Chapter 46: Chapter 46 PINK

“I was thinking that we could paint the extra room pink,” Scarlet announced once they were in the living room with the others.

“I keep telling her it’s a bad idea. Talk to her Stephan, what if you have another boy. I don’t think he will appreciate it very much.” Kayla put in.

“I agree, maybe we should leave the room as it is until the baby is born,” Stephan suggested.

“I for one I’m hoping it’s a boy. We need to keep the one to three ratios.” Vincent said.

“It’s going to be a girl,” Scarlet affirmed.

“A boy.”

“A girl.” SJ moaned as he walked into the living room.

“Baby what’s wrong?” Scarlet asked.

“Besides him being schizophrenic.” Eric teased.

“Eric!” Stephan silenced him.

“I’m not crazy I can just hear my baby sister’s voice from my mother’s belly.” He groaned. “She’s not born yet and she’s already getting on my nerves.”

SJ stood in the middle of the room wishing that he could dive into the concrete and hide. They were all looking at him like he was crazy and at that moment he knew they were all thinking the same thing as Eric.

“Yes, I am crazy. But the good news is mum can paint the room pink and the bad news is the balance is going to be tipped, sorry Vincent.” SJ started walking away when he turned, “By the way mom, she is fine and Susana and Nikki can go now.”

“Who is she?” Scarlet asked more concerned than ever.

“The baby. She is the baby. I’m thinking about naming her Christina. Any objections? No? Great. Christina, it is.” SJ walked away from the dazed immortals.

“SJ don’t go.” Scarlet stood up with Stephan’s help.

“I just need to get away from the stares.” He ducked into the kitchen.

Scarlet and Stephan followed him into the kitchen, not knowing exactly what to say but determined to listen without judging him.

“Mom, dad I know what you are going to say but the twins can hear each other’s thoughts.” SJ avoided their gazes and fussed over his pizza.

“Ok if you say you can hear the baby’s thoughts then you can hear them.” Scarlet was trying to be as supportive as she could.

“Christina, she likes the name.”

“How do you know it’s a girl babies always sound the same.” Scarlet changed the subject trying to get him comfortable enough to talk about it.

“Because she told me so. Dad, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I am glad that there is going to be someone to neutralize you. I’m looking forward to having a daughter.” Stephan tried to sound supportive.

“Nice save dad, but the look on your face is wondering whether I’m crazy or not.” He chewed on his cold pizza.

“I must admit that I have never heard of it, apart from the twins of course. It’s strange but then again what isn’t. It’s a good thing because now we can tell how the baby is.”

The next day SJ found himself drawn towards his mother more than ever. He sat next to her during the day and watched her sleep at night. On the second day of discovering his talent, he sat with his family in the TV room. They all hung around Scarlet to watch over her and to keep her company. Apart from the fact that Scarlet was still drinking Stephan’s blood everything was back to normal.

“Guys we better get a move on if we are going to be in time to meet the instructor.” Solara got on his feet and promoted the rest.

“Where are you going? Don’t leave me all alone. Stephan has disappeared and now you are all leaving?” Scarlet protested her lower lip in a pout.

“We aren’t leaving you alone. Kayla is going to stay with you the rest have to go with me to get their licenses. They can’t continue driving around without them and besides, they will be starting school soon.” Solara explained himself.

“I understand anyway Kayla and I can have some girl time. What is it?” Scarlet noticed how SJ stared straight at her. “Why are you staring at me?”

“It’s not you, he is staring at it’s your belly. Honestly SJ that kind of freaks me out a little.” Kayla said.

“Me too. It’s like he zones out and his eyes are fixed on my belly. You need to stop doing that.”

“Sorry I can’t help it. Every time she has a thought I am drawn to it.” SJ apologized.

“It’s like you are looking right through me.”

“Technically I am. She’s hungry by the way and if you don’t feed her in the next minute she will get miffed.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Do you know where your father is?” Scarlet rose from the sofa with Kayla’s help.

“He’s been locked in the garage the whole morning. I think he is planning a surprise or something. Why do you need-,” SJ left the sentence hanging. There were only two other people besides his mother and himself who knew what he was referring to.

“No, I think she can settle for pizza and mountain lion today.” Scarlet gave him a forced smile. She was still not pleased with the fact that he knew what was going on. He was still a child and some things were better off keeping from him.

“Now that we are getting licenses I think we should talk about getting cars,” Vincent said as he walked out.

“Sure as soon as you can afford it,” Solara responded.

Scarlet heard them all groan then the sound of the car driving away.

“I guess it’s just you and me.” She put her arm over Kayla’s shoulder and used her as a crutch.

“Finally, no children and no husbands.” She helped her into a chair at the kitchen counter then went to the fridge to look for something for Scarlet and the baby to eat.

“SJ is handling me feeding off his father very well.”

“He understands what needs to be done. You are very lucky he matures mentally and emotionally just as fast as he does physically.”

“I appreciate that but he shouldn’t handle all this at his age.” She dipped a slice of pizza into the blood then stuffed it into her mouth.

“I think you should stop thinking of his age in years and start with height. He is tall enough to handle this and he has proved it. It’s been very crazy but he has dealt with all of it with maturity and class. Don’t worry about it.”

Stephan rushed through the kitchen but only turned back when he realized that Kayla and Scarlet were in the kitchen. He had his shirt off and was covered in wood chips and paint.

“You must be very preoccupied if you didn’t notice we were seated here,” Kayla remarked.

“I’m sorry.” He kissed Kayla on the forehead then planted one on Scarlet’s lips.

“Why do you smell of turpentine?” Scarlet scrunched her nose and took a step back when she became nauseated.

He moved closer to the door when he realized the effect it had on her. “I’m just working in the garage. I’m sorry if it’s making you sick.”

“You don’t have to apologize, just maintain a considerable distance from me for a while.”

“I’m going out but I will be back in a while. Take care of her for me.” He grabbed his car keys that were hanging on a hook on the kitchen wall and left faster than he came in.

Scarlet sighed and took in a deep breath minutes after Stephan left and eased back into the chair. “Sometimes this super sense of smell isn’t the best thing.”

“I like it just fine, that way if Solara goes out with another woman I will know.”

“But you read his mind, besides he would never cheat on you he’s too scared of you.” Scarlet joked.

“And he better be. But tell me how are you feeling?” Kayla changed the subject.

“Isn’t that an absurd question to ask, considering you read my mind and you ask your daughter to read my emotions?”

“I know I do, but I miss talking to you. Forget about me being a telepath and Jade isn’t here, tell me how you are doing?”

Scarlet couldn’t deny that she missed the normal conversations that she and Kayla used to have when they were still human. It was what brought them closer and now they were bound by their family and not so much their friendship.

“I have been thinking a lot about what next. Soon SJ will want a life of his own and in three years the baby will be moving out too. I love the fact that I have special children and though I never actually thought I would ever, ever have children I do now and I can’t help but feel I am missing it all.”

“Every stage does have its events, you have to think of it like a fast forward. Besides the first four months of his life, you haven’t missed anything that’s happened with SJ. Or did you want to go through prolonged adolescence with all the mood swings?” Kayla teased.

“God no, and I am thankful I didn’t.” she kissed her fingers and raised them into the air. “But now what next, soon my role as their mother will not be twenty-four seven. What do I do with my life, mothering is all that I know now.”

“No, it’s not. You are a psychology graduate. You can go back to your career.” Kayla suggested.

“Going to work, I only have four weeks experience. Who will even consider me?”

“All you need is a reference, and you will be fine. I’m sure that doctor in Washington will be happy to give you one.”

“Not when he hears I sucked the blood out of his best friend.”

“Don’t think about that. Think about reviving the romance between you and Stephan that has been on a run because you two are too focused on being parents. Be a wife and a career woman, then a mother.” Kayla reached across the counter and patted her hand.