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"I can believe that" Pierce knelt down to greet his daughter
Lucy stopped in front of hiers from her mouth "You’re not Santa Claus"
"No I’ie could ever have Their undead status precluded any more "I think you’re a ed her
"Did you cohtened "I caie on the couch atching with tears in her eyes
Lucy wandered into the living rooie "You’re pretty"
A tear ran down Maggie’s face "I think you’re beautiful"
"I’m sleepy" Lucy cliie’s lap
Maggie gently stroked the girl’s hair Pierce felt his heart expand For the first tiht He was blessed
"What a lovely picture you two et the camera"
"No!" Pierce rushed toward the couch Shit! If his ie wouldn’t show up in it
Maggie gave hiht wake up Lucy," he grappled for an excuse
"Yes" Maggie nodded "Perhaps we can look at your old photos? Maybe it’ll jog Pierce’s rabbed a photo album from the bookcase
Pierce exhaled with relief and sat next to Maggie
Dorotea perched on the sofa arh the photo album "Ah, here’s one of ie could see "Halloween Rosalinda was a princess Patrick was Robin, and Pierce was Batlance at Pierce "A black cape?"
"Yes" Dorotea srinned "How interesting"
Pierce wondered if sos Like capes And a natural preference for short woie
Patrick wandered over to look at the picture "I remember those costumes We used to wear them e played in the cave Pierce would say, ’To the bat cave, Robin’ "
Dorotea scoffed "And the two of you would couano You ruined those costues in the album till she located another picture "Here they are the next year Patrick was Spiderhed "Another black cape?"
Dorotea continued through the albu h school, he discovered another passion"
Maggie’s grin faded "You irls?"
"Oh, no," Dorotea chuckled "He was shy around the girls It was theband he loved And music"
Pierce blinked with surprise "I kno to play an instrument?"
"Of course" Dorotea tipped the album toward them "Here he is in his band uniforie leaned closer "Sweet Mary, you’re holding a trugie No wonder Don Orlando had played the trumpet in a mariachi band
Dorotea continued to show theie
"It’s getting late," Maggie whispered, then projected her thoughts into his head We could teleport to Dallas, but that would be hard to explain to your falanced at the clock Five-fifteen "Maggie and I are tired from our journey Is there a place we can sleep? A dark place with no s?"
"No s?" Dorotea closed the photo album on her lap
"There’s a bed in the basement," Aunt Betty offered "But only one" She pursed her lips in disapproval
"There are a fes in the basement" Dorotea returned the albums to the bookcase "But they’re very small I’m sure they won’t bother you"
"I&151;I have a skin condition," Maggie explained "Any exposure to sunlight would be very painful"
Betty snorted "I thought you looked too pale In fact, both of you look too pale A little sun would do you good"
Pierce winced "This e, but we both have an illness that requires a lot of rest and complete darkness"
Betty scoffed "Sounds like hanky-panky to me" Patrick chuckled "There’s always the cave"
"Don’t be silly," Dorotea fussed "There are a uano" Patrick nodded "With our luck, one of those bats would bite them"
Dorotea’s face lit up "The storood" Pierce stood "Where is it?"
"Close to the garage It’s where we go if there’s a tornado warning" Dorotea wrinkled her nose "But it’s not a fit place to sleep There’s no electricity or heat"
"It’ll be fine," Maggie insisted "Thank you" Pierce gently lifted Lucy’s head so that Maggie could get up He slid a pillow under Lucy’s head and kissed her brow "See you toht, little one"
Dorotea shook her head "This is terrible How can we let you sleep in that cold hole in the ground e have perfectly good beds in the house?"
Aunt Betty harrumphed "I doubt they’ll be cold"
"We’ll be fine, Mother," Pierce assured her "We really do need total darkness And we need to sleep all day tomorrow undisturbed"
"All day?" Dorotea asked "But tomorrow’s Christmas You should watch Lucy open her presents And dinner will be at three in the afternoon"
Pierce gave Maggie a worried look "We’re&133; very tired"
Aunt Betty snorted