Sokeefe - Until She Was Ready For More

Chapter 37

Scrambling to find his imparter in his cloak, Keefe smiled apologetically. He pulled it out and answered, Kenric's face filling the space above the imparter. 

"Dad, where are you? I tried calling mom, but she left her imparter at home," Kenric explained.

"Umm..." Keefe trailed off, glancing at Sophie. "We're... running an errand. We'll be home soon." 

"Okay. Alora is still at Aunt Biana's. Are you going to pick her up on your way home?"

"Yeah, we can do that. We'll see you at home in a bit." 

"Okay. Bye, dad," Kenric said before hanging up the imparter. 

Keefe turned back to Sophie with a sheepish smile. 

"I guess we should probably get going?" he asked. Sophie nodded, looking anywhere but his eyes, a deep blush still painting her cheeks. 

Keefe stood up, extending his hand to pull Sophie up beside him. In doing so, he pulled her closer than he intended to. Sophie's breath caught and her eyes snapped to his lips before quickly moving up to his eyes. Keefe took a shallow breath before taking a small step back. 

"I know my hotness is irresistible, Foster, but we should go," Keefe smirked, although his cheeks---Sophie noticed---had turned rosy. 

"R-right," Sophie stuttered, struggling to regain her composure. 

Keefe pulled out his pathfinder, stretching out his hand for Sophie to hold. She grabbed on, both vanishing from the room in a shower of sparkles. 

Sophie and Keefe appeared in a large foyer of a gorgeous champagne pink, complete with sparkles. An elaborate chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the flooring was made up of alternating navy and gold tiles. 

"It's not hard to know who lives here, even if I didn't already know," Sophie smiled and Keefe chuckled. 

Still holding hands, Keefe and Sophie walked further into the mansion. 

"Biana?" Sophie called. 

"In here, darling!" came Biana's response from a room deeper in the house. 

Following Biana's voice, Sophie and Keefe found themselves in a large children's bedroom. Just like the rest of the house, it was clearly designed and decorated by Biana. Sophie took in the decor and then switched her attention to the elves in the room. 

"Biana, what are you doing?" Keefe asked, struggling to contain his laughter. In the middle of the room Biana sat in a frilly pink dress, surrounded by a large toy castle. 

"Mommy!" yelled a high-pitched voice from next to Biana. 

"Alora?" Sophie asked as Alora's head popped up from inside the castle. From the other side of the room came one of Biana's boys with armor and a toy sword. He rushed toward the castle, but was interceded by the other in similar attire. 

Sophie shot a confused look at Biana and she laughed. 

"Beck, Jace, and Alora were playing princesses and knights and asked me to play. How could I say no? Especially when it involved wearing a princess dress," Biana explained, laughing. Sophie joined in, not entirely surprised by the situation. 

"Mommy, you should play! And daddy can play too!" Alora exclaimed. 

"Oh, Alora, I don't know..." Sophie said. 

"Oh come on Sophie, it'll be fun," Biana grinned, stepping over the castle wall to drag Sophie back into it with her. 

"Fineeeee," Sophie relented. Taking Sophie's answer to mean Keefe would play too, Beck and Jace ran to get him a sword and shield. 

"You can be on my team, Uncle Keefe!" Jace shouted. 

"No, he wants to be on my team!" exclaimed Beck. 

The boys continued to fight over Keefe until Alora ran out of the castle to help settle the matter. Once Alora ran out, Biana turned towards Sophie. 

"So, I see that everything with Keefe worked out," Biana smirked, raising her eyebrows. 

"Yeah, you could say that," Sophie laughed, her face heating. 

"So what happened?" Biana asked, ever the gossip.

"Well, obviously we made up. And... and he told me he loved me and we... almost kissed," Sophie admitted, a smile crossing her lips.

"WHAT?" Biana practically yelled, causing the argument over Keefe to pause. "I mean, whaaat how are we not playing yet?"

Sophie chuckled at Biana's sorry attempt to tone her outburst down, and Biana shot her a quick glare.

"We are talking about this later, young lady," Biana murmured before turning her attention back to Keefe, Alora, and her boys.

"Mommyyyy, which one of us gets Uncle Keefe on our team?" Jace whined.

"You can switch off. Beck, Uncle Keefe will be on your team first," Biana answered diplomatically.

"You hear that, Foster? I'm being fought over," Keefe smirked, an extremely smug look on his face. Sophie laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Charge!"

The smug look immediately left Keefe's face and was replaced with terror as Jace and Alora charged him with their toy swords. Sophie pressed her hand to her mouth as she tried to suppress a giggle. That boy, she thought fondly.

Within moments, Keefe had picked up his sword and was fighting Alora while Beck fought Jace. Biana and Sophie watched from within the tower, Sophie's gaze not moving from Keefe. 

"Sooo, I was right and you and Keefe are made for each other. Am I right?" Biana whispered, nudging Sophie's shoulder and smirking. Sophie smiled and blushed. 

"Yeah, I guess you were right," Sophie admitted, smiling wider. 

"Told you!" Biana answered in a sing-song voice. 

After Keefe had switched sides at least four times, Beck and Jace were satisfied to let Sophie, Keefe, and Alora go home and eat dinner. 

"Bye, Alora!" the boys chorused, Sophie waved to Biana and she wiggled her eyebrows back, making Sophie turn pink. 

Sophie and Keefe grabbed onto Alora's hands and they light leaped back home. 

Alora ran into the kitchen, immediately looking for the dinner the gnomes had made. 

"Kenric, Ashton, we're back! Come down and eat dinner!" Keefe shouted up the stairs and the boys came down. 

Soon, everyone had finished dinner; Kenric and Ashton went back to their rooms and Sophie followed Alora to her room to tuck her in. 

"Mommy?" Alora asked.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Sophie answered. 

"There's something different about you and daddy."

"Is there?"

"Mhmm," Alora said assuredly. "Ever since you came to pick me up. I think you love each other more."

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah."