Page 34 of Crimson Kingdom
“Dav,” Da’ sighed.
“That’s exactly what it means,” Davin helpfully answered.
“Ma-meet!” Ellie called out, her amber eyes sparkling with excitement.
This time, it was Uncle Oli’s laughter that rang out the loudest while Jocelyn reached over to swat Davin on the back of his head.
“Apologies.” He barely got the word out through his fit of laughter.
But he didn’t sound remotely sorry.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
The rest of the dinner continued in the same vein.
Everyone passed around Ellie and made a game of attempting to teach her new words, having zero regard for whether or not they were strictly appropriate.
By the time my baby sister stretched her arms out for me, I was grateful for the distraction. Anything to pull myself out of my own head, even if only for a few moments.
Warmth flooded through me, just as it always did, when I pulled her in closer.
“Wo!” Ellie cooed, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck in a hug.
I squeezed her, and she giggled.
When she backed away, I took a piece of my hair and tickled her face with it, making her laugh even harder.
Theo watched us with something like awe in his expression. Children were rare in Elk because of the effects of the plague, and it occurred to me that he had never actually interacted with one before.
“Ellie, can you say Theo?” I enunciated the syllables for her to latch onto.
“Tee-oh,” she tried, and I praised her.
“You’re really good with her,” he said warmly. “You’ll make a wonderful mother.”
It was a compliment. Logically, I knew that. But still, my smile waned.
Somehow, I had been avoiding the fact that if marriage was in my near future, so were children. That was...daunting, to say the least.
Before I could figure out how to respond, Evander made a noise in the back of his throat that I couldn’t quite decipher, but it sounded suspiciously like a derisive scoff.
Why was I not surprised that he found the idea of my being a mother laughable, when he made it clear he didn’t think I waswifematerial, either?
Ellie turned her attention on him, reaching up to tug on his hair with her tiny chubby hand, and annoyance surged through me.
“Ellie,” I prompted her. “Can you say,aalio?”
Davin snorted, and Theo let out a startled cough.
“Ah-lo,” she dutifully repeated.
“Aw, look. She knows your name.” I glanced up at Evander with the intention of mocking him, but I was wholly unprepared for the rare, genuine smile he was giving baby Ellie as he gently pried her fingers from his hair.
I quickly averted my gaze, but his deep voice sounded from what suddenly felt like far too close a distance.
“Ellie,” he said in the same tone I had used. “Can you say, Lemmikki?”
“Wem-kee!” she squealed like the tiny baby traitor that she was.