Right now, I want to say something, anything, yet no words come out. Suddenly, I've become mute; it's like I've forgotten how to speak.
Come on, mouth, move!
For fuck's sake, why can't I even ask how he's feeling…?! However silly that question is, it'd at least get the ball rolling! Gosh, what the hell is wrong with my brain tonight? I'm being ridiculous—wait a second, what are the kids doing?!
Holy cow, no, don't! Don't pounce on a recovering patient—aaand, too late.
…I think I heard a crack, if not two. R.I.P. Jordan's ribs.
"FATHER!"
The children's scream resounds like thunder in the room, stopping me mid-movement.
After hearing that, I don't have it in me to pick them up and put them down. I can't tell them to get off the bed either, not when they've started to bawl their eyes out.
It's not like a hug is going to kill their father, anyway.
Hiccups echo, and I take a step back. There's nothing I can say right now, so I say nothing.
How could I?
Anyone with a brain could tell the kids put up a strong front these past few days; they didn't cry, didn't complain, and didn't ask for their father. That said, it doesn't mean they didn't miss him. They might not spend as much time with Jordan as they do with me, but they deeply cherish every second spent in their father's company.
Their smiles are always a little brighter around Jordan.
Although for the time being, there are no smiles in sight, only tears.
They're visibly trying to regain control of their emotions, without much success. They try to muffle their cries by snuggling their faces against Jordan's chest, burying their heads in the crook of his neck. It only serves to smear their snot all over their father's shirt.
"I'm here, I'm here, shh, everything's fine."
Jordan's soothing voice startles me. It has always been gentle, but today, it's even gentler, so kind that it seems to carry all the love in the world. His every movement is caring, even more so as he kisses his kids' foreheads and pats their backs, patiently reassuring them.
A strange feeling bubbles up in my chest while I watch in silence. James does the same, watching without saying anything.
I glance at him; he glances back. Yep. This is awkward. Glad I'm not the only one feeling that way.
Meanwhile, Lucy is still snoring loudly on the chair. Shouldn't she be more, I don't know, interested in her patient's state? Well, whatever; she was right, and Jordan is awake, so I'm not going to nitpick.
If the doctor wants to sleep, let her sleep. I'm pretty sure that suits James just fine, too, as the next thing on her agenda is a medical exam for him, and he's been finding excuses upon excuses to push it back to later.
With Jordan being awake, he has no excuse left. He knows what's coming next.
"Father, father!"
Ellena's excited shout snaps me out of my thoughts, drawing my attention back to the bed. She's still sniffling, but has regained a semblance of composure, enough to speak.
With a soft smile, Jordan dutifully obliges his daughter with an encouraging 'hum'.
…Dear husband, maybe you shouldn't.
"We have an uncle now!"
See? They're dropping a brother on you. Sigh. Time and place, kids! Time and place!
"Oh…?" Jordan plays along and quirks an eyebrow, not without glancing over at James. It's easy to guess who that uncle is, especially with Elois staring at the vampire with that sparkling gaze of his.
James, however, is pretending not to know anything, suddenly finding the ceiling very pleasing to the eye. I feel you, buddy.
"An uncle? And whose brother is he, hm?"
Looks like James won't escape it tonight, huh? But that's actually a good question, and it stuns the kids. Not for long, though.
"He's Dad's brother, right?"
"Yeah, he's Dad's brother!"
Darn, it's hard not to laugh at my newfound brother's dumbstruck face. Pal, get used to it. The kids love to reorganize the family tree however the hell they see fit, and our opinion in the matter is pretty much worth shit. They've decided that's how it is, so that's how it is.
At least, they're not trying to marry you off to their mother.
"And, and!"
It's Elois turns to speak, bouncing on his father's abdomen. He looks a little too excited, doesn't he? For some reason, that goddamn bad premonition is up again. He's about to say something I won't like, isn't he?
"So, you know! We almost got a second dad, too! But Dad said he couldn't be our dad because he's not married to you, so…!"
My dear little Elois, why the heck are you bringing that up?! I thought we had closed the subject already! And don't you dare fucking laugh, James!
"Ah…?"
Yeah, sorry, Jordan. Your family kinda grew during your sleep. Oh, please! Don't throw me that questioning stare! I don't know what to say. Really, I've got nothing to do with that!
Still, I clear my throat. I can at least offer a bit of clarification.
"They met my brother."
"I see," Jordan nods, a knowing smile on his lips.
As expected, he got the cue.
These four words are more than enough for the demon to get the gist of the how and the why the kids thought they were getting a second dad after meeting my brother. Jordan seems to have a vast knowledge stored in that brain of his. Nothing surprising, though, considering how old he is.
To those who know of Seers' existence, they also know the prerequisite for their births.
For some odd reason, they are always born out of a pair of identical twins, although only one among the two develops the ability to see through everything. It's usually the firstborn, so either the nurse got us confused as babies and labelled Bryan as the elder brother when he's actually the little brother, or I'm an anomaly.
Not like it really matters, anyway. We were born not even an hour apart!
Alright, to be fair, that was enough to make our birthdays one day apart. One was born a little before midnight, and the other, a little after midnight.
I mean, I don't really care whether my birthday is on June 20th or June 21st. Either way, I was born.
"Well, you seem to have been busy."
"Just a little."
Except for the visit to the government office and my meeting with Bryan, we haven't done much. I spent most of my time at his bedside, but he doesn't need to know that.
"Anyway, how are you feel—"
I get interrupted mid-sentence as the door gets slammed open. Ah, looks like Eve is back.
"Oh? You're awake?"
"As you can see, yes."
"Good, perfect timing." Eve nods, offering a cold smile that sends shivers running down my spine. "Todd has caught some rats, and we better deal with them fast."
…Couldn't you give the man some time to wake up before throwing work at him, or is that too much to ask?
"Oh, right!" Eve claps her hands, not waiting for Jordan's answer before shifting her attention to the vampire. "Mind coming with us, James?"
"No, not at all."
I had no idea James could make such a cold smile, too. It mirrors Eve's, and I can only light a candle for the rats.
The vampire is keeping his composure, but his bright red eyes are telling me he's not too happy with Oliver's little scheme. Instigating betrayal in his savior's staff seems to be crossing one too many lines in his book.
"Can I come, too?"
My question stuns both Eve and James, and neither seems to know what to answer. It's Jordan who speaks up.
"Sure."
He smiles, and I respond with a nod. Thanks for not treating me like some damsel in distress. Trust me, it's not a bit of questioning that is going to make me flinch, and my sight might be useful.
This is now the house I live in, and I have the right to know who's insane enough to plan our guest's demise—Eve and James aren't the only ones with a cold smile on their lips, if anything.