Where's My Happily Ever After?

I was sitting up in bed with Avery in my arms as I held him as tightly to me as I could. He was crying in my arms as I rocked him back and forth, begging him to hush up so he didn’t disturb his daddy. I glanced over and saw Edwin sleeping peacefully in our bed, mumbling something I couldn’t understand. I let myself breathe again as I finally managed to lull the tyke to sleep.

“Baby.” I glanced over again to my...fiancé. He turned over on his side in his sleep. “Baby...”

“Eddie?” I whispered, biting my lip and praying he hadn’t awoken. Edwin mumbled something yet again and turned to me, his eyes tightly shut. “Are you awake?” I wasn’t sure if I was talking to myself, but he didn’t respond, so I returned my attention to the baby who was grabbing my finger and shoving it in his mouth. I smiled, immediately wincing and frowning as Avery examined the ring on my finger.

I was still sore, but most of the wounds had started healing. I knew that if I drank blood I would heal quicker, but I only drank enough to keep me barely alive. And I could see that that’s what Edwin was also doing since he was so deeply asleep. Right after Edwin’s nice proposal, he made us all go home before his parents could see what we had “talked” about. He was careful to keep Monique distracted and the poor little girl didn’t suspect a thing, though I suppose that was a bit contradictory since it could be argued that ignorance is bliss, so she—in fact—wouldn’t be so woeful after all. Or maybe that’s the hysteria talking.

“Oh, baby boy,” I murmured, sighing. “You should bring me joy whenever I look into your eyes since they reflect your daddy’s, but why do they only bring heartache to my long-since healed wounds? I love you so—and truly, truly I do—but I can only see the icy chill that used to be a welcoming warmth. I miss it.”

Avery shrieked something in response to me, but I couldn’t tell if it was a wail or an “It’ll be okay, mommy.” Nonetheless, he contented himself with nibbling on my finger. I cried out as his little canines pricked my finger. I jerked my hand from him and examined the damage. Blood ran down my finger and I sighed, sucking on the wound. It tasted horrible, true, but I didn’t much care at that point.

“Good morrow, my love,” Edwin mumbled. I glanced over and I nearly jumped when I saw Edwin’s eyes wide open as they gazed at me. I forced a small smile, removing my finger from my lips. He stole my hand and placed a kiss on the bite my child had given me. He smirked seductively as he licked away the blood.

“Good morning.” Edwin reached out and stole my baby from me. I bit back protests as Edwin sat up beside me, cooing at the little boy. Avery giggled, delighted as he grasped Edwin’s cheek. Ed grinned, rolling his eyes at him.

“So about the name...”

“Avery-Tristan,” I pleaded, squeezing my eyes shut to brace myself if he decided to lash out.

“Oh,” was all he said, watching the baby. I stole a glance in his direction and he seemed in deep thought.

“Monique came up with it, and it is her first little brother.”

“And her last, too,” Edwin mumbled, the cheeriness vanishing from his eyes.

“Why’s that?” I asked, not truly interested.

“Kids complicate things, obviously,” he told me, whipping his head around and staring at me with narrowed eyes, accusing me silently.

“What does that mean?” I noticed a hint of sass in my voice. I laughed mentally at my use of the word “sass”. Really, what a nice word! You sass-pants! Oh, yes...

“It means,” he hissed, suddenly pushing Avery my way. I clutched him to my chest. “That you don’t fucking love me anymore!” Caution: with Edwin comes mood swings! I rolled my eyes, but said nothing. I shrieked when Avery was suddenly torn from me. Edwin quickly put the crying babe in his cradle and returned to me, pouncing on me and pinning me on the bed. “Admit it! You didn’t even want to marry me!”

“Because something is wrong with you!” I spat in his face, glowering. I was done cowering.

“There's that... Or you’re a worthless bitch that needs to be reminded of how lucky she is to have me entirely,” he smirked snobbishly. I freed my hand to slap him across his pretty little face, but he caught my hand easily, laughing. “Oh, don’t be childish, my darling. We both know who is stronger. Challenge me, I dare you.” I said nothing, deciding to return to my cowering. “Good girl. See, if you just give in to my demands we’ll get along just perfectly, don’t you think?”

“You know what’s funny?” I asked him, thinking out loud. “Quinn almost joked around and told me I would end up with an abusive man. I suppose she has always been psychic, huh?”

“I’m not abusive!” Edwin hissed, tearing himself from me and jerking me onto my feet. “You just infuriate me to no end!” He seemed to think a moment before he pulled me tightly to him. “But that’s okay because you’re so damn beautiful.” He kissed my nose softly before biting my lip and drawing blood. I sighted inwardly as he sucked on my lip, taking all the blood he could as his hands dropped to my hips.

“Please, not in front of the baby,” I begged softly. Edwin pulled back to look at me, determination set firmly in his eyes.

The decision remained unmade.

All of a sudden Monique tumbled in, breathing deeply as though she had just run around the world a few times in the past hour. She lunged at us, grabbing my hand and tugging on it relentlessly.

“Mommy! Mommy! Nathan is in the living room!”

“So?” Edwin mumbled, refusing to release my hips.

“Quinn isn’t with him.”