Andrea and Neal

Andis arrived at exactly four thirty like she always did when she was visiting. Unfortunately Neal had been waiting for her. They had never met before so my mother didn’t know Neal was a member of the high council. She thought he was just some boy I had picked up of the street and watching her try to hid her complete disgust had me nearly bent double in giggles as I walked down the stairs. As I got closer the giggles got harder to control until I was only a step behind Neal’s right shoulder. I was finally able to stand up and breathe after a few minutes because I noticed my stepfather and he was glaring at me as usual.
“I see you have met Neal” I managed to say calmly. There was no reply.
“Hello Mrs. Bide” Neal looked very serious. I knew he was just playing but he was good at it. He pulled off new boyfriend meeting the parents well. His parents knew me well; I had met them when I was still fairly young maybe six or seven. They loved me. I had spent several summers with them after my mother remarried.
“I don’t believe you have met your new sister yet. Adelia” She motioned a nurse holding a pink cloth bundle forward with a look of disgust. Of course I hadn’t met my sister yet, I wasn’t even sure if I had one before. As the baby was walked closer I noticed there were two arms extended from the cloth that grabbed at the nurse’s clothes and hair. The arms were pale though both my mother and her husband were naturally a tan color. Andis motioned the nurse to us so I could see the baby and it became violently clear who the child looked like, me, dark hair, green eyes, and unusually pale skin. How could that be?
One of Andis’s butlers had moved into the room carrying luggage and had automatically started heading for the east wing. Neal handled it before I could react.
“Excuse me, Mrs. And Mr. Bide are staying in the north wing.” Andis’s reaction was quick.
“I believed we would be staying in the east wing.” She was hinting that she wanted the master suite but she most certainly wasn’t going to have it.
“The East wing is occupied” I told her my eyes never leaving the baby.
“By Andrea and my self” Neal interjected. Those tiny arms reached out to me. “May I?” I asked motioning towards the baby. I think Andis had forgotten the baby until I mentioned her.
“Of course” Andis was shell shocked. I was surprised to find the baby was so heavy, she certainly didn’t look it. Neal went in for the kill by sliding his long arms around my waist. I could feel his beast and it was happy. I also noticed the baby could as well. She giggled and cooed at him. I think Andis noticed as well even if she didn’t say anything.
I suddenly became painfully aware that the baby wasn’t the only one who liked this arrangement. Neal was way too comfortable this way. “Two years” I reminded him in a very serious voice.
“Please” he whispered putting his lips just above my neck so they lightly brushed my skin as he said it. He was in my mind now feeding me images of things we had done.
“No” It was hard to deny him after that but I knew he only wanted me to say yes. He didn’t really want kids now he just wanted them in the future. “The nursery is set up so all Adelia’s clothes may be sent there.” I told Andis “and Neal and I can care for her during the night.”
“When is dinner to be served?” Was the only response.
“Seven thirty” Neal replied. He handled food preparation and cleaning, I handled accounting and anything else.
After that Andis and her husband went to get settled and Neal and I went back to the east wing to settle Adelia.