inside her?
One she would wake from, feeling lost and bereft?
She felt the nip on
her neck.
"No, no more.
I'm here if you want me. To be us, you, me, and our children. Are you up for it? Weird kids, even weirder husband, but lots
of love? Sir and sub; husband and wife. Will
you go for it, Liv?"
She looked at his
beloved face, touched it, lifted his wrist, and meshed their tattoos.
"Really?" Could she
believe it? So many times, she'd dreamed he was there, only to wake up lost and
lonely.
"Really. I've paid
my dues. I'm with you forever. If you'll have me. The
fact I put you above Saffaul, the fact you were prepared to do all to save me?
Well, evidently, that's what Saffaul needs. I'm now officially alive, and not
due to die until any human would. Oh, and the leader elect. Can you stand
that?"
His eyes were bright,
the love shining out of them.
Oh, could she. She
showed him just how much. Even with two babies hampering them. This was love.
The End
www.ravenmcallan.com
Other Books by Raven McAllan
Similar Books
