Note/Warning: Non-graphic discussion of a forced abortion.

Mia Rinaldi hurried along the paths at court. She was going from the tutored classes she shared with a few other teens, including Evan Badica, to her home. She always walked quickly when she was alone. Too many people knew who she was, which made her uncomfortable. She would have loved that attention when she was younger. She had relished the thought of people talking about her before she learned how awful people could be.

It had started when she was a freshman. She was fourteen and determined to become a royal one day. She volunteered for everything that involved royals, and they soon paid attention to her. Then Andre Dragomir looked her way, and she was spellbound.

Andre was gorgeous, funny, and charming. Fourteen-year-old Mia had idealized and idolized him. She was so blinded by his attention that she was willing to do anything he asked, including have a secret relationship.

When Andre had broken off their relationship a month later, Mia had been devastated. He hadn't been kind about it, though he had still been charming in a cruel way.

A few weeks later, after an absolutely terrifying trip to the school nurse, Mia learned that she was pregnant. In that moment, Mia had gone from just a teen girl who had been abandoned by an ex to a pregnant teenager. Telling her parents and Andre hadn't been easy. Going through with the rest of the school year had been tortuous.

Some of her classmates had been kind about it or simply curious. Others whispered that she was a whore or a slut or a gold-digger or a liar. How dare she, a nobody, get pregnant by the Dragomir heir.

She didn't tell them that it had been an accident. She didn't tell them that she was hurting and terrified. She didn't tell them that she had only ever been with Andre.

Leaving school and settling at court had been a relief- until she heard the same, similar, or worse things. Worst of all were the men who tried to date her. Some were charming, some were not. A few were close to her age- encouraged by their parents. Others were older, much older. They all wanted to date her so that they had a way to reach the Dragomirs. It was awful, and Mia hated every one of them.

One man in particular had begun showing an interest in Mia lately. Lord Adam Conta had taken to following her around court from time to time. He was at least forty, and everything about him unnerved Mia. She couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about him either, because he had technically done nothing wrong. He just talked to her and asked her to go get coffee. She also didn't want to run to her parents or the Dragomirs every time someone bothered her. She wanted to handle it herself.

She thought that she could avoid him if she took a different route back home that day, but she had no such luck. Adam stepped into her path, easily keeping step with her. She stiffened as she walked, wanting to escape.

"Why are you walking so fast?" he asked. "It's April, the weather is finally warming up."

"I have things to do," she replied through gritted teeth.

He laughed. "Really? I can't imagine having so much to do that you can't enjoy a lovely day and a friendly chat."

"Well then you must lead a boring life."

"Hardly." His voice had a smooth quality that made Mia's skin crawl. "I just know how to enjoy myself. I'd love it if you'd stop for a bit and have a drink with me."

"No, thank you."

He put a hand on her shoulder, halting Mia in her steps. "Come on, have some fun."

"Lord Conta!" A commanding female voice called out before Mia could protest. Mia and Adam turned toward the voice and saw Katrina Lehman in her guardian uniform quickly approaching. Mia had never been more relieved to see Katrina.

"I believe that you should remove your hand from Miss Rinaldi." Katrina's voice was hard, though still somewhat polite.

"Oh, we're just being friendly," he said smoothly. "You don't need to worry yourself, guardian."

Katrina's lips thinned into a firm line before she responded. "Mia is my responsibility. She's also sixteen, which means you are accosting a minor. Do you want me to bring this up to my supervisor? Or do you want to walk away?"

He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm gone."

He walked away. Mia and Katrina watched him go. Katrina took a few steps toward Mia, like a protective older sister.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm seventeen," Mia replied absently. She was too shaken to form another reply yet. "My birthday was a couple days ago."

Katrina smiled. "I know, but he probably doesn't."

A slow smile spread on Mia's lips. "True. Thank you."

"I'm not going to let some jerk harass you. Has he done this before?"

She nodded. "Yeah, for a few weeks now."

Katrina regarded her gently. "He wasn't the first one to do this, was he?"

Mia bit her lip, shaking her head. "I can handle it," she said hoarsely, trying to reign in her emotions. "I had to handle similar stuff at school when I was pregnant."

"Do you want to talk about it? I know it's not the same, but I get a lot of comments for my choices too."

Mia considered her. A tentative bond had grown between them over the past several months. Mia had been angry and jealous of Katrina at first, but she had come to realize that there was nothing romantic going on between Kat and Andre. She had also come to realize that she and Katrina were now the mothers of half-siblings and should cooperate for the kids.

"Sure," Mia agreed. "Are you off duty?"

"Yep. I was just going to get a muffin from the bakery." She pointed to a building not too far away.

"I like that idea."

They walked together to the bakery. Inside, Katrina bought them muffins and hot chocolate. They took them to go and walked to one of the many small gardens at court. They relaxed on one of the benches, eating and drinking.

"So, what's the deal with lord creepy?"

Mia laughed. "I don't know. I think he's interested in me to worm his way in with the Dragomirs. So many are like that. The rest act like I'm a gold-digging social climber. Then there are the ones who call me a whore. I haven't even had a date since I got pregnant, let alone have sex again. And like I really wanted to get pregnant at fourteen!"

Katrina gave her a sympathetic smile. "I can't imagine what that was like for you. I'm twenty-three and still can't handle being a mother some days. You were so young."

"I had support. My parents are great, so are Andre's, but you know that."

"Eric and Rhea are two of the kindest people I've ever met."

"Do you have any family?"

Kat shook her head. "I'm an orphan. My father died before I was born, and my mother died giving birth to me. They had no family either, so I was raised at an academy from infancy."

"They have academies that do that?"

"Yep! I know of three orphanage academies in the country. I grew up at the one in Maine."

"Wow, I can't imagine what that was like. I always had my parents to go back to on breaks or for quick visits when I went to school." She paused for a moment, thinking. "They could have died in December. The Drozdovs who died, they were the family my parents worked for. If not for Kevin and the Dragomirs…"

"It's strange how life works," Kat said softly.

"Yeah. I love my son. I wouldn't trade him for anything, even the painful stuff, but I do wish I had been older. Is it easier?"

"It's not easy being a mother." Katrina gave Mia a wry smile. "I think watching Rhea has shown me that even with all the money in the world and a husband, being a mom is still hard. I don't know what it's like to be a mother at your age. I know myself more now than I did at fourteen or seventeen, but I also went through a lot before I was assigned to court. I'm still dealing with figuring out who I am after everything I've been through and as now as a mother."

"Do they make comments about you living with the Dragomirs?"

Kat picked at her muffin. She placed a small morsel on her tongue, chewed it slowly, and swallowed before replying. She didn't look at Mia. "Yeah. The royals and the guardians all make comments about it. Some are nicer than others. I wish they'd all just mind their own business."

Mia laughed. "You and me both."

Katrina looked at Mia, grinning. "Let me know if he bothers you again, or if anyone else does."

"I will. You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"Not unless you want me to. I doubt it's going to stop for either of us. We're in this together."

Grinning, Mia considered Katrina for a few moments before answering. "Yeah, we are." She glanced at her watch, frowning. "Speaking of being in this together, should we go get the kids?"

"From Andre?" Katrina shrugged. "I think he's at the playground with them. He can manage for a little while longer. Want to do something fun?"

"Like what?"

"Bowling?"

"Sure, I'd like that." Mia finished her drink, then stood. "Although, I do worry about not being there for Kevin."

Katrina stood too. She tossed her trash into a nearby bin. "I think Andre can handle it. If not, he has the staff to help. Eric and Rhea will be back from their social events later too. I just need to get changed."

Putting aside her worries, Mia agreed to go. Their children would be fine with their father for another hour. Mia and Katrina both needed to have room in their lives for fun.

Andre Dragomir sat on a bench, watching his children at the playground. Kevin was playing in a sandbox, mostly making himself dirty. Violet was sleeping in her stroller. Andre hoped that she would stay asleep for a while. It was easier to watch the kids when one was asleep. He wasn't certain if that made him a bad father or not.

He looked around the area as Kevin played. A few children were playing on other playground equipment. A few children were on their own, but most were watched by adults. The adults were not the children's parents. Andre was, in fact, the only parent there with his children. The others were all nannies or caregivers. Wealthy Moroi almost never watched their own children at playgrounds. Poor Moroi tended to go to the playground on the other side of court.

Andre didn't remember much of his childhood, but he was certain that he and Lissa never had a nanny. He remembered their mother watching them. There had been the occasional babysitter, but Eric and Rhea had always been the ones to watch Andre and Lissa. Andre wanted that for his children too, as did Mia. Kat was a bit different in that regard, Andre supposed. He knew that Kat loved their daughter, but she was also distant from Violet. Andre had never asked Katrina why she seemed distant, assuming that Kat was just tired from working and having a baby around. He wondered if it would improve.

Glancing up from looking at Kevin and Violet, Andre noticed a Moroi girl jogging along the nearby path with two guardians. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, streaming behind her as she moved. She was laughing with the men as they jogged, keeping pace together. It took Andre a few moments to recognize Lauren Voda, the girl who had been introduced to him at the ski lodge.

"Lauren!" He called out to her, waving his hand. He hoped that he didn't wake the baby.

Lauren noticed him. She stopped jogging. Her guardians stopped too. She spoke briefly to them before they continued. She walked over to Andre, a smile on her face. "Andre Dragomir, it's nice to see you again."

Andre looked into her grey eyes and smiled. "It's good to see you again too. I didn't know you were at court."

"I said that I might be here for Easter, which is next Sunday." She frowned a little. "I would have been here a few weeks ago for the memorial, but my parents came. My cousin Ralph died at St. Vladimir's."

"I'm sorry."

She nodded slightly. "Thank you. We weren't close, but it's still sad. Hearing about the attack on the school was so awful. How are your sisters doing?"

"They're managing," Andre replied mildly. "Lissa lost her mentor. They both lost friends, acquaintances, and teachers."

"That's terrible."

"My parents asked if they wanted to be pulled from school to live here, but they both decided to stay."

"Brave," Lauren said with a smile. "You have quite a remarkable family." She looked at Kevin and Violet. "These are your children?"

"Yes." Andre introduced the children. Kevin waved before continuing to build his piles of sand. Violet was still asleep.

Lauren took a seat beside Andre, looking at Violet. "She's lovely. Your son is adorable too."

"Thank you." He gave her a wry smile. "Does your grandmother still want you to marry me?"

She laughed. "Probably. She hasn't mentioned it since New Year's, which is nice. All the other drama in the council meetings has eclipsed her scheming. Plus, my cousin's death hit her pretty hard."

"That's understandable. I also know how difficult the council meetings have been." He stood, kneeling beside Kevin in the sand. Andre pulled his son's hands away from his mouth. "No, don't eat the sand."

Lauren bit back her laughter as Andre stood. Pulling Kevin into his arms resulted in Andre also being covered in sand.

"Messy, messy," Lauren said in a sing-song voice.

"The joys of children," Andre replied, shaking his head with a smile. He brushed the sand off his son. "Why don't we go to the swings?"

The toddler agreed happily, so Andre dusted Kevin off and swung the boy up onto his shoulders. Andre went to push the stroller, but Lauren intervened- offering her assistance. Andre agreed, and they walked to the swings which were now deserted. Andre settled Kevin in a swing and began gently pushing his son.

"I'm surprised you're doing this alone," Lauren observed.

"I wanted to. If my mom could watch my sister and I alone at these ages, surely I can too. Their moms are busy right now, I think. My parents are at a lunch with some of the council."

"I think it's very responsible of you to watch them."

They shared a smile. Andre warmed at her complement. "I try. Who were you running with?"

"My guardians. James and Elliot have been my guardians since I graduated. They're like the older brothers I never had. I can mostly keep up with them when we go running, and I can beat them when we go swimming."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was always in track and swimming in school. I used to hang out with the novices all the time." Something flashed across her face, dark and pained. It was gone before Andre could fully read the look. "They were more of a challenge to race."

"And you mentioned that you design jewelry, right?" She nodded in agreement. "So, you're an athletic artist?"

"Something like that," she laughed. "Running makes me feel like I'm free. I love the feel of the wind against my skin. Art transports me somewhere else. I can show you my jewelry line sometime if you're interested."

"I'd like that. I also think we agreed to coffee sometime?"

"We did." A grin spread across her face. "I'm still up for that. I don't mind this either." She sat on a swing, pushing herself back and forth with a foot. "I like children."

"They're pretty great." Andre kissed the top of his son's head before pushing the swing again. "Not that I wanted to be a father so young, but it grows on you if you like kids. Kevin's able to talk a bit now, which makes it more fun. His fangs are growing in too."

"Has he tried biting everyone yet?"

"No, but my mom warned us about that."

She laughed. "One of my friends had a baby a couple years ago and I saw how messy it is to train them how to drink and when."

"As long as he doesn't bite his sister, we're good."

Lauren looked at Violet again, amused. "It's all part of teaching them what's right and wrong, I suppose. How are you feeling about the discussions in the council chambers? I've heard that they were discussing some rather awful ideas."

Andre clenched his jaw, trying to remain calm about the council discussions. "I've had to walk out more than once. I can't believe they want to talk about compulsion or using children as shields. I won't let them do it to my daughter."

She looked up at him, eyes warm and thoughtful. "If they pass those laws, the backlash would be catastrophic. Where does your father stand, if I may ask?"

Andre sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think he's conflicted. Obviously the attack on the school was a big deal. It's part of the reason why these topics are being so strongly debated. The Badica and Drozdov massacres also influenced these discussions. My family was impacted by all three attacks. My little sister's boyfriend lost his parents and family in the first massacre. My son's mother and her parents used to live with the Drozdovs who were killed in the second massacre. And my sisters go to St. Vladimir's. Teachers I had in school were killed. Friends and acquaintances were killed. We want to make sure that our people are safe, but aren't dhampirs our people too?"

They both looked at Violet as she slept under her blanket in the stroller.

"She's my daughter," Andre continued. "I can't think of her as just a dhampir. I can't think of dhampirs the way I used to, not anymore. They deserve more." He looked at Lauren. "What do you think of that?"

Lauren took a while to look up from the baby. When she did, her grey eyes were shining with emotion. "That maybe someday I'll tell you why I feel the same way." She stood, drawing a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I believe in equality for our people. Maybe I've spent too much time around humans and non-royals. Perhaps that's why I'm so cynical of our lauded traditions. But I think it's more. Our society is breaking down from the inside. Dhampirs are leaving our society and blending into the human world in greater numbers every year. Non-royals are largely abandoned to fend for themselves. And we royals hide in our gilded pens, pretending that we're not destroying ourselves."

Andre's lips twisted into a wry smile. "You are quite the rebel, aren't you?"

She smiled too, matching his expression. "More than you might think, though it's not all a pretty story."

Andre pulled Kevin out of the swing since the child was fussing to get out. He set Kevin down, letting the boy wander around. "I suppose that's related to the restraining order you have against your parents? You alluded to one back at the ski lodge."

Pained anger flitted across her pretty features. "Yeah. They're not part of my life for a very good reason. It's not fixable. It's not forgivable." She drew a deep breath, forcing a smile. "It's also not something to talk about in public or around little ears."

"Well, I should take them home shortly." He hesitated. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line as she kicked at the rubber matting on the ground beneath the swings. "Yeah."

"Well then, why don't you come to my house and I'll make you coffee?"

Lauren smiled again. "Can you make coffee, or do you have someone do it for you?"

He laughed, picking up Kevin and strapping him into the toddler's seat at the front of the stroller. "I do know how to make coffee."

They walked the short distance from the playground to the Dragomir residence. Only a few staff members were home when Andre arrived, so he and Lauren saw to cleaning up Kevin and changing Violet. When the children were settled and given over to the care of Alina, the housekeeper, Andre and Lauren went to the kitchen to grab drinks and snacks. Afterward, they went to the library to talk.

Lauren sipped her coffee as her eyes trailed around the room. "You have so many books."

Andre took a seat across from her. "You should see the libraries at the other houses. You know how some people buy books to show off?"

"Yeah."

"None of ours are like that. We have centuries of books bought by Dragomirs. There are family records at one of the houses too, huge tomes written when my family still lived in a castle in Romania."

"That's pretty cool. I know the Vodas have similar records, but I think most of those are in the royal library. I've never thought about looking at them."

"I haven't either, but it's still cool to be part of those histories."

She started to tuck her feet up then paused.

"You can put your feet on the furniture, we don't care that much."

Smiling, Lauren slipped off her sneakers and curled up in the corner of the leather sofa. "You have such a relaxed family- nothing like mine."

"You know, if you don't want to talk about it…"

She shook her head. "It's fine. I've only told my grandmother. No one else knows." She stared distantly at her drink for a few moments before continuing. "I feel like I can tell you this. You know what it's like to have people talk about you when you don't want it. I've been lucky to avoid all of that."

"By avoiding court altogether?"

"That and moving to England when I was sixteen. I got a whole new life there. No one knew me or my past. Of course, I never talked to my old classmates again, so who knows what they thought."

"Where did you go in America?"

"Foxwood, it's in Virginia. When I was there I was always in track or swimming. I'd always spend time with the novices, like I said earlier." She smiled sadly. "There was this one guy in my year who had the cutest smile. It was heart-melting."

"What happened?" Andre asked quietly.

She looked at the books as her fingers ran along the rim of her cup. "We dated. We kept it quiet because a royal being involved with a novice can cause quite the scandal. We loved each other."

She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Lauren looked back at Andre, tears making her eyes bright. "I got pregnant. I didn't realize it at first. I denied it for longer. I eventually called my mother to tell her that I thought I might be pregnant. I told her that the father was a dhampir. The next day I was flown home, to court."

She paused, wiping at her face. She set down her cup on the nearby table and grabbed a tissue. "They took me to the clinic where a private doctor saw me. I was so anxious and terrified. I trusted my parents. I loved my parents. The doctor told me it would be a routine procedure. I didn't understand what he meant. I was so young, so trusting."

Lauren trembled. Andre sat still as a statue, listening. "I was anesthetized. I was told that it was for me to relax. I was unconscious when the doctor ended my pregnancy. I woke in pain. I was confused and hormonal and hurting."

Andre's mouth opened in shock.

Lauren's face twisted in anger. "When my parents saw me later, they explained what had been done to me. I was horrified. I wanted that child. I may have been young and naïve, but I wanted that child. Even if I didn't raise it myself, I could have given the baby away for adoption. We're rich. Hiring help to care for a child isn't a problem."

"I'm so sorry."

Her fists clenched. "The worst part was that my parents thought they did what was best for me. When I asked them how they could do this to me, my father looked at me with the coldest expression I've ever seen on another person. He told me that 'no daughter of his would give birth to some dhampir bastard'."

Andre stared at her for a few moments before he could control his emotions enough to form a response. "That's horrible."

"I went to my grandmother as soon as I could, hoping that she could do something to help me." Even through her tears, Lauren smiled. "She was so kind and compassionate. She kept me in her house for a couple weeks while everything settled. She forbade my parents from seeing me and put the restraining order in place. The doctor is no longer allowed to set foot on court property. There is a restraining order against him as well."

"That's understandable."

"They considered harsher punishments, like preventing him from practicing medicine on any Moroi, but we still need specialized doctors."

"True."

"Anyway, after that was all settled, my grandmother enrolled me at an academy in England. She's still fond of keeping scandals a secret. I couldn't possibly go back to the school where everyone knew me, in case anyone asked questions. This was considered a more elegant solution."

"Did your boyfriend ever know?"

Lauren shook her head, wiping at her tears. "I couldn't talk to him about it. I didn't know how. Plus, we changed my number and email, so no one knew how to contact me unless given my information directly. I never talked to him again."

"What happened to him?"

"He died two years ago- Strigoi." She took another tissue, wiping her eyes and nose with it. "He was an only child, and he would have liked to be a dad. He never had the chance. The chance he had was taken from him, and he never knew."

She drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "So, now you know why I hate my parents and will never talk to them again. They've tried to contact me several times over the years, but they've been blocked by everyone. I love my grandmother for that."

"I think you have every right to cut them out of your life. I can't understand how they were okay with doing that to you."

"Because they think dhampirs are lesser beings- slaves who aren't worthy of our time or consideration. How dare such a creature defile their precious daughter?" Lauren's voice had grown coldly venomous. "They are the reason I support dhampirs so absolutely, more so than most royals you can find."

"And that's why your grandmother thought you would make a good match for me."

"Yes." She smiled a little. "You love your daughter. Your family loves your daughter. It's obvious that if you ever settle down with someone, she would need to accept your children completely."

"True," Andre agreed. He studied her, trying not to be overwhelmed by the horror of the story she had just told him. "Would you consider going out with me? I'm still not sure that I'm ready for something serious, but I enjoy talking with you."

"You're not just taking pity on me for having had such a harrowing adolescence?"

Andre shook his head. "No, but learning your secret has taught me one thing about you- you are an incredibly strong woman. I admire you."

She smiled, picking up her coffee again. She took a long sip. "Thank you. I think I'd like to see you more." She tapped her cup against her lip, pondering. "There's just one thing I'm curious about, what's the story with you and your daughter's mother? I heard that she lives with you."

Now it was Andre's turn to look uncomfortably at the books, the floor, his cup. "We're friends. Her name is Katrina. She's only two years older than me, and she's been through a lot. She was assigned to court after a Strigoi attack where her charge was killed, and she nearly died. We met at a party here and started talking. I was still in denial about how responsible I needed to be."

"So, you slept with her," Lauren stated mildly.

"Eventually," he agreed. "For a week or so we just talked. She didn't mind that I had a kid, which a lot of girls dislike. She knew we could never be serious, but we could have fun together. After a while, she told me that she was afraid to die unremembered. She has no family."

Andre sighed, looking up at Lauren. "In my infinite wisdom, I suggested that maybe we could have a child. With a child, she would have a legacy after she died."

Lauren's eyes went wide. "You had your daughter on purpose?"

"Yeah, which my parents don't know. They think it was just another unwise mistake. I mean, yeah it was unwise, but I do care about Kat. I know what it's like to have a small family. I know how much people talk about the need for more dhampirs."

She rubbed her forehead with her fingers, as if warding off a headache. "Your son must have been an infant at the time."

"Six months," he confirmed.

She rolled her eyes, looking at him again. She laughed ruefully. "You don't think these things through, do you?"

"No," he agreed with a shrug. "I'm reformed now. Having the two kids really made me realize that I wasn't taking life seriously. I want to be more responsible. I have to be- for my children and for my family as a whole."

"I'm glad to hear that. So, why does… Katrina?... live with you?"

"Because it's easier. We have enough rooms, and Violet would be here whenever Kat is working anyway. She also doesn't have anyone else to support her. Does that bother you?"

"No," she shook her head. "I was just curious. It's unusual."

"And it makes you wonder if anything else is going on?"

She shrugged. "No, not really. It's none of my business, even if you are still involved with her." She finished her coffee and stood. "Thank you for listening. I need to get going, but it was nice talking to you. I'll keep your secrets too."

Andre also stood. "Thank you. I'm glad that you trust me enough to tell me about your past. Do you want to make plans to get together again soon?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

They made plans to meet up later in the week before heading to the front door. The laughter of two women echoed in the entryway as they neared. Andre and Lauren stopped at the foot of the stairs, coming face to face with Mia and Katrina. Andre stiffened, feeling very uncomfortable being in the room with the mothers of his children and another young woman. Katrina and Lauren merely looked at everyone curiously. All traces of levity evaporated from Mia's face.

Andre smiled diplomatically. "Mia, Kat, this is Lauren."

Lauren's smile was more genuine. She held out her hand, which Katrina and Mia both accepted. Mia did so reluctantly. "It's nice to meet you. I was just leaving." She shot Andre an amused look. "I look forward to our next discussion."

Andre shook his head, wishing that he could escape. He knew it was ridiculous to feel this way. He and Lauren were just friendly acquaintances, nothing more. "See you later."

Lauren continued past the other two women, leaving the house. Mia continued to stare at Andre. Katrina began to move toward the stairs but stopped to listen as Mia spoke up.

"Who's Lauren?"

Andre bit back his first reply that it wasn't Mia's business. Instead, he told her the truth. "She's a friend. We were introduced in December and ran into each other again today."

Mia put her hands on her hips. "She's a royal?"

"Her grandmother is Priscilla Voda."

Mia flinched, clenching her teeth. "How nice."

"I guess," Andre replied dismissively. "The kids are upstairs. I'm going to shower. Is Kevin staying here tonight or going back to your place?"

"I'll take him back," Mia replied. She drew a few deep breaths to calm herself. "How was the park?"

"Good, Kevin got himself covered in sand. He didn't eat any of it though."

Katrina laughed. "An improvement. Come on Mia, let's go see them."

Mia finally looked away from glaring daggers at Andre. She forced a small smile and agreed. The women both headed up the stairs. Andre closed his eyes, sighed, and followed after them.

Notes:

Thank you all for reading and following and commenting!

We're over half-way through the story (have been for a couple chapters actually... as long as the chapters don't grow more, this and the next were originally one chapter but combined are over 10k words).