MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen: The First Words
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The morning came loud and bright.
Aurora was talking. Not words. Sounds. Babbles. Strings of consonants and vowels that meant nothing and everything. She pointed at the window. "Ba ba ba." She pointed at the door. "Da da da." She pointed at her father. "Da da da."
Keifer looked at his daughter. "Dada?"
Aurora pointed at him. "Da da da."
Keifer picked her up. His daughter was warm. His daughter was wiggly. His daughter was loud. "Say Dada."
Aurora grabbed his hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos. "Ba ba ba."
Keifer's face didn't change. "You're your mother's daughter."
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Alexander was sitting on the floor. His legs were crossed. His face was serious. He was watching his sister. He was always watching his sister. He opened his mouth. "Mama."
Jay's heart stopped. Her hands were shaking. Her face was wet. "What did you say?"
Alexander looked at his mother. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. "Mama."
Jay picked him up. Her son was calm. Her son was heavy. Her son was serious. "You said Mama."
Alexander touched her face. Small. Warm. Alive. "Mama."
Jay kissed his forehead. "I love you."
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Percy ran into the room. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "I heard talking! Who talked?"
Jay looked at him. "Alexander said Mama."
Percy's eyes went wide. "He said Mama?"
Jay nodded. "He said Mama."
Percy ran to Alexander. He picked him up. He spun him around. Alexander's face was serious. His eyes were calm. He did not laugh. He did not cry. He just watched.
Percy stopped spinning. "Say Percy."
Alexander looked at his uncle. His face was serious. He touched Percy's face. "Per."
Percy's eyes were wet. "He said my name."
Keiran ran into the room. His face was bright. His voice was loud. "Who talked?"
Jay looked at him. "Alexander said Mama. He said Per."
Keiran's eyes went wide. "He said my name?"
Jay smiled. "He said Per."
Keiran ran to Alexander. He picked him up. He spun him around. "Say Keiran."
Alexander looked at his cousin. His face was serious. "Kei."
Keiran's eyes were wet. "He said my name!"
Keigan walked into the room. His arms were crossed. His face was cold. He looked at Alexander. "He said your name."
Keiran hugged his brother. "He said my name!"
Keigan's face didn't change. "He said your name."
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Care walked into the room. Liana was in her arms. The baby was teething again. Her face was red. Her fists were clenched. She was crying. She was loud. She was chaos.
"Alexander talked," Care said.
Jay looked at her sister. "He said Mama."
Care smiled. "He's growing."
Jay pulled her close. "He's growing."
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Liana stopped crying. She looked at Alexander. He was on the floor, building a tower. She reached out. Her hand touched the air. She wanted to go to her cousin.
Care set Liana on the floor. The baby crawled. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos. She reached Alexander. She pulled herself up. Her hands were on the tower. She looked at him.
"Xan," Liana said.
Alexander looked at his cousin. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. "Lia."
Liana smiled. She had two teeth now. Small. White. Sharp. "Xan."
Alexander handed her a block. Liana took it. She put it on the tower. The tower grew. The tower was tall. The tower was steady.
Aurora crawled to her cousins. She pulled herself up. She looked at Liana. "Lia."
Liana looked at Aurora. "Rora."
Aurora smiled. "Lia."
Liana smiled. "Rora."
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Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back. Their children were on the floor. Their children were building. Their children were loving.
"They're perfect," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
Jay leaned against him. "Alexander talked."
Keifer pulled her close. "Alexander talked."
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Lyra was in her corner. Her hands were in her pockets. Her face was blank. Her eyes were on the children. Alex was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"Alexander talked," Alex said.
Lyra watched her nephew. At Alexander building. At Aurora watching. At Liana grabbing blocks. "He's growing."
Alex pulled her close. "He's growing."
Lyra almost smiled. Almost. "He's quiet."
Alex kissed her forehead. "Like his father."
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The sun was setting when the family gathered in the living room.
The children were on the floor. Aurora was walking. Back and forth. Back and forth. She was practicing. She was determined. She was chaos. Alexander was building. He was focused. He was serious. He was calm. Liana was crawling. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos.
Percy watched from the armchair. His face was soft. His eyes were bright. "Alexander talked."
Honey was beside him. Her hand was in his. "Alexander talked."
Percy pulled her close. "He said Per."
Honey kissed his cheek. "He said Per."
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The night was quiet. The house was still.
Jay lay in Keifer's arms. Her head was on his chest. His heart was beating beneath her ear. The twins were in their cribs. Sleeping. Safe. Home.
"You're thinking," Keifer said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about Alexander. About his first word. About his serious face. About the way he said Mama."
He kissed her hair. "He's your son."
She smiled. "He's our son."
He pulled her close. "I love you."
She held him. "I love you too."
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The door creaked. Small footsteps. Soft breathing. Jay looked up. Aurora stood in the doorway. She was holding her elephant. She was not going to sleep alone. Behind her, Alexander crawled into the room. He was holding his bear. He was not going to let his sister have all the attention.
"Mama," Aurora said.
Jay's heart melted. "Yes?"
Aurora climbed onto the bed. She crawled between her parents. She pulled the blanket over herself. She closed her eyes. "Mama."
Jay kissed her forehead. "Mama's here."
Alexander climbed onto the bed. He crawled beside his sister. He held his bear. He closed his eyes. "Dada."
Keifer kissed his forehead. "Dada's here."
Jay looked at her children. "They're perfect."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "They're perfect."
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END OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN