I shoved the rest of the oreo in my mouth before turning the stove off, dusting my hands. Now I have to go find those two. "Callum! Ellie!" I followed the noise of her giggles and laughter and entered the backyard. I stood at the door, watching them. I couldn't help but smile, I really couldn't help it.

He's the perfect father.

She laughed even louder as he pushed the swing higher. His eyes caught mine and he winked. I chuckled, blowing him a kiss. He caught it, pressing it to his chest. He made a habit of doing that ever since we graduated. I don't know what the story is. Something about how he thought I would go back to New York and wanted to keep all the kisses I blew close to his heart.

He slowed the swing down and Ellie hopped off, running over to him, around the swing. "Okay, now show me what you practiced today," he nodded, taking her to the rose bush in the corner.

I actually birthed a child that is supernatural. My daughter is a darkling. I watched her in awe while she delicately touched the flower, careful of the thorns, and brought a brand new bud to life.

She giggled, jumping up and down ecstatically before turning to Callum, lifting up her arms, asking to be carried. It's a bad habit he's made her accustomed to. Being carried everywhere. I can't really blame him though, can I? She's our daughter, our only child. Of course, we're going to treat her and spoil her like a princess.

He picked her up, swinging her around while holding her like a bride as they came back in. He stopped in front of me, setting her down. "Hi," he grinned, unbuttoning his shirt. I glanced down at his body. Still the same.

We did it all a little too young, I think. But I don't regret it. We got married at twenty-one. I was twenty-three when I had Ellie. And now she's four years old.

Oh my... I met him ten whole years ago. A decade ago.

I blinked, realizing that I was zoned out, staring at his body. "Lovely. Still looks the same to me," I nodded, appreciatively. "Is it still just as sensitive?" I smirked, running my nails over his abs.

He's obsessed with that. Always asks me to do it. He always gets chills when I do though. "It feels nice," he grinned, stepping closer to me.

"Dinner's ready, come eat," I smiled, swiveling around and escaping.

He grabbed my belt loop, yanking me back. My back collided straight with his chest. "Isn't Ellie going with our parents tomorrow? To stay with the Carrington's?"

"Mm-hmm," I nodded without turning to look at him. "Why?"

"I have no meetings tomorrow."

"Last I checked, you do."

"And when was the last time you checked?" he whispered, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"This morning."

"Well, lucky for us I pushed everything to the day after. We're getting the palace to ourselves for the first time in nearly a year. I'm not wasting that opportunity."

"To do what exactly?" I smiled. Normally, I don't do this housewifey thing. I like doing it once in a while. Normally, the housemaid cooks dinner and we all eat together. Ellie, Callum, his parents, and my dad joins us too. But on nights like this, when he comes back late from the office, I like to cook it for him. "Where has Ellie gone now?" I asked, neither of us moving.

We heard a spoon fall.

"I think she's enjoying dinner," he chuckled deeply, purposely doing it in my ear.

"You can do this in our room. Poor Ellie, she doesn't even disturb us now," I chuckled.

"She doesn't get scared to sleep with her door closed now. It's a good thing. Not a 'poor Ellie' thing," he smiled, trailing kissing down my neck.

"But don't you miss when she was so little that she could sleep in bed with us?" I lifted a brow.

"Yes, because it makes me realize she's growing up. And no, because now we can do a lot more."

Then we heard another clatter. "I think she's doing a lot more. I think she's breaking the entire kitchen," I laughed, pulling away from him and going to the kitchen. "Ellie," I said slowly, realizing that she wasn't dropping things.

She was making spoons fly out of the drawer and dance around. She laughed, smiling at me sheepishly before putting them all back.

"How is the chicken?" I asked, making sure none of the pieces were too big. I already cut them up for her.

Ellie.

We named her after my mom, actually. Ella. Ella just seemed a little old-fashioned so we made it into Ellie. She looks like her in some ways. She's got the same whiskey eyes as my mother. And the same dimple on her chin. She's even short-tempered towards some people like my mother used to be.

"What did you make, baby?" Callum sighed, sitting beside Ellie.

"Chicken pasta with garlic bread," I said, taking my own plate. "You like?"

"We love," they said in sync.

"Oh, so corny," I mumbled while shuddering, taking a bite.

"Ellie," Callum said, turning to her.

"Daddy," she said mockingly, turning to him, her eyes wide and doe-like.

God, she's just like you.

He glanced at me, smirking.

"Are you excited to go with your grandparents tomorrow? You get to spend the whole day and night in the fairyland, right?"

Fairyland is a small amusement park the Carrington's made recently. Ellie loves going there with Brandon. He's her age, maybe a year older.

She nodded eagerly, turning back to her food. "Daddy, can I kiss Brandon?"

Callum froze, his fork clattering onto his plate.

"Water?" I prompted.

"Wine," he answered, staring at me in shock.

I laughed, getting him a glass of water. No wine around Ellie. It makes both of us fairly loopy.

"W-why? Why do you want to kiss Brandon?" he asked.

"Because Brandon buys me ice creaaaam!" she squealed, dancing in her seat.

"Even mommy and daddy buy you ice cream, so?" Callum shrugged, acting nonchalant and refusing her.

"But Brandon gives me flowers!"

I blinked in confusion. "What kind of flowers, honey?"

"Like I can make magic ones, he can too!" She squealed and danced some more.

Callum and I exchanged a look.

"Ellie?" We both looked up while my mother-in-law walked in. "Honey, why are you still up? We leave early tomorrow, come. I'll put you to bed. Let Mommy and daddy have their time," she smiled, still half asleep, but still taking care of Ellie like she lives for it. They all do. My dad and Callum's dad too.

"Night!" Ellie sang before Callum helped her out of the chair and then she ran upstairs with grandma.

"I didn't know the Carrington's had rare in their bloodline," he said.

"Come to think of it, we've never met Brandon's parents, only his grandparents. What's with that?" I asked, taking Ellie's half-empty plate and putting it in the fridge.

"They always travel and leave Brandon with his grandparents. That's what I know," he shrugged. Taking both our empty plates to the sink and doing the dishes. I walked over, sitting on the counter and watching him. "What?" he asked without looking at me. He dried off his hands once he was done and then turned to me, standing between my legs.

I put my arms out and on his shoulders, pulling him closer. I pushed his hair out of his eyes, tracing his eyebrow with a finger, then the bridge of his nose, then his jaw. I looked down at his chest, where at the point between his collarbone and above his heart, there was a tiny little scar. It was both from the surgery and the bullet. He also had a small scar where he was stabbed in his abdomen. But I didn't have one. I started healing then and there. The stitches from the surgery also healed quickly and didn't leave a scar.

"You're frowning again. You don't have to think about that night every time you look at it," he said, nudging my chin up with his knuckle. "What I think about is that you fell in love with me while all I did was sleep. For two months straight," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes, my hands sliding off the scars and resting in my lap.

"Hey."

I looked up while he leaned in slightly.

"C'mere." He nodded downward.

I pushed forward, my lips meeting his.

"I know we have tomorrow all to ourselves, and I know you fail at keeping quiet every single time," he cleared his throat, pulling back to look at me.

I felt my cheeks getting hotter while I looked away, laughing sarcastically. "Haha."

"But you think you can try a little harder tonight?" he chuckled, pulling me to the edge of the counter, his hips pressing into mine.

"To be quiet?" I asked.

He nodded, biting back a smile. A taunting smile.

Asshole.

He broke out into a grin. "You can do it," he shrugged, starting to pick me up.

"No," I whined. It's never possible to keep quiet. He doesn't let me.

"Yes," he whispered, flicking the lights off before teleporting us up to our room. Luckily we're on the third floor. He set me down on the bed before shrugging his shirt off and kissing me. "Keep it down, okay? Ellie's sleeping two doors over," he smirked.

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