Love Is Never Ugly

Chapter 74

Four years later...

"Where are you?" Alastor said checking underneath the hedges and bushes of the garden. When he saw no feet, he stood back up and looked around in frustration. "I hate this game. Why must she always insist we play it?"

He continued to search the garden for his target, seemingly to no avail. It was kind of humiliating really, after playing this game so many times, he still struggled with it. No doubt Charlotte was laughing at him right now. Find it amusing how confused and disoriented he would get during this activity.

Speaking of laughter, he heard some coming from behind a tree. Ah-ha, so that's where his target was hiding. He made a mischievous smile and slowly crept up to the tree like a cat in the night. Then he slowly went around the corner to see a boy, a boy no more than two, with eyes like sapphire jewels and thick rich-wood locks, toddling about on the tree roots.

"Gotcha!"

Alastor scooped up the toddler, hugged him, and spun him around. The boy could only giggle and smile, joyfully exclaiming,

"Papa! Papa! Papa!"

Alastor then hoisted him up on to his shoulders, walking to the center of the garden where a charming table set with tea and cake awaited them. Standing by the table was the lovely Charlotte who cradled a most precious bundle in her arms. Swaddled in that bundle of blankets was a delicately beautiful baby girl with a cherubic face and blonde curls.

"Can you smell the roses Caroline?" She asked holding the girl close to a rose bush. The baby opened her curious brown eyes and gazed upon the yellow, pink, white, and red blossoms. Her tiny hands reached out to grab a few petals.

"Oh no." Charlotte said gently. "No we mustn't pluck the petals. That will upset your father."

"Think nothing of it my dear." Her husband said. "For now, at this age, it's better she touch the petals than the thorns."

Once they made it to the table, Alastor placed the boy down on his feet and he excitedly toddled over to Charlotte.

"Mama!" He cooed. "Mama! Mama!"

Charlotte kneeled down to catch him before he fell over himself and hugged him close to her heart.

"Did you have fun Aaron?" She asked him.

"He may have but I didn't." Alastor said. "Truthfully darling, I rue the day you taught him that dreadful game."

"I beg to differ. It's fun and it provides excellent exercise. Besides I wanted to play with him but you insisted that I not do anything very active until a month and a half passed which I find to be very ridiculous."

"Charlotte you've just had a baby. Your body needs time to recover from the pregnancy and the birth."

"It's been a month since Caroline was born and I think that's more than enough time to recover."

"Still let's give it one more week. Just be on the safe side."

Charlotte giggled and rolled her eyes at her husband's overly cautious behavior.

"Here, sit down with the children and I'll fix your tea."

He sat down in one of the chairs, she carefully placed their toddler son and baby daughter into his lap, and she proceeded to prepare the tea just how he liked it.

A lot had happened since Charlotte and Alastor had married. First it was a blissful honeymoon with just the two of them alone in their private castle where they all they did was love and be loved, day and night. But when the honeymoon ended and they returned to the restored castle that had belonged to Alastor's father, they found that Alastor would have to take some time to get used to his new life as a regular human being. He retained some of his previous behaviors like the urge to run about in the forest and hunt but nothing dangerous or unstable. He only hunted animals, never again did he hunt humans. Speaking of humans, he was skittish at being around them often and was unused to positive feedback from them but in time he grew accustomed to living among them.