Unexpected Turns

Past

"Okay, okay. Shush, Masey!"

Amara didn't fully know what she was doing. All she knew was that it was her father's birthday and she wanted to wake her parents. But she couldn't do that without Masen.

"Marwaaaa" Masen squealed. Amara shushed him again.

"You can't wake them yet!" She laughed as she picked him up under his armpits and lifted him. He was heavy now. He would be two soon and grew more cute every day. Amara adored him.

"Okay. Now, we're going to go into Mama and Papa's room. But you need to be very quiet. Understand?" She asked. Masen paid her no heed.

"Ricorda, silenzioso Masen. [Remember, silent Masen.]" She whispered as she pushed her parent's door open. She could hear them breathing deeply in slumber. She froze when Masen giggled but it didn't seem to wake them. She grinned as she got closer to the bed.

"Una, due, tre…" she whispered with a big smile before plonking Masen onto her father's chest, knocking the breathe out of him.

"Surprise!" She yelled. Her parent's sat up abruptly and her father's arm wound around Masen, who laughed adorably.

"Amara!" Her mother gasped, a hand pressed to her throat. "You scared the life out of us!" Amara laughed with her brother and climbed onto the bed to hug her father around the neck.

"Happy Birthday, Papa!"

Soul laughed, his voice rough with sleep.

"Thank you, you two!" He gave her a kiss on the head before giving Masen one too. Maka wished him a happy birthday with a loving smile and he pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Breakfast?" Maka asked and Soul groaned happily, swinging his legs off the side of the bed to stand, Masen in his arms.

"Did you carry him in here all on your own?" He asked Amara, feeling the weight in his arms. Amara nodded proudly.

"All that training must be paying off, eh?" Soul asked with a cheeky grin that Amara matched.

"Well, I have a great teacher!"

Soul laughed again and ruffled her hair as the family all made their way into the livingroom.

"You're just saying that because it's my birthday," He accused. Amara just laughed.

"Of course not! How old are you again, Papa?"

"Twenty-six. Twenty-six and two kids." He pretended to groan.

"Do you think you and Mama would have any more?" Amara asked as she sat down on the couch. Her parents froze in thought. Her mother came too first.

"I mean… Yeah. I love having children. It's not really something we –"

"Have discussed." Her father continued. Then shrugged. "But, I think I agree. You guys are the coolest thing that ever happened to us. But I definitley didn't expect to have kids so soon."

"What age did you want kids?" Amara asked. It seem's she was definitley at a very curious stage in her life. Maka humoured her.

"Well, I always imagined I'd have kids in my mid twenties to thirties," she looked at Soul. "You?"

Soul shrugged.

"Same. Didn't know I'd be having them with you though," Her parents laughed together.

"You didn't? How did you both meet? What was it like?"

Maka and Soul cast a knowing glance to each other before sitting on the couch either side of Amara. Masen was safe on Soul's knee and watching his father's face with pure facination as Soul and Maka began their story.