The Tower: Happily Ever After

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Things had been going along fairly well for everyone. The twins were getting bigger. Everyone had settled into their classes. There had been nothing to upset Thor's rule. Edwin had been talking about coming to stay with Lyra and Rory for an extended period as a trial run. The plans for Billy and Teddy's bonding were coming along well. It was all smooth sailing and there was very little to report.

I was alone with Zac and the twins when Rose and Paul knocked on the door. It was a rare moment. Normally our family group stayed in at least pairs of adults, and that would have been true now, but Bruce had gone to ask about getting food sent up and Wanda had felt a call from Billy about some fashion choice and she had gone to help him out, saying she'd be back shortly.

I wasn't worried. It wasn't like I'd never been alone before and I was in the palace with guards at the door. I was as safe as I'd ever been and just enjoying the time with my infant children and my youngest grandson. I sat on the floor beside the babies as they lay under their play gym cooing and trying to reach the toys over their heads. The Vulparev were out on the balcony eating and Zak was watching cartoons. It was calm and felt normal. It was nice to have that even if it was just briefly.

A guard stepped in, reminding me that no matter how normal I felt, I really wasn't. "My lady, Princess Rose is here to see you," he announced.

"Thank you, send her in," I said, thinking about how I'd have preferred it if she had just come straight in herself.

He stepped out and Rose, Paul, Ziggy, and Anna came in. Ziggy went and flopped on the couch next to Zak while Anna beelined for me. I held out my arms to her and she threw herself in them. "Grandma," she said.

"Hey, princess," I said, squeezing her tight. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Lunchtime, Grandma," Anna said, in her best world-weary voice, as she pulled back and crawled over to the babies.

I laughed. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You all alone, mommy?" Rose said, sitting down on the floor beside me as Paul took a seat on the couch. Rose still called me mommy a lot, particularly when she was feeling very affectionate, which was also a lot. "That's not like my dads."

I laughed. "Bruce should be back with food soon. And Daj shouldn't be too far away."

"Oh good," Rose said, picking up Thour and bouncing her on her knee. "I was worried for a second there."

"You'd have thought I didn't spend almost ten years completely on my own," I teased. "Now I always need an escort."

Rose bumped me. "Hey, I can't help that I've grown up seeing you guys travel in packs."

"Grandma, where's the foxes?" Anna asked.

"They're on the balcony," I said. "You can let them in if you want."

She got up and ran over to the balcony door, throwing it open. Icy and Inky ran inside making happy little chittering sounds. They dashed to the twins and when they seemed happy the babies were fine they went and sniffed everyone else and ran back over to Anna deciding she was the one who was most likely to play with them. Zak jumped off the couch and toddled over to Anna giggling. "Wanna pway," he said.

"Okay, Zakky," Anna said. "Let's get their toys."

The two kids went off together with the Vulparev on their heels to the drawer we kept the pet toys in.

"How come I was the one lucky enough to get the visit?" I asked. "Don't you all usually have lunch as a group in the banquet hall?"

"That or we need a break and go back to our own places and have something set up," Paul said.