KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Parenting

Sophie sat on the swing outside, a sleeping Will snuggled against her chest as she watched Keefe play with their daughters.

Only four and two years old, but already so smart--and so capable of knowing exactly how to get what they wanted out of Keefe.

Honestly, the goofy way he chased them around the tree, grabbing them, tickling them, and laughing with them made Sophie's heart feel so full she thought it might burst.

"I'm Daddy's favorite!" Emma's voice rang out.

"No, I'm Daddy's favorite!" Amy argued.

"Your mama is my favorite," he corrected them, looking over at Sophie with a heated look that made her long for the kids' bedtimes. And it was obvious that he felt Sophie's mood shift because he gave her a smug little smirk before looking back down at the girls. "But I love you both very much," he assured them as he knelt down to kiss them both on the top of their heads.

After a while, they brought their picnic blanket back inside and fixed a bottle for Will. Sophie sat on the couch with him while Keefe got out his art supplies and sprawled out on the living room floor with Emma and Amy.

He gave Amy a pencil and a sketchbook, letting her scribble and draw to her heart's content. He had already taught her how to hold the pencil and was letting her practice those fine motor skills required for drawing.

She was already drawing far better than a human two year old could ever achieve.

He worked more intensively with Emma, teaching her to draw flowers and trees and even the view of their very own pond.

Emma loved looking at the wall of paintings Keefe had been making over the last few years. He would tell her stories about each one—from the night of his and Sophie's first kiss leading all the way up to the painting of Amy as a newborn.

And she would sometimes sit and watch him work on the one of baby Will.

She wanted him to teach her to draw people, because she really wanted to do a sketch of her mama, but Keefe patiently told her that drawing people was more difficult.

"You can draw whatever you want, baby girl," he told her. She may be four years old now but the nickname still stuck. "I won't stop you, and it'll be good practice. But right now I want to help you master the basics. And just look how pretty those flowers are!"

Sophie remembered how she used to daydream about watching Keefe share his artistic ability with their kids, and now it had become a reality.

Funny how much her life had changed.

It used to be that nightmare after nightmare seemed to become reality.

Now, daydream after daydream became reality.

And she liked it so much better this way.

Keefe looked up at her, smiling sweetly. She knew he felt her rush of gratitude and happiness. He winked at her before turning his attention back to Emma.

When Emma finished sketching the flowers, Keefe let her fill them in with paint. It was a little sloppy compared to how Keefe would've done it—though Sophie suspected it was already better than if she had attempted it.

Then Emma proudly presented the painting to Sophie.

"For me?" Sophie asked, grinning at her. "Thank you, they're so pretty!"

"Pretty flowers for a pretty mama," Keefe muttered in a low voice, standing up and walking over to kiss her.

Emma sighed. "Mama and Daddy are always kissing," she said to Amy.

"That's because Mama and Daddy love each other very much," Sophie told them.

Sophie had grown up with human parents who loved each other and loved their children.

Then Grady and Edaline had adopted her, and had been the same way.

Keefe hadn't had that privilege. A mother who married for her own sinister gain, who only had a son to try to manipulate him into carrying out her evil plans. A father whose screwed-up views of love had been further tainted by his wife's unwillingness to love him back. This skewed perception had caused him to treat his son with contempt rather than expressing the small amount of love he felt.

A father who didn't begin to show that he cared until Keefe was already grown.

So it was very important to Sophie and Keefe that their kids knew how deeply they loved each other—and loved them too.

Keefe took Sophie's hand. "That's right, baby girl. Mama and Daddy have loved each other since long before you were born."

"Daddy?" Emma asked, looking at Keefe with those wide eyes she knew he couldn't resist. "Can we go visit Grandma and Grandpa? Grandma always makes us mallowmelt and it's so yummy!"

Keefe laughed. "Anything for you, baby girl. As long as Edaline and Grady aren't too busy."

Sophie absentmindedly kissed Will's forehead before chiming in. "It's been almost a whole day since they've seen the baby," she said to Keefe. "They'd probably ask to be coming over here soon anyway."

Sure enough, Grady and Edaline were thrilled that they wanted to visit and said to come over right away.

Edaline even let Emma help her make the mallowmelt--Amy being given a few small, toddler-friendly tasks as well--while Sophie sat in the kitchen feeding Will and watching them.

Grady, predictably, had Keefe out in the pastures helping him with some stinky chores. This was such a habit for him that they kept a few changes of clothes for Keefe in Sophie's old bedroom, so he was able to shower and change once they were done outside.

By the time Grady and Keefe had gotten cleaned up, the mallowmelt was ready.

Grady took Will into his arms as soon as he made it downstairs.

"Hello Grandpa," he said with sleepy eyes.

Grady grinned down at him. "Hey there, little guy."

Keefe got himself a big slice of mallowmelt and took a bite. "Still the best mallowmelt I've ever had," he said with a content sigh. "And it tastes even sweeter than usual today." He smirked at Emma and Amy. "I guess because my sweet girls helped make it?"

Amy giggled and nodded.

"Daddy says Grandma's mallowmelt is always better than everyone else's," Emma told Grady.

"That's because it is, kiddo," Grady told her.

"That's why I make it so often," Edaline told them. "Because your daddy loves it so much. And so does your grandpa. It's their favorite, so I love to make it for them."

"What about Mama?" Amy asked Keefe. "What's your favorite thing Mama makes?"

Keefe pulled her into his lap. "My favorite thing Mama has ever made is you," he told her, kissing her cheek. "And your big sister, and your baby brother."

Emma hopped out of her chair and ran around the table to Keefe. "Kisses!" She exclaimed, not wanting to be left out.

So Keefe laughed and pulled her into his lap too, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Sophie watched him for a moment, sitting there with both his girls in his lap. Edaline insisting that the girls each get more mallowmelt since they helped her make it.

Grady standing behind them, swaying softly as Will fell asleep in his arms, ducking his head down to kiss his grandson's face.

She loved this family of hers so very much.