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“Father! Help us!!”
“Daddy!!”
“PERCY!”
He was pulled from the dream by a tight, strangling rope of violent agony, his heart thundering in his ears as the ghosts of screams sent shivers down his spine. He shook, his vision blurred by stinging tears as he tried to take stock of his surroundings. Unconsciously and instinctively, his hand grappled at his side for his weapon, but all he found were sheets that lacked their normal sense of comfort. He didn’t care for them as he tossed them aside, rolling out of bed clumsily while his heart rattled against his ribcage.
That was when he remembered where he was.
His bedroom.
His home in Whitestone.
It had only been a dream.
He shuddered, standing from where he’d landed on the ground, his blurred vision taking stock of the cool moonlight that filtered through the large windows of his bedroom. He fumbled for his glasses on his bedside table, just needing to be certain of his surroundings.
He just needed to be sure.
When his shaking hands finally found his glasses, he placed them on his face hastily, nearly taking an eye out as he did, but he didn’t care. His heart was held hostage by the sheer panic still coursing through his veins.
It was just a dream, his logic tried to remind him.
But what if it wasn’t, every scar in his memory whispered back.
He blinked hastily against the hot tears that blurred his vision as he stood, instantly looking at his bed. With panic filling him, he tried to get a hold of himself, until his eyes found his wife.
Vex’ahlia was still asleep, curled into the sheets, undisturbed amidst his sudden departure. She was practically cocooned in their sheets, partially obscured, a small frown on her sleeping face.
He froze, staring at her unmoving form, scanning the satin sheets for the dark stain of blood, for any evidence that the love of his life had been harmed- but found none. Somehow that did nothing to calm him. She was there, yes, apparently sleeping peacefully, but he needed proof that she was alright. He needed proof that she was alive as she lay in the bed they’d shared for over twenty-one years.
His mind flashed with the horrifying image the dream had presented him with; A faceless evil slitting his wife’s throat before him, her terrified dark eyes locked on him as a choker of ruby blood stained her skin… as she choked on her own blood…until finally she was still.
He clenched his fists at the thought, suddenly feeling sick.
And so, he held his breath until he saw her chest rise and fall, a small sigh leaving her in her sleep.
He exhaled.
His wife was safe.
The love of his life was alive.
He wanted relief to overtake him at the sight of Vex’ahlia breathing, but his heart didn’t release the anguish. His muscles screamed for him to move.
He had others to check on.
He inhaled shakily before his eyes went to the bassinet beside Vex’s side of the bed, walking quickly, cursing himself for not being quieter, but too panicked to care.
A stray tear rolled down his cheek as he tried to control his breathing.
He just needed to be sure.
He just needed to be sure.
With the cold fear of death squeezing his heart he peered into the bassinet, half expecting to see bloodied sheets and a nightmarish sight that no parent ever deserved to see, but found none of it.
Instead, he found his five-day-old daughter, Gwendolyn, swaddled and sleeping peacefully, a tiny red hand and the tip of her tail partially escaping her mother’s expert wrappings.
The newborn tiefling girl was thankfully sleeping peacefully after keeping her parents on their toes all day. Like her mother, her tiny face was contorted in a frown, the soft tufts of dark hair mussed as her head shifted, small lips smacking as she slept. Again, he waited for relief to fill him with the proof that his youngest child was alright, but still, his mind whispered with paranoia that perhaps the others weren’t okay.
He winced as the echoes of screams from his nightmare echoed in his ears. The sounds of his children pleading with him to save them instantly made him move, practically running to the bedroom door.
He didn’t bother with a robe, uncaring of the bitter cold of Whitestone’s winters as he crept from the room, moving quickly but quietly, not wanting to wake Vex or the newborn. He swiftly moved out of their bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind him, and found a silent, chilly hallway awaiting him.
He didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified at the sound of silence.
He quickly moved, his fear-stricken body on autopilot, beelining for his children’s rooms.
As he came to the first door, he inhaled sharply.
I just need to be sure, he assured himself, trying to bring his logic back into his mind.
It was foolish to try and have his logic take over.
If there was any chance in the world that his children were in danger, he would damn all logic. He would do anything to ensure their safety. Anything.
He cracked open the bedroom door and quickly shuffled into the room belonging to his youngest son, Vax’ildan Frederick.
A small nightlight that he’d built for the boy’s fifth birthday cast soft light in the shape of birds on the walls, turning gently in the same way the world turned on its axis. In its shapes of light, Percy could make out the little bed against the wall, a small form cuddling with a mountain of stuffed animals, a bear cub camouflaged against them. The soft huffs of Charlie, the bear cub, drowned out what he was listening for, and he approached the bed hastily and peered into the dark until he finally found the peaceful face of his son.
A small smile was across the little boy’s face as he slept, undoubtedly dreaming of some kind of mischief that he’d wreak on his older siblings. He sighed softly in his sleep, his small arms curling around a large stuffed raven that lay at his side, his brow furrowing as a smirk crossed his face. Even at eight years old, he looked so much like his wife, only with sharper features. Every day this little boy was proving that they’d named him correctly, and his uncle would have been so proud.
Percy unleashed a small sigh before retreating from the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Freddie was safe.
His younger boy was safe.
Freddie’s okay, he thought to himself, Gwen’s okay. Vex is okay.
He then went to the next room.
Wolfe’s room was next door to Freddie’s, and Percy quickly peeked in, finding his older son stretched across his bed, still wearing his clothes from the day before, messy curls obscuring his face. Percy sighed softly as he watched his son’s back rise and fall with a breath, the twelve-year-old reminding him of himself and maybe even Ludwig when he’d been that age, with gangly limbs and messy curls.
A small sense of affection cut through his panic as he went to grab a blanket from where it had been tossed on the boy’s desk, draping it over his son’s body gently as he did. As he lay the blanket over his son, he was reminded of when Keyleth had given them the blankets- when the twins had been born. They had been so small then, having come so early- nearly too early- into the world.
But that didn’t matter now because his oldest boy was safe.
Wolfe’s okay, he thought to himself, repeating the list in his head, Freddie’s okay, Gwen’s okay, and Vex is okay.
Another child, another room to check.
Leona’s room was right next door to Wolfe’s. This was hardly a surprise as the two could rarely be seen apart, even as they started to develop their own interests. As he closed Wolfe’s door, he only took one step to the side before he opened his daughter’s door, peering in, half-expecting her to be in a similar state as her twin.
Leona, to her credit, had actually changed into her sleepwear and made it under her covers and sheets, unlike her twin. Her thick curls were already messy, tossed about in a mess that she would hate to brush out in the morning. It had been a commonality for the girl to sit in front of her mother first thing in the morning while Vex brushed them out, the girl complaining about the sheer volume of her curls and how much of a pain her “lion's mane” (as her twin called it) was. She lay flat on her back, her expression almost the same as Wolfe’s had been, almost as if she was frozen deep in thought. The only indication that she’d fallen asleep in the middle of something was an open sketchbook lying across the foot of her bed, a pencil having rolled across the floor, and her glasses slumping down her sleeping face.
He crossed the room quietly, picking up the pencil and the sketchbook, taking only a moment to marvel at the girl’s exquisitely detailed drawing of an Owlbear as he did, and placing it on her desk before leaning over his daughter’s face and gently pulling her glasses from her face. The girl shifted as he removed the glasses and placed them on her bedside table, uttering a small sigh in her sleep. He cursed himself mentally as she cracked an eye open, but felt the small sense of relief at the sign of life as she squinted. He hadn’t meant to disturb her.
“Mmmh…” she sighed, her expression almost looking like she couldn’t tell if he was really there, “Dad?”
“Shh,” he whispered, managing a small smile and brushing a messy curl out of her face, “I’m sorry, Leo, love. Go back to sleep.”
“Hmm,” she simply nodded before her eyes fell shut again.
Within moments, his girl was asleep again.
He retreated from the room quickly, trying not to wake her again. He’d forgotten that she was the lightest sleeper of their five children. He closed the door before the cyclical list appeared in his mind again.
Leona’s safe, he thought, trying to quiet the anxiety that still roared in his mind, Wolfe’s safe, Freddie’s safe, Gwen’s safe, and Vex's safe.
One last room to check, and then hopefully the nightmare would quiet in his mind.
Vesper’s room was a little further down the hallway.
They’d offered her a room in a separate wing since she was now twenty-one years of age, but she had requested to stay close to her siblings. She hadn’t had to live with them still, after all. Given her position within the Whitestone assembly, she was making her own money and had even considered buying her own home, but her fondness for her siblings had overruled that, and Vex and Percy were beyond thrilled to have her at home with them. Vex had once voiced worries that once Vesper came of age she would decide that she disliked them and would want to move away, but thankfully that hadn’t been the case and they only found themselves growing more and more proud of their eldest daughter every day.
It was odd to consider that he had an adult child now. After all, it seemed only yesterday that they’d welcomed her into the world, terrified that somehow they would break this new life they had made. Vesper Elaina had been a little spark of life in their lives at a time when their world had been consumed by darkness and grief. It seemed that so little time had passed since she’d been born, and yet, here she was, a leader. A powerful and strong young woman in her own right. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to call himself her father.
As he cracked the door to his eldest daughter’s chambers, his mind presented the memory of the nightmare to him again.
Despite being twenty-one now, she had been so young in the dream. In the nightmare, she was still a little girl, her tiny hands reaching out for him as the nameless darkness snuffed her life out and he’d been powerless to stop it. He couldn’t save her or her siblings.
He winced and tried to push the memory away, tears stinging his eyes as he peered into her room just for proof that she was alright. Just for proof that his eldest daughter was alive.
She was buried in her covers, intolerant of the cold in the same way her mother was, with two extra throw blankets over her, making it appear as if she were nestled into her own nest. Her white hair was cast across her pillows, reflecting the moonlight that filtered through her room.
He waited for signs of life as he watched her, knowing that it was silly to worry in this way. After all, all of her siblings had been okay.
But his mind wouldn’t allow him to relax. The horror of what he’d seen held his heart and mind hostage. His hands shook senselessly as he stood there, just waiting and listening until finally, Vesper turned over in her sleep, proving that she too, was okay.
Finally, he allowed himself to exhale, the list coming back to his mind.
Vesper’s alive, he thought, closing his eyes as he shut the door behind him, leaning against it, Leona’s alive. Wolfe’s alive. Freddie’s alive. Gwen’s alive. Vex’ahlia’s alive.
The relief didn’t come, so he tried again.
They’re okay, he thought to himself, picturing their sleeping faces. Picturing the family he loved so dearly, They’re safe.
His hands still shook and his heart still pounded in his chest as he went over the names in his mind.
Vesper.
Wolfe.
Leona.
Freddie.
Gwendolyn.
Vex’ahlia.
They’re okay, he tried to convince himself, They’re safe.
Still, his heart thudded treacherously in his chest, the anxiety and fear striking through his very blood like electric shocks. He bit back a curse as he tried to breathe, trying to keep it all away.
This normally worked.
So why not now?
“Percy?”
At the sound of her voice, a soft gasp left him, and he opened his eyes to find his wife standing before him, her arms wrapped around her against the cold.
Her eyes were soft as she studied him, as they always were.
She knew.
She had to know.
But she asked all the same.
“Bad dream?” she whispered, taking a step forward.
He swallowed hard, biting down on his lower lip and managing a nod.
She nodded. In a swift gentle movement, she took his cold, shaking hands into her own.
“The dining hall?” she asked, meeting his eyes.
The sounds of screams filled his ears again, and he managed a nod, the words not coming to him as his mind flashed with memories of crimson blood- only this time he couldn’t tell if it belonged to his siblings or his children.
“Were you frozen?” she asked, her eyes not leaving him as she rubbed his hands gently, trying to warm them with her own.
Again, he nodded.
She sighed, her eyes growing sad as she suddenly realized, “The children?”
Another nod.
She exhaled shakily, understanding completely, “Me?”
He nodded, his words raspy and strangled, “Y-yes.”
She closed her eyes, shaking her head softly before pressing a kiss to his shaking hands, “I’m so sorry, love.”
He couldn’t manage any words as the list of names appeared in his mind again. He tried to think of their full names, trying to bring him back to reality. He closed his eyes, focusing on their names as his wife’s touch tried to calm his shaking hands.
Vesper Elaina de Rolo.
Wolfe Kristoff de Rolo.
Leona Pike de Rolo.
Vax’ildan Frederick de Rolo.
Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel de Rolo.
Vex’ahlia de Rolo.
They’re all safe, he thought more furiously, trying to listen to the sound of his wife’s breaths, trying to picture the forms of his sleeping children. Trying to remember that they were all okay. They were all alive and safe.
But still, he could see blades and blood. He could still hear the screams of those he loved pleading with him to save them. He could see the fear in his children’s eyes, begging for their father to keep them from harm. Most of all, he could still feel how helpless he had been as he had only been able to watch it happen, unable to move. Unable to even cry and scream as he watched them be slaughtered before him.
He winced and closed his eyes, just begging the nightmarish sight to leave him be.
“Shh, love,” Vex whispered, a warm hand finding his face, “Come back to Exandria with me, Percy. I’m here.”
They were words she’d said to him a million times before.
She knew all too well what hellish dreams tormented him.
Though it had been a while since he’d had a dream like this, the memories of what had happened to his family were something that he had never let go of. However, those painful scars etched forever in his blood had taken to merging with the faces of his family past and his family now. They had started just after Vesper had been born. She’d only been a week old when he’d started having terrible nightmares of someone slaughtering his wife and newborn daughter before his eyes. Every time his mind would present the sight to him, he’d been powerless to stop it.
When the twins had been born, the dreams had grown in frequency and severity, and oftentimes he would wake with a shout or a scream, rousing Vex instantly from her own sleep. He had talked to her about them, and they had come up with a solution. A reminder of reality, he’d called it. Just to check and confirm that everyone he loved was safe. Just to keep track of the blessings he had in this life and to ensure that they were okay. Just to chase the nightmares away. He would breathe, go over their names, and then remember what was real.
They determined that because he now had something he loved so dearly, the more fearful he was that he would lose it all over again.
And so, the solution was to remind himself of what was true.
To remind him of the blessings he had and how they were safe.
Usually, that process worked.
Usually.
But not this time.
And he couldn’t figure out why.
“Darling,” his wife’s soft voice lulled through his panic as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ward away the memories of what had happened to his family all those years ago, their faces intermingled with those of his children. The screams of his siblings sounded like the cries of his children when they were small. Though they had been inflicted on him decades before, his scars seemed to ache with the sudden pain of captivity and torment. “Percy, listen to my voice.”
Her hands guided his forehead to lean against hers, and he inhaled, just trying to catch his breath.
“I’m here,” she whispered, “I’ve got you.”
His mind tried to present him with the image of her suffering. Of her pleading eyes as she died, and he was hopeless and helpless as he watched it happen. He suppressed a small cry, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut at the thought.
“Percy,” she whispered, “Tell me who I am.”
He unleashed a small chuckle through the anxiety. This was something they would do when panic and fear would hit him suddenly, sometimes in the middle of the workday when the sight of a blade out of place or a stranger in the castle would strike fear through his heart. He’d even had an attack of this sort when they’d been hiring a tutor for their children- the memory of Anders’ betrayal making a sudden appearance.
This was her way to make him remember what was true.
“You’re Vex’ahlia,” he whispered, cracking his eyes open at her, “L-Lady Vex’ahlia. You’re…you’re m-my wife.”
“I’m your wife, darling.”
Her voice was strong and soft, pushing through the pain, and instead presenting him with memories of smiles.
He remembered the first time he’d kissed her- really kissed her- that rare moment of impulsiveness in Draconia where he’d left her with a shocked and breathless smile promising her he would talk to her later.
He could remember their wedding- the first one, secluded and silent, but special and perfect nonetheless. He could remember the way she had clung to him, her smile never leaving as they were proclaimed husband and wife for the first time, and he could remember how right it felt to call himself her husband.
He remembered the night Vesper was born and the way she had smiled at him, exhausted, sweaty, and still in a great deal of pain, but grinning at him with tears in her eyes as their baby girl was placed on her chest for the first time. They had both wept with so much joy at the feeling of being new parents then, and it had only been repeated each time their children came into the world.
So much joy.
So many blessings in his life.
So many smiles.
And she reminded him of them all at that moment.
“My wife,” he whispered, a small smile crossing his face before instantly disappearing.
“That’s right,” she whispered a smile in her voice, “I’ve been married to you for over twenty years now. How many children do we have?”
“F-four…” he breathed without thinking, suddenly stopping and kicking himself as he remembered. He shook his head, cursing his sudden stupidity, “N-No. Five!”
“That’s right,” Vex laughed softly, “We just had another baby a few days ago.”
“A little girl,” he chuckled, a small smile crossing his face at the thought of their family’s newest addition. At the thought of the little tiefling asleep in their room that already held his heart in her tiny ruby hands, “A daughter.”
“Mm-hmm,” Vex agreed, “And what’s her name?”
“Gwen,” he answered automatically. The name had been something the whole family had argued about, which was partially why her full name ended up being so long, “Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel de Rolo.”
“That’s right,” she whispered, a small laugh leaving her at the sheer length of their youngest daughter’s name, “What are our other children’s names?”
“Vesper…” his eldest child’s name left him in a croak, and he swallowed, trying very hard to make his words strong, “Vesper Elaina…the twins, Wolfe and Leona, and V-Vax’ildan Freddie.”
“Right,” She smiled softly, her eyes trained securely on him, “And they’re all safe, Percy.”
He was silent, her words echoing in his ears.
They’re safe.
They’re safe.
They’re safe.
He nodded, “They’re safe.”
“We’re all safe, darling,” she whispered, smiling comfortingly, her hands still cupping his face as he tried desperately to catch his breath, “We’re all okay.”
He inhaled shakily, biting his lip and trying to keep the worries at bay, “I know.”
He said it, but he wasn’t entirely sure his soul had been convinced. It was strange that even at this age, these memories could haunt him, instantly reducing him to the terrified teenager he’d been when his family and home had been torn from him. He stared at the ground, squeezing his eyes shut, feeling suddenly ashamed of how much pain these memories could inflict upon him. He’d made peace with his history. He’d mourned his family and given them proper tribute after they’d taken back what they’d lost. So why did these memories still haunt him so?
“I’m sorry…” he mumbled, shaking his head, “I thought I was past this.”
“Don’t you dare be sorry,” Vex whispered, her expression comforting, “It’s okay to be afraid…it’s healthy even.”
“Not like this,” he shook his head, “Not when it’s all so trivial. Not when I need to be strong.”
Not when it’s from a stupid dream, he thought bitterly.
“Being afraid of something like that,” he whispered, shaking his head and looking away from her, his normally well-thought-out words escaping him. He shrugged uselessly, “It’s stupid.”
“Wrong,” Vex corrected, her face assured as she observed him, “It’s okay to be afraid as long as it doesn’t control you…and you haven’t let it control you, Percy. You haven’t.”
She was silent for a minute before she gestured down the hallway, at all of their children’s bedroom doors.
“In the course of their lives, they have never once doubted that you’ll protect them,” she breathed, studying him with determination in her eyes, “They have lived their whole lives knowing that you will keep us all safe.”
He chuckled bitterly, “But what if I can’t?”
She shook her head, “You and I both know we’ll never let that happen.”
“But-”
“No.” Vex cut him off looking at him seriously, “You are their father. You have prepared them for every possible outcome. You have made them the people they are today and even if we can’t protect them directly, we’ve taught them how to keep moving. To protect each other regardless of what happens. Even if we’re not there, you’ve kept them safe. Because you’re their father.”
He exhaled shakily, her words sinking into his soul.
He was…their father.
He could still remember a time when all of this…a home, a spouse, and children…seemed like it wasn’t in the cards for him.
Vex stepped closer to him, her hands tilting his face to look at her. She smiled comfortingly at him, her eyes full of conviction.
“We’ve done well, Percy,” she smiled, her words whispered but assured in the middle of it all. Telling him the truth when he could scarcely believe it himself, “You’ve. Done. Well.”
Her words brought tears to his eyes, and he tried to swallow them down. He couldn’t move as her words settled in, his hands finally stopping their shaking.
His family was safe.
They were all safe.
“I’ve got you,” Vex whispered, “I’m right here, love.”
He nodded, wrapping his arms around her, just hugging his wife as the truth finally settled in.
His children were safe.
His wife was safe.
He was safe.
“We’re safe,” she breathed, still holding him tightly, practically reading his mind, “We’re all safe, Percy. You’re safe.”
He sighed softly, just holding her gently.
They were all safe.
They had protected their family this long, come hell or high water. They had taken so many steps to ensure that never again would Whitestone be stolen from their family, and their family would never be stolen again. They had protected their children through every step of their lives, teaching them about the dangers of the world- not to scare them, but to prepare them for a world that could be less than kind. Teaching their children to be strong and kind in a world that was hungry and angry.
He was so proud of all of their children.
They were already such strong and powerful people.
He was so proud of all that they were and he couldn’t believe how privileged he was to see all that they would be one day.
Her soft and gentle hand cupped his face, her thumb wiping away the few tears that escaped.
He smiled softly, leaning into her touch.
“I love you,” he whispered, holding her hand with his own and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
She smiled at him, her hazel eyes illuminated in the cool moonlight cast down the hallway, “I love you, dear.”
For a brief moment, he felt as if they were young again. He could remember those rash, rough-edged adventurers they’d been that had found solace in one another from their brokenness. He could remember the nights of uncertainty of whether or not they'd live to see another day.
They’d come so far since then.
They’d seen and survived so much.
They were the fortunate ones.
“Let’s go back to bed, darling,” Vex whispered, a small playful smirk crossing her face, “As far as Gwen’s concerned, you and I have plenty of sleepless nights ahead of us.”
He chuckled softly, kissing his wife’s hand again, “She’s going to run the castle by the time she’s a year old, isn’t she?”
“Oh yes,” Vex laughed, a simply beautiful sound, “Only a few days old, and she’s already got you wrapped around her tiny fingers.”
He nodded in concession with a laugh. He couldn’t deny that at all, “Indeed she does.”
Vex curled her arms around one of his, folding her hands around his as they started to make their way back to their room.
As they passed each one of their children’s rooms, he thought of their faces. The faces that he loved with everything he had. Those children were his and Vex’s legacy. The only one that mattered. Sure, their deeds with Vox Machina had forever been memorialized, but their children were the future. Their children had seen all of their parent’s broken pieces and heard of everything they had done and were already growing and learning from it. They were already creating their own ways of being better than they were, and Percy couldn’t have been prouder.
With each door he passed, he thought of each of his children, his mind abuzz with everything he loved about them.
They were all so beautifully unique and powerful while reflecting every ounce of love between him and Vex.
This was their family.
And he was so fortunate to have it.
“I love our family,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against Vex’s forehead as they walked back to their room, “Our children…they’re so wonderful."
Vex smiled up at him, pressing a kiss to his arm as they walked, “We’re so lucky.”
“We are,” he agreed, “We truly are.”
“And just think,” she whispered, “Twenty-five years ago we never thought we’d have a home like this…now look at us. Married with a home and five children.”
“We’re so lucky,” Percy whispered, stopping before looking at his wife in awe, his heart swelling with how much he loved her.
This was his life.
A wife and five children.
Five children that were all so different and so precious. Five children who were beautifully unique, kind, and strong. Five children who loved him so fiercely and loyally he couldn’t believe he’d had any part in their existence.
And a wife…
A wife who made sense of all of his chaos and held all of his broken pieces so gently and carefully.
A wife who loved him despite all of his flaws and cherished him all the same.
A wife who always reminded him of the truth.
His wife…Vex’ahlia.
He squeezed her hand gently, smiling at her in the dim moonlight. She smiled up at him, a question in her eyes as they approached their bedroom door. He stopped with a small tug on her hand, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. She laughed softly as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, just holding him closely.
All the while, he cherished this.
Cherishing this life of his.
“I’m so lucky,” he whispered, “I’m the luckiest man alive.”
She raised an eyebrow, a soft expression on her face for a moment before it turned into a teasing grin, “To be married to me? You’re damn right.”
He opened his mouth, a snappy retort on his tongue before the soft sound of a baby crying in the next room snapped them both to attention. Vex sighed, flashing a small smile at him as they turned.
“Well,” she shrugged, linking her arm with his as she led him to the room, “Duty calls.”
He laughed, parental instincts kicking in as they went to the room, pulling the door open for his wife as the sounds of their youngest daughter’s protests filled the room. Trinket was already at the bassinet’s side, peering down into the cradle before shooting the two of them a judging look.
“Oh no, darling,” Vex whispered, pouting down at the crib as she pulled a squirming bundle into her arms. She pressed a soft kiss to the baby's tufts of hair, “What’s wrong my darling? What’s wrong, Gwennie?”
The little girl seemed to wail in response, her tiny face rooting for attention as her mother pulled her close. Her tiny fist had come free from her swaddle, flinging clumsily about. As Vex sat down on the bed, Percy reached out and instantly, his finger was caught in the baby’s tight grasp. Percy felt his heart melt at the sight.
His wife, his daughters, his sons…they all held his heart completely.
His heart and future were theirs alone.
As he watched his wife tend to their youngest child, standing at attention to help instantly if there was anything she required, he thought of all the blessings he had in this life. In this life, he thought he’d never have.
He would protect this…this beautiful, wonderful, meaningful life…with everything he had.
He truly was the luckiest man alive.
And he would never forget it.