Page 38 of Triplets for the Dark Elf
Maeve tugs at my trouser leg and grins up at me, her head thrown all the way back to see my face. “Hi,” she says, sticking a finger in her mouth.
“Hi,” I say, grinning back at her. I’ve come over to the low-towns every night this week to have dinner with my family. I’ve made it a point even if I’m running behind to never miss their bedtime.
Unfortunately, I have to go to a work dinner tomorrow night and I know Annalise will be disappointed.I’mdisappointed.
“Hey,” she says, ushering Maeve and Hazel out of the way so I can maneuver in with Indie in my arms. “How was work?”
“Good. Boring,” I shrug, chuckling. I love how domestic this feels—how right. I could get used to living like this.
Maybe not in this tiny shack though, I think as I look around. It’s obviously well cared for and Annalise and Daphne worked hard to make this place a home but if I had my way, I’d have brought Annalise and the triplets back with me to the penthouse first thing.
But it’s all about taking my time with Annalise. We can’t rush anything. Every time I’ve tried to push for more in the past, it’s led to nothing but heartbreak. So I’m going to take this slow—go at her pace.
“Dinner is almost ready,” she says. “Do you mind setting the table?”
“No,” I say. “Don’t mind at all.” I pick up Maeve on one hip and Hazel on the other, laughing with them as we tromp around the tiny kitchen to fetch plates and spoons and cups.
“By the Hearthkeeper,” Annalise mutters as she watches us, clearly holding back her own giggles. Indie follows us around, haphazardly clinging to my leg as we dance around the obstacles such as wooden blocks, toy equus and a few books that I just barely avoid.
“Are you ready to eat?” I ask the girls.
“Are you ready to eat?” they parrot back to me, giggling.
“Let’s eat!” I say, the three of them repeating me as I set the girls down and pick Indie up and set him down as well.
The children don’t have a firm grasp on who I am but they’ve come to accept me in their lives. It’s the best feeling in the world to know that these three babies care about me being part of their lives and that they like having me around.
“Tell me more about your day?” Annalise asks while the children are busy picking at the bits of bread and meat on their plates.
“It was really fine. Just slow. But I do have some news,” I tell her. I don’t like this but it’s still a necessary part of my work as a shopkeeper. “I’ve got a business dinner tomorrow. I tried to get out of it but Father insisted.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Annalise’s eyes don’t quite meet mine.
“I’ll be back in time for the children’s bedtime, though,” I reassure her. “I wouldn’t miss that for the world. I’ll be late but I’ll still be here.”
Her smile lights up the entire room. The children have no idea what we’re talking about and quietly chatter among themselves. “You really are here for us,” she whispers. I reach out and squeeze her hand under the table.
Her words reach down inside me and twist on my heart. I want her to know that I’ll always be there for her, no matter what. I hope I can prove myself to her with this, that she sees that even though I have my work, she’ll always be a priority for me.
Once dinner is done, we play with the kids for a while on the rug, chasing them around with toy equu and dolls while they shriek and laugh and jump all over us until it’s time to get ready for bed. Cleaning them up has become so much easier for us both when it’s the two of us against the three of them.
I don’t understand how Annalise did it for so long without help. She had Lucy and Daphne but I recall my one evening with them all on my own and wince. Bless Annalise for having the patience to handle this on her own but now that I’m here, I’m determined to make sure she never has to again.
“Alright,” she says. “It’s time for cleanup.”
Now that the kids are tucked in, we head back into the living area and begin tidying up. There’s an underlying tension in the air between us. It’s been like this ever since that kiss she gave me on the cheek. It might not seem like much but I can tell her walls are coming down bit by bit.
The only thing between us anymore is understandingwhyshe left in the first place. And what part I might have played in it. There’s a distance from her that I don’t understand.
But for now, I’m just happy to have the family that I longed for. We say our goodbyes, lingering in the door for a few moments too long before I wave her off and head back through town to go home.
The next evening is the dreaded business dinner. I head over to the club where it’s supposed to be held and a knot grows in my stomach. This place reminds me of the club where Annalise and I met but it definitely reminds me of her.
“Would you like a dancer to entertain you, gentlemen?” a dark elf waiter asks, approaching our table. The supplier orders a dancer and I wait for him to finish, opening my mouth to try to get this done quickly. But he cuts me off before I can speak.
“Well, let’s get started with dinner, then we can discuss prices,” he says. Naeknir is a shrewd businessman but he likes the clubs a little too much for my liking. I don’t want to be here. I just want to get out of here and be with my family. My babies. My lovely mate.
I want Annalise as my mate. I’ve decided it a long time ago, and even though the cosmos weren’t kind to us the first time, I’m more determined than ever to keep her in my life—no matter what it takes.