All the cards

33

For the next few days, I stayed over with Hayley. Amira had shown up and stayed with us, and Nik had promised that Elijah had gone to get Rebekah, though he seemed to be taking a while. Izzy's birthday had come and I'd thrown a small party for him, with my family- both sets of siblings, and Amira and Hayley. Cami and Isaac had shown up too, which was sweet. It was Christmas time when Elijah brought Rebekah home.
The day had started out normally. Hayley had gone to get her husband back, missing him so I was home with the kids. Amira decided to spend the day with Freya. When Hayley got home, I decided to go for a walk, taking the kids with me. I ended up walking to Isaac's corner. He wasn't there, though. I sighed and turned to walk away, bumping into him.
"Isaac."
"Hello, Amity." He smiled. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Well, you know. I missed your music."
"Oh? Is that what you missed?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Right, of course." He smirked, peering into the stroller, cooing at the kids.
"I think Izzy likes you."
"Yeah? Does his mother?"
"In a totally platonic and friendly way." I echoed his words. He laughed.
"Come." He said and started walking. I followed him, falling into step beside him. He led me to his house and I smiled.
"Nice place."
"My parents left it to me." He shrugged.
"So why do you always play outside?"
"I never did it for the money." He said. "But after a while, I kind of gave up on telling people that I didn't need the change." He opened the door. The doorway wasn't wide enough to fit the stroller.
"I'm going to have to take them out." I said. I picked up Hope first and held her out to him, but she started crying. I sat her back in the stroller, and picked up Izzy. He settled into Isaac's arm and I picked up Hope again.
"Well, you two are definitely related." Isaac joked. "You're both beautiful, and you both reject me." I laughed.
"She's just a little shy. She doesn't really know you." He led me further into his house and stopped in a room.
"What's behind the mystery door? Please don't tell me it's a torture chamber. I don't even let Nik leave the door to his unlocked in case the kids wander in."
"No way your brother has a torture chamber... does he?" Isaac glanced at me and I shrugged, opting to keep silent. "Yeah, I probably don't want to know." He opened the door. It was a music room.
"Wow." I smiled. "So you're quite the virtuoso?"
"I dabble, but I strictly prefer the guitar."
"So, are you going to play for me?"
"Well, you have missed my music." He teased.
"It's the least you can do." I sat down and he grinned. I set Hope on one of my knees, and he helped me with Izzy. He picked up his guitar, and smiled at me. He started strumming his guitar and Izzy started giggling. "Shh, shh." I tried to quieten him.
"Daddy." He said and Isaac froze. He slowly looked up.
"What?" He looked so panicked, it was hard to not laugh.
"Daddy." Izzy repeated.
"No no no, Isaac." He tried to correct him.
"Isa." Izzy said. It was the closest he could get to Isaac's name. "Daddy." He said. Isaac looked at me.
"I- I didn't teach him that." Isaac said.
"I know. Guess there's something else I have to explain to you." I told him. "You see, Izzy is a special baby. I mean these two both are. Hope is a tribrid. Vampire, witch, werewolf. Izzy is also a tribrid. Only he's vampire, witch and part ghost."
"Part ghost?"
"It's a long story. But, yeah. So, um, Izzy being part ghost means he can see other ghosts, like his father... and his brother."
"Oh. His dad's here?" Isaac looked around.
"Abraham doesn't usually show up when we're around people who don't know. In case something like this happens."
"So what?"
"I think it's Benji." I said. "He was always cheeky. I guess this would mean he trust you. But, honestly I don't know. For all I know, it could be anyone."
"You can't see them?"
"No, I can't." I shook my head. "I'm sorry to have freaked you out."
"It's fine. I was just-" Isaac shrugged, breaking off.
"Play!" Izzy clapped his his hands.
"That's a good idea." Isaac said, starting the song over. He started humming a tune before singing along. Izzy had quietened and Hope gazed interested. I tried my best to clap when he finished but it was kind of hard with the kids on my lap.
"So does the song have a name?"
"Hundred dollar bill." He winked and I laughed.
"You really don't take this platonic friend thing seriously." I accused.
"I do too!"
"So the flirting, the serenading... that's all just your character?"
"Exactly."
"How long have you been working on that song?"
"This particular song didn't take me long. It was back when you compelled me."
"You weren't kidding when you said you hadn't really forgotten."
"You drove me to near insanity. I had pictures and messages I didn't remember, feelings, not to mention the bills."
"I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"That's not even a funny joke." He looked so serious and I grinned. My phone chimed with a message.
"Can you help me out? My phone's in my pocket."
"Sure." He reached over, uncertainly putting his hand in my pocket. I shifted Hope so he could reach further, and he paused, looking at me. I stared back, until Hope began crying uncomfortable.
"Here, try my other pocket." I said, and he nodded switching pockets. He picked it up and handed it to me. It was a message from Hayley telling me to come to the compound- that it was urgent.