CASUAL AFFAIR; brendon urie

Chapter Seventeen

"She's a magician tonight." Was the thing Breezy said when I opened the door to her, and before I could ask what she meant, a small body in a pair of pink Hello Kitty pyjamas, pink fluffy slippers, a black silk cape, top hat and wielding one of those black with the white tip wands darted past her, past me, screaming 'Abracadabra!' as she went.

"Oh, really?" I said, looking over at Amelie, who was now running around and around in a circle, like a dog chasing after its tail. When she was done with that, she swayed dizzily, wobbling and giggling as she stuck the wand out at me. "Poof!" she cried. "You're a duck now, Auntie Flo."

"I am!" I gasped, pretending to be incredibly shocked, before pursing my lips, and making quacking noises like my dad had taught me, Dallon and Jordan to do when we were younger, before rushing over to her, and scooping her up in my arms. She giggled, and wriggled, protesting half-heartedly as I blew raspberries on her, and gave her sloppy kisses. "Hey!" I said, holding her up in the air, where she snorted, and pointed her toes outward, stretching her arms as far as she could, like I'd told her once that I'd used to do as a ballerina, before reaching down with the wand and bopping my nose. "Hey!" she said right back.

"Can't I be something cool?" I shook her, and she burst into more peals of laughter. "Like a tiger? Or a monkey?"

"Nope!" she said, before pursing her lips, and giving me that adorable little concentrating hard look. "Well, you can be an ... ostrich." She giggled.

"An ostrich!" I pretended to look offended. "Why am I an ostrich now?"

"So you can give me a ride on your back, silly!" she chided me.

"Oh, of course." I put my palm to my forehead in a D'oh! Gesture, before swinging her around with more grace than I knew I possessed, onto my back. She screamed with delight, wrapping her little legs around my shoulders and chest, and putting her hands atop my head. "See?" I jiggled up and down a little. "You're a queen now, as well as a magician. Ain't you something?"

Breezy had taken to leaning against the doorframe during all of this, and a pleased smile lit her face up. "She's had more energy than a spring Jack Rabbit all evening, bless her." She clucked her tongue, before shaking her head. "Well, ever since Dallon let slip that she was staying with her Auntie Flo." She rolled her eyes. "Can't keep his mouth shut for even half a second, can Dallon."

"Can Dallon what?" my brother was suddenly at her shoulder, making her jump. She went to smack him as he snickered at her fright, but she had to stop herself because in my brother's arms, sleeping like a little log, was Knox. "I'm not gonna forget." She warned, holding one finger out in a stern way as he went past, still shaking with quiet laughter, to the spare room where'd I'd set up the bed and crib for the night. She then turned back to me, and gave me a grumpy look, arching an eyebrow. "And really, Florence? You didn't give me any warning?"

Amelie giggled along with me. "Daddy made mommy silly." She said in a stage whisper to me. "He certainly did, didn't he?" I stage whispered right back.

Breezy rolled her eyes - again - at us, before straightening, and going into I'm the mother and this is their rules, the little rascals mode. It wasn't a universal mode, though I'm sure other moms had it, but it was certainly one of Breezy's. "Well, Knox's been down for the good part of about half an hour, so that should last him until the morning time, at least. But if he does wake up-"

"I know, I know," I waved her away. "Give him a cuddle, take him back to bed, and sing him a lullaby." Breezy opened her mouth, and I quickly tacked on the last bit "And make sure he's actually asleep when I leave, or hell won't even describe what the rest of the night will be like." Amelie clamped her little hands over my mouth before I could say anything further, laughing like it was the funniest thing ever.