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“Da

“I’ her “Ivarsen has no discipline He’s going to be undriven Fane is neurotic Everything has to be perfect Gunnar is going to blow us up with his etable since birth, and Octavia’s going to wind up in a fucking asylum when she finds out real life pirates are just terrorists with grenade launchers” I gulped, hating that after thousands of years there was still no provenkids “I don’t knohat to do How the hell would I knohat a good parent does and doesn’t do?”

I was just as ignorant as Christiane hen she had ht They had a better chance at life with

Winter’s arms finally wrapped around me, and she pressed her lips to ainst my body

“A good parent has happy kids,” she whispered in my ear “Our kids are so happy”

She kissed my cheek and thenin the sound of the water and the feel of her

“They’re so happy,” she told ain “And so in love with you”

A flutter hit my stomach, and I smiled a little, unable to hold it back They do love me, don’t they?

“And I’m so happy,” she added

I pulled back, looking at her as ain It didn’t happen often, but it was hard not to coreat manners and were fairly quiet Athos was sht hi They did what they were told the first time he asked

My kids…

But I stopped the thought in its tracks, re

My kids could be really sweet, actually, couldn’t they?

Gunnar was so good about helping with spills, so his mom wouldn’t slip Fane helped her pick out books at the store for Dag and Octavia, describing the pictures and story, so she knehat to buy

They were good kids I drew in a breath and exhaled, letting the worry go for now We were doing a good job

“Better?” she whispered, kissingmy neck

My eyelids fluttered closed, and I nodded “Don’t stop”

She grinded againsther breast, but then a high-pitched sound penetrated the ceiling above our heads, and we both stopped, looking up

“Was that a scream?” she asked

I groaned What now?