Erasure and Affirmation (Hypernaturals 11)

There's Got To Be A Morning After

There's got to be a morning after.

Denise and I went into the master bedroom, me walking, her wrapped around me, and not interested in being anywhere else. Making the most of her Conclave Rules time.

The bed was inaccessible without waking someone. Helen and Rachel twined on one side. Jessica and Morgan even more wrapped to each other on the other side.

I smiled.

At the foot of the bed is a blanket chest, so we pulled out a couple blankets and lay on the floor, snuggled in, and went to sleep. Vera and Angel did the same thing in about this same place once. Before they were lovers even.

I woke to brown eyes, looking into mine from the side. At some point in time from when we lay down to now, whenever now is, Jessica curled in next to us on the floor. When she saw I am awake, she leaned in and kissed me. A perfect mix of love and banked passion.

Now that my sleepy and tired self is awake, I heard the kids chattering in the pantry.

"Trying to sleep here." Denise said, muffled by her face being buried on my chest and in the folds of blanket.

"Sorry, future fiancé. Kids are up." I said.

"Oh." Denise said, and her head popped up. "Little darlings are not aware of how tired we are."

"They never are." Jessica agreed.

"Did you have fun?" I asked Jessica as we stood.

"Yes. I feel... Good. Really good. For the first time in a long time, there is a piece of my heart back where it belongs." Jessica did look happier. More relaxed.

"DeWayne is that good?" Denise asked, disbelieving.

"No, silly dumb lady. My husband loves me." Jessica explained.

I grabbed a robe from the bathroom and went in to see the kids after taking a whack at my hair with a brush.

"Your hair is getting really long." Denise said. No comment about her being outvoted for a change.

"Yeah. Helen has left it this way. Just evens things up sometimes. I guess she is experimenting with it to see how she likes it."

"Morgan and I asked for her to let it get longer." Jessica said, also brushing her hair. "I like it. Morgan LOVES it. If Morgan gets her way, and she might, Adrian would have a ponytail like hers. That would be sexy as fuck."

Still nothing about being outvoted.

We went to the pantry where Nakoma has all the kids arrayed, and cooked them scrambled eggs with cheese, and added some breakfast potatoes. I was suddenly hungry.

"Hi, my kiddos! Have a good sleep?" I asked hugging and kissing each in turn. Each responded as is their way. For Rachel, it was 'OK'. Laura gave me a nod. Diana was enthusiastic about the overall quality of the night.

"What is your plan for the day?" I asked Nakoma.

"Diana wants to go horseback riding. Shocking, I know. I called the Stable Master and set it up. Ponies for Rachel and Laura. We'll ride out to the far east of the estate, where that stand of trees are, and that little brook. Get some water for the horses there. Ride back."

"How will Laura and Rachel stay attached to the ponies?" Denise asked.

"We'll go slow. After we get back, we'll go over to the tasting room, and see if there is anything in the gift shop we can find that is new and cool."

"Can I come along?" Denise asked.

"Sure!" Nakoma said. She pulled out her phone and arranged another horse. My oldest daughter has an international plan on her phone. How to know your kids are growing up.