Addeline: The Darkness at the Heart of My Love [Papa Emeritus IV]

It's Your Burning Yearning Need To Bleed

"Please be careful with Kaisarion, Cardi," Sister bid her son goodbye as he and Addy set to depart for the North American tour, "He's still so small." "Oh, he'll be fine, Mother," he promised, "Elizabeth was about his age when she first went on tour."

"I know," she began, "But I was there to watch Elizabeth. I won't be able to supervise Kaisarion."

Copia looked at his watch, noticing that he'd been waiting on his wife for ten minutes, "AMORE! He yelled from the front door. The woman came frantically running from the nursery to meet Papa, "Sorry, Papa, "I was telling Elizabeth goodbye. I'm going to miss her terribly."

Elizabeth, now one and a half, would be staying with Sister at the clergy.

"She will be just fine here with her grandmother, "Copia said, planting a well-placed kiss on Addy's forehead.

"I really think you should stay, Addeline," Sister attempted to change the woman's mind about going on tour, "It's much safer for the babies if you remain home."

Although sister had become much more tolerable in Addy's eyes since revealing her true identity to Copia, the thought of staying with a woman who condoned human sacrifices still caused her anxiety. The uncertainty of what the clergy might do if the babies were born while Papa was
away weighed heavily on her mind.

"I'll be fine," she assured Imperator, "Papa will make sure of that."

"I sure will," he turned to Sister, "Well, goodbye, mother. We need to catch this flight."

"Goodbye, Cardi," she gave the man a kiss, "Rock their socks off, dear boy!"

*

The flight was long, but Addy and Papa finally arrived at their destination and strolled onto the tour bus, with Kaisarion snug in Addy's arms. She was determined not to leave him behind since he was still breastfeeding. It was the beginning of the band's North American tour, and as Addy, now six months pregnant, glanced around, she spotted
Swiss sitting by himself in a chair. With a hint of curiosity, she couldn't help but ask, "Hey, where's everyone at?"

Swiss looked around with a playful grin, "You must have scared them off," he said, teasingly.

He narrowed his eyes, observing Addy's prominent baby bump, and couldn't believe how quickly she seemed to be showing signs of another pregnancy. It felt like just moments ago she had given birth to Kaisarion during their last tour. The speed at which she seemed to be pregnant
again almost seemed like a prank to him.

He playfully pointed at Addy's belly and exclaimed, "Addy? Please tell me you went on a food binge and that's a food baby right there!"

Addy chuckled and looked down at her belly, then glanced at Papa, "No," she laughed, though secretly feeling a bit upset, "I'm pregnant again."

Papa chimed in, rubbing her belly like it was a magic lamp, "Twins!"

Swiss was still trying to process the shock of another pregnancy when it finally hit him that there were actually two babies in her tummy.

"A two for one," he said jokingly, but also feeling a tinge of sympathy for Addy. It seemed like she had been pregnant for all of their big tours with no breaks in between. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes and how in over her head she seemed to be.

Copia gave the man a smile, as if to convey that there was normalcy in their situation although nothing about their lifestyle was conventional.

"So, are you gonna be singing with us on stage or what?" Swiss asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He knew how much Addy enjoyed doing harmonies alongside him and the ghoulettes. But now, seeing her condition, it seemed like she might not be able to participate.