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I’m out of breath, but when Daniel sweeps asp He carries reenhouse on the ground just past the rows and rows of cacti There’s a big stack of tera coat pots to the right The whole thing is surrounded by flickering candles He sets ramophone, and turns on music that is probably nearly a century old

“Should I get out the sandwiches?” Daniel asks, kneeling on the blanket, knowing full well that I’m not interested in a sandwich unless it’s him sandwiched between two uess I should say that unless he’s the sandwich, I don’t want a sandwich

“No” I shake ain, but I love the sound I love it so et a lifetiain”

“Should I do it while gently easing you back onto that blanket, which probably isn’t thick enough to ravel beneath, and then, like a true gentleman, I’ll flip you around so that I take the brunt of all those rocks in entleentleman skin, especially on my bottom, and it’s been proved that it can withstand a few punctures, and you can have all the fun you want on top for as long as you ht want?”

“Yes” I’m practically delirious with desire now Giddy with joy and just- happy I’ht now “That sounds like a perfect plan But you know… If we doubled up the blanket, your bottom wouldn’t be so prickly I know you don’t have a thick scaly hide You’re no dragon You’re no butthole You really are ht in cactus prickled armor”

Daniel waggles his dark eyebrows at o wild, and a burst of giggles in response “Then, my fairest of fair cursed ladies, let ht in cactus prickled armor can do”

EPILOGUE

Daniel

In a perfect world, our house would be full of the laughter of children Not just ours, but the laughter of friends and fahter and Leandra’s granny’s cackling It would be full of happy people creating happy memories In a perfect world, ould all be healthy, loved, and cursed

I guess, for the most part, our world is pretty much perfect then

I’uesses about it We are very, very blessed

So, what’s new, other than a house full of children co into the world? Well Let me tell you My brother isn’t so ive all the credit) solely to his fiancé She’s a great woman, and it turns out that when Wes is happy and in love, he’s less apt to be annoying Don’t getHe can still be the typical little brother and act wedgie worthy, but one way dohere he’s concerned

Leandra’s granny, or GG C (short for great granny Crorandchildren call her, finally put an end to the cake licking After the incident in randkids that if they didn’t want her to curse theain with a brand new, much more melliferous curse, then they had best pull up their socks, straighten out their attitudes, and stop licking cakes No one wanted to teain That doesn’t est of spots so is safe However, now it’s done as more of a joke

“Daniel? Daniel, love, what are you doing locked away in here? My fa chaos downstairs”

Leandra cracks the door and the sight of her sh totoday’s journal entry”

She pulls a face at me, a contorted, comical expression, half suffused with love, half amusement, and not even one bit of annoyance sprinkled in “But the day’s only half done When our fa to be plenty to write about But I do ad out all the old journals and look back”

“I’ve peppered the quotes about how randkids look back, they can be thoroughly disgusted”