Haunted Souls

Epilogue

Nico stood at the stove as he cooked breakfast, his dark eyes full of light. As he mumbled the lyrics to the music he had playing, he heard his kids start to come down before they left for school.

Bianca came in first with her phone to her ear, her bookbag thrown over her shoulder as she talked to her boyfriend. Max, his name was. Nico hated him, but Will thought he was a good guy. Whatever the case, Bianca finally had friends and Nico wasn't going to take that from her.

Ethan ran in soon after her, his hair spiked up with shower gel. As he climbed into his seat, he dumped his homework over the table. "Dad, I need you to check it."

"I will while you eat." Nico glanced over at them to make sure they were ready for school before looking back at the frying bacon. "How'd you two sleep?"

"Good." Ethan started to sort the papers. "I'm so excited! Today's the talent show!"

"I know, I'm going to be there to watch." Nico replied. "Are you nervous at all?"

Ethan shook his head. "I love to sing."

"That's good." Nico completed each plate before bringing them to the table. "Is your friend coming over after school?"

Ethan nodded. "You're driving him?"

"Yeah, I can just pick you both up." Nico sat across from his kids. "Bianca, put the phone down so you can eat. Don't make me regret buying you it."

"Okay, okay." Bianca began to eat but kept the phone in her left hand. "I'm eating, see?"

Nico sipped his cup of coffee, steam rising from the cup and moving passed his eyes. Bianca had her own cup, but no one else in the castle drank it, not even Will. He had learned to hate the taste despite the sugar he poured in it.

Skimming over his son's homework, Nico mentally did each problem before handing it back to Ethan. "You're good to go."

"Good morning!" Will entered the room with a tie in hand. "Nico, help me put this on?"

"Come sit." Nico tapped the seat next to him. "Can you make it to Ethan's talent show?"

"I'm going to try." Will grinned at his kids as Nico began to put the tie on him. "How was your night?"

"Good." Ethan poured syrup over his plate. "I didn't wake up at all."

"Good, that's good. What about you, Bianca?" Will asked.

The older girl shrugged. "I was doing homework."

Will sighed. "You need to get sleep, too. Nico, tell her."

"I've told her." Nico kissed his cheek before standing up. "I'm going to go get Maria. Have a good day at work."

Will started to eat. "You have a good day, too."