One too Many

Epilogue

Johan - Age 15

"JOHAN ALEXANDER WEST, GET DOWN FROM THAT ROOF RIGHT NOW!"

Mom's voice echoed across the backyard with the kind of authority that could make grown men tremble, but I just grinned and adjusted my position on the workshop roof. At fifteen, I was finally tall enough and stubborn enough to reach places that drove my entire family absolutely insane.

"I'm fine, Mom!" I called back, securing the solar panel array I'd been installing. "Just finishing the last connection!"

"Johan!" Her voice pitched higher with worry now. "You're going to fall and break your neck!"

"I'm wearing a safety harness!" I protested, gesturing to the climbing gear that dad Cole had reluctantly taught me to use properly. "And I calculated the load-bearing capacity of this roof section. It can handle twice my weight!"

The collective groan from below made me snort with laughter. All five of my dads were down there now, Dom with his arms crossed and his intimidating face on, Asher looking like he was calculating the exact trajectory of my potential fall, Cole and Cale positioning themselves strategically despite knowing my safety equipment was solid, and Ian holding what looked suspiciously like a medical kit.

At fifteen, I'd learned that the best way to get my family's attention— not that I needed to—was to combine height with anything remotely dangerous. Not that I was actually being dangerous, I'd been climbing since I could walk, and my engineering projects were always meticulously planned and safety-tested.

But try telling that to a family of mafia enforcers and a mother who'd spent too many years as a brilliant doctor and saver.

"Johan, please come down," da Asher called up, his voice all gentle and coaxing. "We can finish this project together, with proper scaffolding."

"But I'm almost done!" I protested, making the final connection with practiced ease. "And look, it's working!"

The solar panel came online with a satisfying hum, and the LED display I'd mounted nearby showed power flowing into the battery bank I'd installed last week. My plan to make the workshop completely energy-independent was actually working.

"Johan." Pops Dom's voice cut through the air with the tone that meant business. "Down. Now. Or I'm coming up to get you."

I sighed dramatically. When pops used that voice, even Mom listened. Besides, I was actually finished anyway.

"Okay, okay," I called down, beginning my descent with the confidence of someone who'd been scaling buildings since childhood. "But you have to admit, the solar array looks awesome."

Strong arms caught me as I rappelled down the last few feet, and I found myself looking up into pa Ian's exasperated face.

"You're going to give your mother a heart attack," he said, though I could see the pride in his eyes as he glanced up at my handiwork. "And considering she literally has a transplanted heart, that's not hyperbole."

"Sorry," I said, though I wasn't really. "But did you see the power output? I think I can get the workshop completely off-grid by next month."

Before anyone could respond, Mom was there, her hands running over me frantically despite the fact that I was obviously uninjured. Even after all these years, even with her new heart making her stronger than ever, she still worried about everything.

"What were you thinking?" she demanded, her eyes blazing with that mixture of love and exasperation I knew so well. "You could have been seriously hurt!"

"But I wasn't," I pointed out reasonably. "And the safety margins were well within acceptable parameters. I ran the calculations three times."

Her expression softened slightly, she couldn't argue with solid engineering, but I could see she was still upset.