Parental Intuition

Chapter 1 - The Reveal

It was a few hours late into the night that the window of the attic was opened, and two figures slithered inside from the rooftop of Hotel Transylvania. The first was Count Dracula, easily recognizable with his black outfit and cape that draped along his back. The second was Ericka, his now bride-to-be, whom he helped in from the windowsill as she gingerly stepped back inside.

She giggled as they walked out of the attic hand-in-hand. "Well, that was certainly a morning to wake up to."

Drac shook his head. "You're telling me! I thought I would just be gaining a wife out of this. Now I find out I'm getting a wife and a child!" He laughed incredulously. "Just wait until we tell the others!"

Ericka stopped dead in her tracks. "The others? You want to tell them now? So soon?"

Drac shrugged. "Well why not? Why wait?"

"I don't know... How do you think they'll take the news?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously.

"Honeybat," he began, "They will be overjoyed. It's been a long while since we've had any new arrivals of this kind... Not since Denisovich, actually,"

Ericka looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling at him. "Sorry, I guess I was just worried. You know, with me being human and all..."

He rubbed his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "Sweetheart, I thought we've been over this - human, monster, unicorn - what does it matter? They love you..." he looked down shyly with a blush, "I love you."

Ericka smiled softly, tilting his head down toward her so she could plant a light kiss on his lips. She pulled away after a moment, looking deeply into his eyes. "Thank you," she said.

Dracula smiled back in response, and they soon strode into the dining hall where folks were awakening for the day and grabbing food to eat. Everyone they needed was there for the announcement.

"Hey Dad, hey Ericka!" Mavis greeted the pair as she walked up to them. "Do you want to come sit with us? I saved you a seat."

"Yes, of course!"

From the food table, Dracula selected himself a couple of bagels with scream cheese for him and Ericka and then seated himself with the others. Ericka made sure to keep her hand hidden so that no one would be able to see the engagement ring on it. Her eyes scanned the table at the monsters who were there idly chatting with each other - there was Frankenstein, with his wife Eunice; there was Wayne the werewolf with his wife Wanda and their wolf pup children; there was Murray the mummy who was next to the Invisible Man, Griffin; and then there was Mavis, her husband Johnny, and their child Dennis. She exchanged a look with Drac and he took it as his cue. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze from under the table and stood up, clinking his chalice.

"May I have everyone's attention please?"

The eating stopped, and his friends and family turned to face him, along with some other guests who were in the dining hall.

Drac got nervous for a brief second, but cleared his throat and recomposed himself. "A-as you know," he began, "We have all recently returned from a wonderful cruise vacation which, yes, did take some turns in ways we did not expect."

"You can say that again," Wayne muttered, but Wanda elbowed him on the side.

"But, it also turned out to change my life in a way I never thought to be possible again," Dracula continued. "I met my zing."

He glanced fondly down at Ericka and she smiled back up at him shyly. Some monsters cooed at their obvious affection for each other.

"She is a beautiful, amazing woman who has captured me completely. Heart and dark soul. I love her endlessly, and she loves me. Which is why" - he took another breath as if bracing himself - "I have asked Miss Ericka Van Helsing to be, well, my wife."