An Unexpected Guardian

Chapter 8: Not so easy

Shopping was easier said than done. He had stolen the twins a romper each from their former home, not that the too-large yet incredibly thin, gray article did anything against the chill of Norway. Not to mention the number of people at the shopping center he chose to go to, and with the double stroller he had to use maneuvering was near impossible. He couldn't even use his magic, he was stuck in his human form forced to grit through the harsh lights burning his skin. He had the canopy of the stroller pulled down so the twins weren't harmed by the harsh light in their sensitive eyes.

He went over his mental checklist once more, one of the only things keeping him sane at the moment. Clothes, shoes, toys, books, and blankets.

Almost to the infant section, just a bit further.

The baby section of the store wasn't nearly as crowded, and Kaelar let out a sigh of relief. There were many tiny little clothes here, though he read infants grow fast so it was best to stock up in multiple sizes. He quickly went towards where it looked like the onesies were being kept. Peering into the stroller to make sure they were awake first, Kaelar pulled up the canopy.

Elowen and Thoren blinked rapidly at the change of lighting. They were scrunching their little faces up in annoyance.

"I know my babies, I know. It's okay, I'm right here." Kaelar cooed as he leaned over the bar of the stroller, ever quick to comfort the twins. The reaction was almost instant. Their eyes shifted to his and they relaxed giving him a nice big gummy smile.

He needed to find them some proper clothes, something that would help them as they got used to the cold. Though he would never admit it, Kaelar was quite overwhelmed. His head spun

as he looked around the section. It was as though there were hundreds of tiny outfits to choose from, with various patterns and designs as well as every color he could imagine. He was way in over his head! There was no way he would ever be able to raise Elowen and Thoren, let alone keep them ALIVE!

The lights were blinding and burning as if they were the sun itself. He could have sworn they only were a small nuisance before. The irritating chatter of people grew louder and louder like a roaring wave he could not avoid. His chest felt tight as if the air had just been knocked out of him.

What was happening? Was he in a battle? No, he hadn't been in a battle since escaping that damn crystal. Then he had stalked the Wynters and...

THE KIDS!

It was like the air was shoved into his body as Kaelar gasped, coming back into reality.

His eyes snapping to the little beings in their stroller looking up at him with their faces pinched in distress. They looked ready to sob, Elowen's mouth hanging open and tears running down her face. While a deep frown was set on Thoren's face, his cheeks puffed and red. It was like a punch to the gut. His children had picked up on his panic and were now worried for him to the point of this. No. This wasn't right. He needed to fix this. They shouldn't look like that, especially because of him.

Kaelar closed his eyes, willing the panic and worry in them away. Taking a deep breath, he opened them with a smile and began softly murmuring reassurances to the children.

"Shhh, it's alright. I'm alright. I just had a panic moment but I'm all better see, Dada's okay."

It wasn't until they were back at the palace, with a ton of clothes and toys, that he realized what he had said. And something deep in his heart warmed. He was their dad now, and they would forever be his kids.