Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Eighty-Five

"Anne. You don't have to cook every meal, you know." I said through a full mouth of Anne's delectable chicken.

"Well, I'd love to help more with the babies but... you're really the only one they want for the time being." She smiled at me. "So, I'll help with the other things so you can find a routine with them. Besides, I love to cook. I've been cooking for Sebastian pretty much our whole lives."

"That must be why I'm always sick to my stomach..." He smirked at her and they laughed together.

"Well, I've really appreciated having you here these last couple of weeks. But don't you need to get back to your store soon? I mean, I feel terrible that I've kept you away when your store is so new."

"It's fine, trust me. But maybe we can make a trip there together and you can help me inventory. Bring the babies. I'm starting to feel a bit cooped up here and I get to go to town! I can't imagine how you must feel..."

"Actually, that sounds like a great idea! I'd love to take the babies around Hogsmeade. They're finally starting to show emotion and curiosity at things rather than just wanting to be attached to me all day."

Seb cleared his throat. "Yes? Do you have something to say?" I shot him a withering look because I knew what he was going to say.

"I'm not entirely comfortable with you taking the babies out of town. Especially when I'm not with you. And I can't get out of work right now. They're really on me to finish these couple of missions and quickly. I've been putting them off because I don't want to be so far away for so long..." He sighed. "I would just prefer if you would wait until I'm available to go with you."

"Are you going to lock all three of us in a cage until you've stock piled enough money, quit your job and can keep your eyes on us twenty-four hours a day? Because you know you sound crazy, right?" I said to him. We'd had this argument so many times.

It started with going to town one day with the twins to get some supplies. The muggles didn't know me well enough yet, so they were curious but friendly. And everyone that approached, gushing over our gorgeous children, would send him into a complete panic and he would shoo us away.

And then Junior touched the vegetable vendor's cheek, lighting up his palm blue and Seb lost his mind! He snatched him away from the vendor who was cooing at him gently and hadn't noticed a thing and wouldn't speak to me all the way back home.

That was a big fight. He yelled himself hoarse that day. Anne had the children outside in the garden so we could "discuss" the situation and he was infuriated. The only way I could calm him down was to ... well, distract him. The kind of distraction that had his pants around his ankles. I blushed as the memory of that day flashed through my mind.

But Seb took my flushed face as anger about our recurring argument. So, I continued. "Look, I understand your concerns. I really do. I have fears too! But we can't live like that. We can't hide ourselves away and hope no one ever finds out just how special our children are."

"And YOU, love. You're the reason they're special because YOU'RE special. Isabella warned us that people would target you..."

I interjected before he could really get going "Yes. But I can take care of myself. And she also said that all life has challenges and that we need to live our lives!" I sighed while putting my hand on his thigh under the table, trying to reassure him. "Seb, if we protect ourselves from all the bad in the world constantly, we'll never get to experience the good."

Anne was nodding her head in agreement with me, but she didn't say a word. I looked deeply into his eyes, pleading with him with my own. "Seb. We can't stay locked up forever."