Love is a Two Way Street

“Mommy! Mommy!” Monique cried, jumping out from behind the curtains and onto me. I laughed as we both tumbled to the floor.

“Manny, you’re supposed to wait for me to find you,” I chided, giggling as I stood up and helped her up. “You’ll never win that way!”

“Mommy,” Monique called quietly, grabbing my hand with her tiny fingers. I smiled at her.

“What is it?”

“Why don’t you have any kids?” I smiled, but I knew it must have looked painful. It wasn’t a good subject.

“I’m terrified, Monique,” I admitted, looking down at her angelic face as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Of what?” She was a persistent little thing. I pulled her onto my lap and took in a deep breath.

“I know it’s silly, but I’m afraid something will happen. Something bad. Manny, I’m an only child, but it wasn’t always that way. I used to have a little sister who was a lot like you. She was always so full of energy and I loved her to tears. Her name was Amy and she was just amazing.”

“What happened?” she asked softly, squeezing my hand. I smiled a little.

“She had this disease. See, she was a happy little girl, but her body just couldn’t keep up with her. Her heart was just too big for her tiny body and...” I took in a shaky breath. “The doctors said it was a miracle that she lived past three. She was only six and she had so much ahead of her, but her heart just...” I shook my head, blinking away the tears. “I’m afraid I’ll have a baby girl just like her and then lose her. I can’t go through that again, Manny. I can’t take any more heartbreak in my life. I just can’t handle it.”

She was silent for a few minutes before she hopped off my lap and bounded out of the room. She came running back with a tissue. I murmured a thank you and wiped away the tears.

“I loved her just so much,” I whispered, trying to make the pain in my heart go away. I felt bad that I couldn’t give Eddy a baby, but I just couldn’t.

“Jade...”

My eyes darted up and I saw Edwin holding Monique in his arms as she cried into his shoulder. He was rubbing her back and telling her it was okay, but he didn’t seem at all convinced by what he was saying.

“How long have you been there?” I asked, voice cracking.

“I wish you would have told me, Jade. But you don’t have to worry about anything happening to the baby. We’re vampires, after all. We don’t need hearts to live. The baby will technically be born ‘dead’, but it’ll be a vampire.” He sat down beside me and put Manny on my lap. I grabbed his hand tightly and cried a little more.

“Edwin, I want a baby, I do, but you don’t know what it’s like to watch your little sister crying about so much pain. Then to see this blank look in her eyes that were so full of life. I couldn’t even go to the funeral!”

“Jade, honey, there won’t be any more funerals, I promise. Please, you have to trust me. Where’s that smile that I love so much? Jade, you’re so pretty when you smile.” I smiled slightly, but I didn’t know how to feel.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you, too, but why can’t you trust me?” he asked, sounding more than a little hurt.

“I do trust you, but...I don’t know. What if something happens?”

“Nothing will happen other than we’ll have the kid of our dreams and be a happy family. Quinn knows all about this stuff and there’s no such thing as a baby vampire being born with any health problems.”

“Edwin...”

“What?” he whispered, kissing my forehead.

“I want a baby.”