Behind the Mask

16. Distractions

Mel 

“Mom, are you okay?” Lea asked as she entered the room with Alexander in her arms.

“Yes, sweetie. I will be fine,” I replied, trying to muster a smile and not worry my daughter even more. 

“Do you think you will ever be able to forgive him?” she asked, looking thoughtful.

“I don’t know.” I sighed deeply, taking her sweet baby in my arms. 

“I want to talk to him and… try to be on good terms with him again. But I don't know if I can, after all that happened, all dad and Elric did. I hurt for you and for Liv,” Lea muttered, her eyes were two golden pools of sympathy and softness. I caressed her hair and gave her a half hug. 

“We will be fine, sweetie,” I tried to reassure her and myself as well. 

A ray of soft blue light appeared in the room and Liv showed up in a flash. She hugged me before saying any word. 

“Hello, chubby cheeks!” Liv placed a kiss on Alexander’s head after parting our hug and he giggled at her. 

“Mom, why don’t you try to distract yourself,” Liv suggested, pacing back and forth. She looked a bit restless, it was her way of coping with the whole situation. “We could watch a movie, walk around the palace gardens, travel,” Liv thought out loud, without meeting our gaze. 

“I have something for you, Mom. A surprise, actually more than one,” Liv announced as she left the room for a moment and came back with Nema. 

“Nema!!” Lea hugged the Nympho. I also missed her, even though sometimes I couldn’t understand what she said or I would prefer to not listen to it. 

“Hello chicks, Liv told me that the mood was blue and frowny here. So, I am here to cheer you up and have some fun!” Nema had a huge smile on her face. 

“How is everything in Hell?” Lea asked, her eyes gleaming with concern. 

“Hot and fine now that Vlad is finally giving me all the screaming org*sms I need and I am not talking about the drink, you get it?” she winked at us. 

I was happy to see her being her cheerful self once again. Who could imagine that the aloof bartender and infamous vampire could do Nema so much good? 

I looked out of the window and let her words take my thoughts far away. The sense of love and happiness and where to find them seemed unpredictable, unexpected, and inapprehensible. 

“Let’s stop sighing and start having fun!” Nema said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and ruffled Alexander’s dark baby hair. 

I looked at her with wide eyes, not even imagining what she might have in mind. It was a good thing that Richard knocked on the door and entered, distracting her.

“Luna Mine.” He smiled at Lea, taking her in his arms and pecking her lips before he walked closer to me. 

“Hello, King Weredick… Werewolf...” Nema trailed off, waving her hand. A huge scary smile formed on her face.  Richard growled quietly in response, he was probably trying to control himself to not startle the baby. 

“Mel, Liv… Nema,” he greeted us, still frowning a bit at Nema, before he took baby Alexander from my arms gently.

“It’s time for this little pup to take his nap,” he added before placing a kiss on the top of the baby’s head. Alexander yawned almost on cue and wrapped his little arms around Richard’s neck. 

I smiled at them, they were so sweet together. He kissed Lea once again before leaving the room with the sleepy baby in his arms. 

“My baby is so lucky to have three amazing dads, he loves each one of them so much,” Lea sighed dreamily, a loving smile on her face. 

I looked at her and smiled as well,  glad that at least one of us was surrounded by sheer love and peace. She certainly deserved it, my sweet girl, especially after everything she went through. 

Lea was right, her baby boy was indeed very lucky and absolutely beloved by her three males. 

I placed my hand over my small bump, wondering if my boys would have a father in a way my daughters couldn’t fully have. I couldn’t keep Maximus out of my life completely, even when staying close to him was hard. 

I had to find a way to move on, in a way that I would be happy and in peace while he could be part of his sons’ lives fully. Because getting back with him was something I couldn’t even consider now. 

Nema placed her hand on my shoulder, attracting my attention. 

“Okay, Mel. Now that we don’t have any kids in the room, we can start!” Nema smiled, as she gave me a purple box, “Come on, open it!” she rubbed her hands together in excitement. 

I opened the box to see something long, purple, and… “Goddess, Nema! What is this?” my eyes opened widely. 

“Don’t you tell me you've never seen a vibrator before? This is your new best friend! Thank me later!” she declared with a proud smile and a not very subtle wink. 

“Oh, Goddess!” Lea brought her hands to her mouth as Liv chuckled. 

“Nema, thank you very much… but I don’t think I will be needing such a … present,” I trailed off giving the box back to her. 

“Mel, Keep it, I am sure you will change your mind!” Nema winked again. 

I sighed and placed it on the accent table, not wanting to hurt Nema’s feelings. She was only trying to be kind, in her peculiar way. 

I took a seat and was about to pour myself some tea when Liv interrupted me. 

“I think it is cold,” she said, placing her hands on each side of the teapot, and in a matter of seconds, I could hear the bubbling noise of boiling tea. 

“It is good to have some fire,” she added, looking at us and smiling. 

A smile that didn’t reach her eyes. 

Lea and Nema joined me on the comfortable white sofa, but Liv kept standing. She clearly wasn’t doing well and I was not sure if she was aware of how unsettled she was.  

“Mom, why don’t we find a date for you, someone nice. We can try this mating app that .... that Elric created,” Liv suggested, still pacing back and forth. 

“But this app is made to find real mates, Liv,” Lea said, furrowing her brows slightly. 

“Maybe chosen ones too. After all this betrayal, I would be broken if I didn’t have my two other males... maybe someone could do mom good too and maybe it’s time for her to make her own destiny and choose a good male since the Goddess gave her a... that one,” Liv breathed. 

Liv took her cell phone from her small crossbody purse and started to play with it. 

“Here it is, Matinder. Flip, flap, sexy… not so good, okay, bald. Mom, do you like guys with tattoos?” she asked, looking at me, but her gaze went back to her phone before I could even process the meaning behind her question. “How about a Fae guy who likes to walk at night in the meadow? Red flags? He seems okay… Oh, we have to make a profile for you first,” she muttered. 

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I am pregnant, Liv. Besides that, I have never been on a date.”

“Well, the babies’ father isn’t a mate to you... not like it is supposed to be.” Liv sighed, “if I didn’t have Laius and Avalon now, I would be a wreck. What happened to you was much worse than what Elric did to me, so, you might as well try. I’m not saying that you should jump his bones and call him babe, but maybe a talk and a good meal would do you some good. Take your mind out of other things.”

“A date can work better than a vibrator...sometimes,” Nema added.

“I don’t think it is a good idea, Liv,” Lea shook her head.

“No one thinks so about my ideas at first, but they mostly turn out to be brilliant!” Liv exclaimed. 

“We can think about it later,” I told her, as I stood up and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, trying to calm her down a bit. 

“Mom, do you remember that I said surprises in the plural?” Liv asked with a smile. 

“Yes,” I exchanged looks with Lea, a bit afraid of what my older daughter could have in store for me. 

“I will be back soon!” Liv added as her smile grew bigger. She flashed away and came back with four Pixies, two females and two males, they were carrying big bags and bottles in their hands.

We greeted them and they settled in the sitting room. 

“Now, ladies, we will get Pixie massages and drinks! I can’t go to the Pixie Kingdom because my babies might be crying for me at any moment, so I brought some of the best of the Pixie Kingdom here!” Liv told us. 

Lea looked at me and shrugged, “Thank you Liv! I think we all can use some relaxation time, I just don’t know about the drinks.”

“I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, so I will take all the booze, cheers!” Nema said. She was already helping herself and pouring a green fluorescent liquid into a glass. 

“Don’t worry. We have a non-alcoholic version too! I thought about everything!” Liv added. 

After drinking something called Edging-berry, we went to one of the ample guest rooms of Lea’s house and laid on our fronts, ready to start receiving our massages.

“May you be my masseur, my mates wouldn’t like to know that I got a massage from a male,” Lea asked the pink-haired Pixie lady. 

“You mean Alpha Weredi…” Nema started.

“Yes, Nema… especially him. But all of them,” Lea cut her off before Nema could embarrass her further.

“Should I try and avoid issues with my mates?” Liv asked thoughtfully, hand on chin, looking into space, “Nah, it is okay. Any masseur would do!” she concluded, making Nema and Lea laugh while I only shook my head at her. 

“Please, no hallucinogenic balms this time,” I told the masseur as soon as I remembered our time in the Pixie Realm.  

“Sorry, my Lady, I have already used it,” the pixie lady said shyly.

“It is fine,” I sighed.

I swallowed hard, trying to prepare myself for the place those balms would take my imagination this time.