"Tristan, where are you?" Alice called out, holding a bowl of rice in her hands, trying to locate the boy who had drained all her energy.
"If you don't come out in five seconds, I'm calling your father, young man!" Alice threatened. "Five..., four...," She heard laughter. "Thr...,"
"Boo!" Shouted little Tristan, coming out from behind the curtains. He laughed as Alice shook her head. "Mommy, you know Dad won't shout me, right?"
Alice looked at her nine-year-old son who looked so much like his father in that one moment. He had Knave's beautiful blue eyes and black hair. However, he was as skinny as Alice once used to be.
"Gosh, you even sound like Knave!" Alice observed. "Anyways, finish up and then go wherever you want!" She said, handing her son the bowl along with a small spoon.
"Can I sit on the bed, Mommy?" Tristan asked.
Alice thought about it. She never allowed her kids to eat in their bedroom, but she had no strength left to disagree. "Just don't make a mess!" She warned, knowing it was of no use.
Tristan climbed on top of his bed, dropping some rice in the process, and fed himself a spoonful. Alice sighed and looked around.
The children's room was decorated by their grandparents. Ela had picked out the golden curtains, and Lorine had painted the walls orange, which she argued was the favourite colour of every child. She had also placed orange carpets around the room, making sure all the furniture were white, complimenting the golden curtains.
Mason had bought a bunk bed for both the kids, which would soon be needed to change. After all, they had to welcome their third grandchild.
Alice looked at herself in the long mirror that stood beside the cupboards. Her hair, tied up in a neat bun, made her look old, but not old enough to be thirty-two. At least, that's what she liked to believe. Her long robe showed just how much she had gained, but that was also because she was carrying a nine-month baby in her stomach. Her slippers did nothing to hide her swollen feet and she was dying to sit in some hot water once her job was done here.
Alice wanted to smack the person who told her that the third pregnancy was easier. She made a mental note to smack Knave the next time she saw him.
Alice turned around. She was about to make her way to the white couch, when she stepped on something that made a squeaky noise. Even without looking, she knew it was the rubber duck that she had stepped onto many times in the past.
She ruthlessly kicked the duck aside, evoking another sound. She ignored it and continued her long journey to the couch, avoiding all the places where toys were scattered.
"And do pick up all the toys from the ground once you're done!" Alice ordered, slowly settling herself on the couch.
"Yes, Mommy!" Replied Tristan, who had long abandoned his bowl of rice and was now playing with action figurines.
"Mommmmyyyyy!" Maria called out. A second later, Knave appeared with their five-year-old daughter hanging from his shoulders.
Alice's eyes grew wide. "Knave, what are you....," She tried sitting up and winced in pain as the baby inside of her protested against the sudden movement.
Knave immediately put Maria down and rushed to Alice's side. "Chill, babe," He said. "I had it handled."
"Yeah, like you had it handled when you almost dropped Tristan on his head!" Alice reminded. The memory still send chills down her whole body.
"Nothing happened!" Knave protested.
Alice gave him a look. "Mendaline is not always going to be there to save your a.....,"
"Shhhhh," Knave cut her off. "There are kids in the room, darling." He pointed out. "Speaking of Mendaline, I hope you remember that we have to visit her and Charlie in the evening."
"I'll get ready in a while." Alice said, giving a little pout. Knave smiled and bent down to give her a peck on the cheek.
"Mommy, Tris is pulling my hair!" Maria complained.
Alice shot Knave a resigned look. "Please handle it!" She begged.
Knave chuckled as he went over to their kids. "My boy, why are you troubling your sister?" He asked, as he climbed up the bed to join the kids. The bed squeaked, making Alice's heart beat fast again.
"Maria stole Tom!" Tristan complained, pointing at the action figurine which was in Maria's hand.
"She borrowed it," Knave replied. "She'll give it back in a jiffy." Tristan looked like a deflated balloon. "Why don't we play rock, paper, and scissors till then?" Knave offered.
Tristan perked up. "Okay!"
"I wanna play too!" Maria cried.
"Hop in then!" Knave said.
Maria squeaked and jumped to sit next to her father. Like him, she too had blue eyes. However, she had inherited her mother's hair.
Alice watched the three of them, allowing herself to admire her beautiful family. It was as if just yesterday that Knave had proposed to her in this very room. Aria had moved out a few years after Tristan was born.
"Aunt Pearl has left her house and boutique on my name," Aria had told Knave. "And I want to respect that."
"Aria, please stay!" Alice had begged, holding one-year-old Tristan.
"I would love to," Aria had said. "But I need to find myself, and I can't do that here."
That had rendered Alice and Knave speechless. A change of environment was what Aria desperately needed and so they all had reluctantly let her go.
Not long after Aria had shifted, that Knave's parents had gifted Aria a package for a world tour to let her know just how much they were grateful for her.
Aria had gladly accepted the gift and had been gone for almost three years. She still would've been travelling the world had it not been for Maria.
As soon as Aria had heard Alice was expecting again, she had booked the next flight from Peru and was there for Alice as she had always been.
Alice supposed she couldn't have gotten through with both her pregnancies without Aria. Even now, she was a constant support. From giving her back massages, to staying up during the nights Alice couldn't sleep. Not to mention being with her in the delivery room when Knave had fainted the first time Alice had gone into labour.
Alice wished there was a way to use her magic to take away the pain, but even magic failed against the power of motherhood. She supposed one could never truly understand magic and its laws.
However, Alice was also glad that magic did not take away the sweet pain of giving birth. Somehow, her struggle during her pregnancies made her feel closer to her kids in a way she didn't believe could be possible.
Being a mother herself made Alice question, not for the first time, how Cora could kill her own kids without a second thought. How could she have taken the life of a child she herself had given life to?
"ALICE!" Knave shouted, snapping his fingers in front of her face.
At some point, Knave had gotten down from the bed and was now kneeling in front of her, looking concerned. The kids were nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Tristan and Maria?" Alice asked.
"They're gone to get ready, unlike their mother who said she would get ready thirty minutes ago." Knave eyed her. "What were you thinking?"
Alice looked at him. "Are you going to faint again during my labour?"
Knave raised his eyebrow. "I was awake during Maria's time."
"That was because Mendaline kept you awake." Alice pointed out.
"Then she can do it again," Knave said. "Now tell me what were you really thinking?"
Alice sighed. Knave had always known when something bothered her, but Alice had always known how to get through him. That had changed after being married for so many years. Knave had now developed an annoying habit of reading her mind and knowing exactly what she was thinking. Especially when it was about Cora.
"I was just thinking about how Cora could live with herself despite all she had done," Alice admitted.
"We all know how well that turned out for her," Knave said. "She got what she deserved!"
"At what cost?" Alice asked rhetorically. Her eyes filled with tears.
Years had passed but Alice could not get over the pain of losing Tristan. She had learned to live with it just as she had learned to live without Mike, Maria, and her mother Ela. She supposed it was the same for the others around her too.
"I'm sure he's happy," Knave said. Alice realized his eyes were moist. "Wherever he is."
Alice took his hand. "I know he is!"
Knave gave a bright smile. "And I bet he would've loved the fact that our kids were so close to his mother."
Alice nodded. Tristan and Maria adored their grandmother Ela, who they truly considered Alice's mother. A lie Alice had let them believe. She would never let even the name of Cora near her kids.
After Ela had passed on, it had been hard to handle Tristan, who had been the closest to her. Alice had thought she would be so broken that she would not be able to do anything for days, and yet somehow, being a mother gave her a whole different level of strength that made her able to pull herself up and be there for her kids.
There was still never a moment where she did not wish Ela were here with her. After all, she was the closest Alice had to a mother.
"Alice?" Knave called again, knowing she was visiting the dark times again.
Alice forced a smile. "I am fine, Knave." She assured.
Knave squeezed her hand. "Then you better get dressed," He said. "Mendaline hates it when we're late!"
A lot had changed for Alice over the years. She had seen and experienced a lot of new things, but one thing she could not get over was just how drastically Mendaline had changed, and all the credit for that went to Charlie. Not only had he taught her to open up more, but he had also convinced her to abandon her cave and move into a decent house. A conversation that was burned into Alice's mind.
"I'm a witch and you're a ghost," Mendaline had said. "We're anything but normal!"
"Yeah, but think about when we have kids!" Charlie had argued. "Do you really want them to grow up in a damn cave?"
"Can you have kids?" Knave had asked, genuinely looking clueless. Alice and Mendaline had shot him a murderous look. "Was just curious!" Knave had added defensively.
Mendaline had ignored him, returning her attention towards Charlie. "Why are we even having this conversation right now?"
"Because tomorrow is our wedding and I want to clear this out before that." Charlie had replied.
"It's my wedding too," Knave had chimed in. "And I also want to get over this ridiculous conversation so we can enjoy our bachelor's night."
"Wentworth, if you say another word I swear, I will punch your face!" Mendaline had said through gritted teeth. Knave had murmured something but did not open his mouth again. "And as for moving into a house," Mendaline had said, looking at Charlie. "Give me one solid reason why I should?"
Charlie looked at her, dead serious. "Because you gave me the permission to teach you how to live life and this is a start."
Mendaline had chewed the inside of her lip, staring at Charlie for a long time. Then, she had crossed her arms and said, "Fair enough!"
Alice smiled at the memory as she now stood looking at Charlie and Mendaline's house, which was as deserted as the witch's cave. No human was within miles and the only sounds were the crickets chirping.
Alice put a hand on her stomach and slowly walked among the tall grass, making her way towards the black gate. Knave was behind her, holding Maria in one hand and guiding Tristan with the other.
As Alice approached the gate, she saw Mendaline on the other side, chiding her six-year-old son, Mike.
The poor boy stood with his hands behind his back, head down, flinching whenever his mother's pitch went high.
"I have told you countless times that my house walls are not a place where you can practice your drawing skills!" Mendaline shouted. "Whatever gave you the idea to paint on them?"
"But Daddy said to not let my talent go waste and use every oppo..., oppol..," The boy paused, looking distressed. "Use every oppoltunity!" He finally finished, looking up at his mother with a huge smile, as if waiting to be applauded for the effort.
Mendaline only looked angrier. "And the walls seemed like a good opportunity to you?" She demanded. "I'm pretty sure you're mixing two things up here, Child," She shook her head. "If anyone is to blame, it's your father for giving so big an advice to our small child who is still learning to pronounce opportunity!"
"Give the child a break, Mendy!" Knave said, opening the gate, allowing Alice to go through first.
"Uncle Knave!" Little Mike called out excitedly. He ran towards his uncle, who gently set Maria down and swung the little boy up.
"How's my little kiddo?" Knave asked, raising his hand for a high five. He put Mike down, who proceeded to hug Alice and give a fist bump to Tristan and Maria.
Mendaline was standing with her arms crossed, frowning. "Did you see our house walls?" She asked, looking at Knave.
"He just designed it for you, Mendy." Knave defended.
"Yeah, I will send him to your house next!" She snapped. "Since you're the one who spoiled him!" She blamed, pointing a finger at Knave.
"Five seconds ago it was Charlie." Knave reminded.
"Speaking of Charlie...," Alice chimed in, sensing a fight. "Where is he?"
"In the kitchen," Mendaline replied, not removing her eyes from Knave. "Cooking chicken."
"I'm just happy that it's not you." Knave said.
"I'm a bad cook?" Mendaline asked, looking like she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Last time you cooked, I couldn't eat for the next two days because my body was too busy removing the food from my system!" Knave said.
Alice smiled at the memory. Knave had been so sick that eventually she had to use her healing powers to cure him. She had been pregnant with Tristan then, and had stayed in bed for almost four days after using her powers. It was such few rare occasions where Alice partly understood why Cora was always crazy to be the most powerful.
"You probably didn't wash your hands before eating then!" Mendaline said, breaking Alice's thoughts.
"It was soup, which I drank with a spoon." Knave pointed out.
"Can we please take this inside?" Alice pleaded. "My legs are paining."
"I am so sorry, Alice," Mendaline said, looking guilty. She placed her hand on Alice's back, guiding her inside the house. "I would've taken you early had it not been for your jackass husband!"
"Jackass heard you!" Knave shouted from behind them.
"Good," Mendaline shouted back. "Bring the kids in!"
"I am so sorry for keeping you standing for so long." Mendaline apologized, as Alice settled herself against a blue sofa.
Mendaline apologizing was still something Alice was getting accustomed to. "It's okay, Mendaline," Alice said. "I'm fine."
A heavenly smell drifted around the whole house, reminding Alice how hungry she was. Her mouth watered and she swallowed hard, trying her best to look impassive. Hunger was something Alice couldn't control. At least, not at the moment.
Mendaline smiled. "Hungry?" The witch guessed. "Let me check on Charlie!" The witch said and disappeared into the kitchen.
Judging by the sounds of laughter coming from outside, Alice guessed that Knave and the kids won't be joining her anytime soon. She shifted, trying her best to stop thinking about biting into soft and tender chicken.
Alice looked down at her stomach. "Control it, would you?"
She looked around the house and saw fresh yellow paint on the cream walls of the house. Alice now understood why Mendaline had been so mad earlier. It looked like ants had dipped their tiny legs in paint and had marched around the wall. Still, nothing magic couldn't fix.
Mendaline and Charlie's house was something straight out of a fairy tale book. Fresh flowers were hung at every corner of the house. The furniture was changed almost on a daily basis, so Alice knew that the blue sofa she now sat on would be gone the next time she came.
The kitchen, where Alice desperately wanted to go into, had a view that looked out to mountains, although there were no mountains anywhere around. However, the view kept changing like the rest of the house so Alice wasn't too sure that she would see mountains again. Regardless, Mendaline seemed to have a crazy obsession with mountains so it was probably still that.
There were two rooms, both had a built-in pool, something Mendaline had made for Alice and Knave as well.
The only part of the house that hadn't changed was the photo wall, where all their photos hung. There was a picture with all three kids. Another, with Knave hugging Alice from behind, and three-year-old Tristan holding Alice's gown.
There was also a picture which featured Knave holding Alice's hand, while Mendaline seemed to be holding thin air. If Alice had not been there when the photo was taken, she would've never known that the witch was holding Charlie's hand. The fact that ghosts could not be captured on cameras did not change their resolution of adding him.
There was another recent picture added, where little Mike was staring at the camera, whilst eating a strawberry. Alice smiled. Mike had Mendaline's hair and Charlie's green eyes.
Sometimes, Mike reminded Alice of the ghost he was named after. They shared the same smile and the same maturity. Of all three kids, Mike was the wisest.
Alice's eyes watered as she thought of Mike and Maria. She knew that wherever they were, they were together and happy, and that was all she ever wanted.
Alice often thought about what would happen if the kids could meet her ghost squad once. How would Mike react to seeing baby Mike? What would Maria say when she sees Alice with two kids, welcoming a third? How would the kids react to their uncle and aunt? Who would they be closer to?
Alice shook her head. There was no point thinking of things which could never come true. Not that she hadn't tried summoning them. When she had first fallen pregnant, Alice had been desperately wishing to share the news with her close ones.
Conveniently, she had found out from Mendaline that she had the power to summon ghosts. Thinking her wish was granted, Alice had rushed to summon Mike, Maria, Tristan, and Ela. After trying for almost five hours, she had failed.
At first, Alice had thought it was because she was pregnant. Then, Mendaline had told her that one could only summon ghosts who were trapped in this world and could not move on to the next. In other words, damned or cursed souls. That had been a little piece of information Mendaline had forgotten to mention earlier.
Although Mendaline was not to be blamed. The witch had been dealing with problems of her own at the time. After hearing about Alice's pregnancy, Charlie too had a wish to have his own child. Mendaline had not been ready, as she had feared she would be a terrible mother.
However, Mendaline had later confided in Alice that she feared their child would not be able to see Charlie, and even though Mendaline could fix that problem with her powers, it would break Charlie's heart. That was the first time the witch had opened up to Alice about something.
In the end, Charlie had won and Mike was born. As it turned out, Mendaline's worries were pointless and Mike could see his father well enough.
From all the kids, only Mike and Tristan had inherited powers, and could see Charlie and other ghosts. Maria however, was born without that ability, and like her father, was also helped by Mendaline.
Alice placed a hand over her belly and wondered how her third child would be. She was sure of one thing though, whatever happened was for the good.
"Uncle Knave, why is my mommy so young?" Alice heard Mike ask. A second later, Knave appeared holding Maria. Tristan and Mike walked on either side of him.
"Uhhh...," Knave looked thoughtful. He looked at Alice. "How do you tell a kid their mom is an immortal witch?" He asked.
"I think you just did." Alice pointed out.
"What's immortal, Daddy?" Tristan asked.
"It's someone who can't die." Mike replied.
"I can die if killed the right way," Mendaline said, as she entered the room. "But let's not go into such details." The three kids stared at the witch, looking bewildered.
Knave looked at Alice. "And you say I'm the one who says the wrong things in front of kids!"
"You're both the same!" Alice replied.
"Alice!" Charlie exclaimed, suddenly appearing.
"I'm here too." Knave reminded.
"Me and my sister too, Uncle Charlie," Little Tristan chimed in. "How could you miss the handsomest boy?" Tristan asked, flashing a bright smile.
Knave looked proud. "That's my boy!" He said, ruffling his son's hair.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Having one of you was bad enough," he said, looking at Knave. "Dealing with another copy of you is like my worst nightmare come true!"
"I know you don't mean that, Charlie," Knave replied.
"Trust me, I do!" Charlie murmured. He shook his head. "Anyways, who is ready for Charlie's special chicken?"
"Who knew I would turn out to be such a good mother?" Mendaline said, looking pleased with herself.
"Are you though?" Knave asked.
Charlie burst out laughing. "Sorry, I couldn't help it." He said, giving Mendaine an apologetic look.
They were all sitting in the living room once again after Charlie's delicious chicken, since Alice could not sit on a wooden chair for more than thirty minutes.
Alice really wished her nine months would finish quickly so she could get over all these troubles, which was strange because a few minutes ago she was wishing her pregnancy to never get over, as she was enjoying every bite of her food. Pregnancy really did enhance your taste buds. It also took away your ability to make a firm decision and stick to it.
"My son thinks I am the best mother on the planet!" Mendaline retorted. She looked at her son admiringly.
Oblivious, little Mike continued adding another piece to the huge puzzle he was building with Tristan and Maria.
"He's a kid," Knave replied. "What do you expect?"
"Mendaline is a wonderful mother." Alice clarified.
Mendaline shot her a grateful look. "See, Alice is the only one with brains in this house!"
"She's pregnant, so her judgement might be clouded." Knave replied. Alice shot him a murderous look, which Knave blissfully ignored.
"Yeah, explains why she is putting up with you!" Mendaline snapped.
"Truth hurts, Mendy." Knave shot back.
Alice shared an exasperated look with Charlie. Knave and Mendaline were two people who couldn't stay in the same room without biting each other's heads off.
Unfortunately, Alice and Charlie were an audience who had no choice but to watch until they both got tired, which never happened.
"Well, guess our night can't get more fun than this!" Alice wondered aloud.
Knave looked at her. He opened his mouth to answer, when a voice answered for him, "It can!"
Everyone in the room jumped out of their seats, except the kids, who were still building the puzzle as if nothing strange had happened.
A minute later, standing in front of everyone was Luna. However, that was not what made Alice jump to her feet.
Standing beside Luna, was a very familiar man. He was around Knave's age. He had brown eyes and blond hair.
The man's face was covered in beard, but that did not stop Alice from recognizing him. She put a hand on her chest to stop her wild beating heart.
Alice shook her head. It was impossible. Tears started flowing from her eyes, as the man's name came to her mouth, "Tristan!"