Epilogue part two

Two years later

Dana Reid was now two years old and today was her birthday.
Dana had grown from a screaming infant every time someone held her other than her mother, too a cute little toddler who was going through the terrible twos.
"No, I don't wanna to wait! I want ice cream right now," Dana screamed.
Her speech patterns were very advanced for her age, but then both of her parents were super intelligent, so it wasn't a surprise that Dana took after them, especially her father Spencer.
"You'll be a good girl and wait until your party in a few hours or we'll cancel the whole thing and return all your presents," Michelle threatened her daughter.
It wasn't like any of the family could spank her and expect it to be effective since like everybody else she was immortal. Spanking her would do absolutely no good whatsoever so another way had to be found to get her to behave and teach her a little discipline. Every demand was not given into no matter how much Dana cried and begged.
It hurt everyone to deny her, because she was so cute and adorable, something she was well aware of so used every weapon in her arsenal to get her way.
Dana could produce tears at the drop of a hat and everybody in the family hated to see her cry, but most of the time, even the act of crying didn't get her what she wanted.
"Derrick, Dave's and Lynnette's son, who was older, was well used to Dana's dramatics and so rolled his eyes.
"You can't do that! It's my birthday," Dana cried the tears beginning to fall from her lovely brown eyes.
"If you're going to act like a brat, your father and I certainly can and we'll call your grandmother, aunt and uncle and tell them not to come, because the party's been canceled," Michelle told her daughter firmly.
She knew that she didn't dare give in to Dana's tears as that would only encourage her to misbehave. She and Spencer had agreed that they would not give into their daughter's dramatics when it became clear that Dana was growing into a child that used tears to get her way.
Everybody was hoping that she would outgrow this behavior, but it hadn't happened yet, but then, she was only two and going through the stage that was actually named as the terrible twos. Dana was not the first child that used tears to get her way nor would she be the last.
"But I was so looking forward to seeing Nana," Dana protested, looking like she was about to burst into tears. Only this time they would be real and not fake.
"Well, then, I suggest you behave until they get here so that you can enjoy your visit with your Nana, your aunt and your uncle," Michelle suggested calmly.
"Here I'll take her," came the voice of Dana's grandfather Dave.
"Come on sweet pea, why don't we spend some time together while everyone else is getting ready for your party?"
Dave swooped in and picked Dana up cradling her in one arm. "You should know better than to try your usual tricks on your mother. It never works."
"Thanks, dad," Michelle called after them, and Dave waved his hand in response.
Michelle knew that her father would keep her daughter occupied until it was time for the little girl's party.
"Come on, sweetie I'll read you a story," Dave offered the little girl, as he walked away with Dana in his arms.
"The one about how you met grandmom?" Dana asked hopefully immediately perking up. It was Dana's absolute favorite story so she was always requesting it and that it happened to be true didn't matter to the two year-old.
The story Dana was talking about was based on true events about how Dave had met his mate Lynnette, Spencer's sister and grandmother to Dana.
"Of course, sweetie pie, I know it's your favorite," Dave told her, as he kissed the top of his granddaughter's head.
"Oh boy," Dana said, clapping her little hands in excitement her tears having long since been banished.
"We'll go to my office so we're out of the way of all the party preparations," Dave said and Dana eagerly nodded.
The little girl loved her grandfather's office. All the books that were on shelves on one side of the room and all the knickknacks and photos on various tables, as well as Dave's desk, which had several photos in nice frames. The furniture was an expensive high quality leather and very comfortable to sit on.
Dave reached his office and opened the door with his free hand and carried his granddaughter over to the couch where he immediately relaxed back against one of the massive arms with Dana on his chest.
"Years before you were born your grandpapa met the most beautiful woman he's ever known," Dave began. "I immediately knew that this beautiful lady was my mate. The one I had lost so many centuries ago…"
As Dave told the story, Dana listened in fascination, just like she always did every time her grandfather told her this true story about how he had met her grandmother Lynnette Reid Rossi."
Soon Dana started to become drowsy and was asleep just as Dave was getting to the good part.
Dave looked down in his granddaughter and sighed partly in relief that she was asleep and so gently picked her up off his chest being careful not to jostle her, as he didn't want to risk waking her and stood up, so he could place her on the couch with a pillow behind her head.
Once he was standing with the little girl still sleeping deeply, Dave got a folded woven blanket from the back of the couch and placed it over his sleeping granddaughter.
He then left his office, leaving the door cracked, so Dana wouldn't have any trouble getting out, since she wasn't tall enough to reach the handle, once she woke. With any luck, she wouldn't wake up until it was time for her party.
Dave wandered into where the party preparations were taking place.
"She asleep?" Michelle asked her father and Dave nodded.
"She is and hopefully, she'll sleep until it's time for her party," Dave said.
"I don't know how you do it dad," Michelle said, shaking her head and wonder. "It didn't take you any time at all to put her to sleep."
"I understand her," Dave said. "She's just high strung that's all. She's just one of those children that needs to be the center of attention. The minute she thinks she's being ignored is the minute she starts acting like a brat. It's just like Spencer suggested years ago when he said he thought that she would be high strung and he turned out to be absolutely correct about that."
"Well, let's hope she gets past that stage once she gets past the terrible twos."
"She'll probably always be high strung, but right now, she's at that age where her emotions are just stronger than those of adults," Dave said.
"Well, her dramatics are not encouraging Spencer me to have anymore. Not until she's grown up anyway and out of the house, which means that it will be what is technically the next generation before Spencer and I have anymore," Michelle said, shaking her head thinking of her daughter's recent temper tantrum. "I can just imagine Dana's temper tantrum when Spencer and I do have another child."
"No, I suppose not," Dave admitted. "And you're probably right about Dana getting a sibling, as she's just that type that has to be the center of the universe, which she will hopefully outgrow."
"Still, I would like at least a couple more before I'll technically be too old to have them," Michelle said. "No matter what my daughter believes she was never meant to be an only child."
"Oh, by the way, I have some news to share before Diana and the others get here," Dave said.
"What's the news?" Michelle inquired curiously.
"Lynnette is pregnant again," Dave told her grinning from ear to ear once he had revealed the secret he had been keeping for a few days.
"She is?" Michelle asked a grin spreading across her face.
"She is," Dave confirmed, hugging his daughter and kissing her cheek. "It's just that Derrick is getting so big, as he's nearly four now so it was way past time that we had another before Lynnette technically gets too old to have anymore. We'd like at least a couple more after this, but we'll see how it goes. If we don't have them for this generation, we can always have them next time. Besides, Lynnette and I really wanted at least four or five children since she comes from such a large family and if we're going to accomplish that we're going to have to start having them closer together then this one and Derrick will be."
"Yeah, you need to start having them about every other year," Michelle said.
"I'll be happy with just three, as after that Lynnette will technically be too old to have any more by the time number three comes along," Dave said.
"We probably should've had one more than a year ago when Derek was two, but since Dana was so young at the time that Lynnette and I decided to wait until she was a bit older before introducing another baby into the family."
"Probably smart," Michelle said. "Maybe you and Lynnette will get a girl this time too, but then that leaves Derrick as the only boy."
"But then, the opposite would be true if we get another boy," Dave pointed out. "Either way we're going have an uneven number of sexes unless you and Spencer have another and have a girl again. It doesn't matter how you look at it as we always have an uneven number of sexes.
"True," Michelle conceded.
"So, everything prepared for Dana's party?" came Lynnette's voice as she walked into the room.
"Pretty much," Michelle said, looking around at all the decorations that had been put up. "We're just waiting for your mother and the rest of your family to arrive before we can get this party started."
"So where is the birthday girl?" Lynnette wanted to know.
"Sleeping in my office as she was pitching quite the fit at not getting any ice cream before the guests arrived and Michelle was threatening, to cancel the party entirely," Dave answered. "I happened to come in on the tail end and swept her up and took her to my office and told her a story that put her right to sleep. I left the door cracked, so she can come out whenever she wakes up and if she's not awake by the time, Diana and everyone else gets here then I'll go wake her."
"You actually threatened to cancel your daughter's birthday party?" Lynnette asked Michelle impressed.
"I did because she was pitching a fit about wanting ice cream right then, as dad told you. She wasn't willing to wait a few hours for her party to start before she got her ice cream and also cake that came from Kelly's Catering.
They'd all had plenty of meals catered from Kelly's over the last few years as everyone really liked her food.
"Still, I'm impressed that you held your ground and didn't give in to her," Lynnette said. "I know how hard it is not just to give in to her tears."
"Spencer and I promised each other that we weren't going to give in when she cried just because she couldn't get what she wanted right away," Michelle said. "Dana is just a dramatic child, but I'm hoping she'll outgrow it. So, to change the subject, Dave just told me you're pregnant."
"Yeah, I am though it was supposed to remain a secret until mom and my siblings got here."
"I just could keep it a secret anymore at least not from the family," Dave told her not looking at all sorry that he had let the secret he had been keeping for a few days slip. "We probably need to tell everybody else when Dana isn't around, as she's bound a pitch a fit."
"She's just going have to get used to the idea, as there is still seven months before this baby will arrive. We can't exactly put having other children on hold for Dana sake because while we're immortal and everything, the rest of the world, including my family, isn't aware of that so we need to go ahead and bite the bullet, no matter how many temper tantrums Dana throws."
"She and Derrick seem to get along," Dave mentioned.
"Yeah, but he's older than she is so he was already over a year old before she was born," Lynnette said. "Derrick has always been part of her life; this new child though will be different."
Just then the front doorbell rang to announce visitors had arrived, even as the front door automatically opened, recognizing Diana, Rocky and Roxie.
"You'd better go wake Dana up," Michelle instructed her father. "It's time to get this party started."
Dave nodded and walked towards his office, just as he heard Diana ask where the birthday girl was and Michelle explaining about what had happened and that Dave was going to get her.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~