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The sun was already setting outside and yet the kids were not home. Sypha was not worried though. They knew everyone in their little village and it was highly likely, that the two of them had just lost track of time playing.
She herself had almost lost track of time. Even after nine years in the castle, she always would find something interesting to read. Today it was a collection of speeches from Ancient Rome, transcribed to a book about 300 years ago. With a glance to the stove, she had to admit, she liked this. Her two husbands cooking – for once even without any bickering. Little Anna was sleeping in her crib, allowing Sypha time to read.
Trevor was taking care that nothing got burned, Adrian was cutting some additional herbs. Already the stew smelled quite nicely. And yes, Sypha was hungry and was yearning for something savory especially, but they could not eat without the kids, could they now?
Once more she buried herself into the book, until Adrian's voice jerked her out of it. “They are coming.” He frowned. “And they are arguing.”
Sypha sighed. Arguing was, what those two had been doing, ever since Simon had been able to strings words into full sentences. There was too much of the either father in those kids. Now she could hear the kids as well. They were arguing, but lowering their voices. Not that it could hide anything from Adrian.
She looked over to him. “What are they talking about?”
“They want to ask us something,” Adrian explained. “And they can't decide who of them is gonna ask.”
“This is gonna be good,” Trevor muttered.
“I bet it is.” Sypha lowered her gaze to the book once more. This time only to act surprised upon the two kids entering the kitchen.
Marie was eight by now. Her hair curly like Sypha's but brown like Trevor's. She had freckles, of which Sypha was not sure from which side they came. Right now, she tried and failed to look kind and innocent. Her younger brother, Simon, was only two and a half. Being a dhampir, however, he looked like four and was already walking quite well. His hair was just as blond as his father’s. Surprisingly, he managed the innocent gaze actually quite well.
All three of their parents did notice that Marie was hiding something behind her back.
Sypha looked over at her two husbands. Trevor was fighting down a grin. Adrian had raised an eyebrow. The two of them probably already knew, what it was – but Sypha could make an educated guess. The kids had brought them some sort of pet. Something small, probably.
Trevor humored them. “Well, you are back pretty late,” he said. “Did something happen?”
“No, nothing, papa,” Marie said, putting some more effort into her nice and innocent demeanor.
Adrian looked up from the herbs. “You know we are worried, right?”
“Yes, we know.” Simon elbowed his sister. She elbowed him back.
Once again Sypha looked at the men. Right now, Adrian handed Trevor the herbs, while the Belmont put them into the stew.
The kids looked like almost every day, when they came back from outside: Dusty, dirty and there was a new tear in Simon's gown. Sypha wondered, why they even tried to fix it. The boy always managed to get his clothing mangled. She smirked. “Well, get yourselves cleaned up, so we can eat soon.”
Obviously, the kids did not go. Once more Marie elbowed her brother, he let out a long sigh, apparently admitting defeat for now. “Actually, we wanted to ask you something.” His golden eyes were already hopeful.
Trevor coughed to hide a chuckle. “Well, ask quickly, because I am hungry.”
Simon shot Marie an angry look, when she did not say anything. Then he decided, that Adrian was his best bet, to get what he wanted. “You see, we've been helping out Lazăr and Oana today.” So, they actually did some work. That was good. Especially Marie got easily lost trying to imagine herself in all sorts of fantastic adventures. Between the tales told by Trevor and those, she heard from Greta, it was not a big surprise. Yes, admittedly, Sypha, too, was adding to those fantasies.
Now all three parents looked at the kids. “So?” Trevor prompted.
Well, the hidden something just decided, it had been hidden long enough. “Mew,” it said from behind Marie's back.
Simon looked at it. “Sssh!” he made.
A cat. Obviously, it was a cat.
Finally, it was Marie, who spoke. “You see, their cat has had her young. And those young need someone to care for them.”
“Cats don't fucking need anyone,” Trevor replied. “They care for themselves.”
“They do need someone!” Simon said sternly. “Oana said so herself.”
Marie got out the cat from behind her back. It was a pretty one – though completely black. It had a fluffy fur and seemed to be just old enough to be no longer nursing. “This is Mita,” Marie introduced the cat. “Can we please keep her?”
Simon looked at his parents as well. “Please!”
Sypha was the one, who failed. She chuckled. For once the two kids agreed on something.
Somehow Trevor managed to not betray his amusement. “I don't know, if we need a cat.”
“She can help us catch mice!”
“Oh, I know somebody else, who can take care of that.” He leaned on Adrian, who rolled his eyes.
“Catch those mice yourself, Belmont.”
“I am sure, Mita will catch the mice real good,” Simon said. “Much better than you!”
Both men were chuckling now.
“I don't know,” Trevor repeated. “She does not look quite like a great mice catcher.”
“We'll teach her!” both children agreed. Maybe the cat did, too, as it mewed. It was also squirming a bit, probably less than enthusiastic about being held that long.
“What else is she good for?” Trevor asked.
“She's cute,” Simon promptly replied.
Trevor scoffed. “That's nothing she is ‘good for’, is it now.”
“She can keep us warm in bed!” Marie said.
“I'm already pretty warm.”
Yet again Adrian laughed, taking Trevor's hand. “Come on,” he whispered, before looking at Sypha, who very well understood.
She never had had a cat. Obviously. Cats were not pets to be held by speakers, as they were not really good with moving around a lot. A cat needed its territory, something a speaker caravan could not provide. But now, well, they had a castle, they had a village. Plenty of territory for a cat. Obviously, the siblings did not need the cat to life here. They could visit it with the farmers every day. But maybe, just maybe this was a good thing for the kids.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe you can keep her.”
The children's eyes lit up. “We can?”
“Under one condition,” she added and waited for them to listen. “You'll take care of the cat together. Without arguing.”
Both kids looked at each other. “We can do that.”
“I'm still not convinced,” Trevor muttered, having apparently too much fun egging the kids on.
“Trevor.” Adrian looked up at him, smirking.
Trevor sighed. “Fine. But I'm telling you: If that thing shits in my bed, you two will clean it up. You get that?”
Enthusiastic nods. “Of course.”
“Then it's a promise?” Adrian asked.
“We promise!” And the cat mewed.
Sypha laughed. She was already pretty certain, that promise would be forgotten far too quickly, but they would remind the kids. After all, it was maybe just was they needed. Something to care for together. She moved her chair back a little. “Now give me that poor thing, and then you two will get yourselves cleaned up before dinner.”
A bit hesitant, Marie brought the kitten over and handed it to Sypha. The little thing seemed almost relieved, when it was no longer held. Quite stiffly it sat on Sypha's lap.
“Now, go off,” Trevor said. “Get washed. I'm hungry.”
For just one more moment both children's eyes were fixed on the cat, then their parents. Finally, they apparently decided that, no, nobody would throw the poor cat out the window, so both children ran off to the bathroom.
With the kids gone, the cat started to relax. It began cleaning itself, before jumping onto the kitchen floor.
Trevor laughed. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
Sypha watched the kitten, which had started to sniff the wall. “Well, it'll give those two something to look after. Maybe a nice change of pace.”
Her husband came over to her, kissing her in the hair. “And I am still telling you, when that thing shits…”
Sypha laughed. “Yeah, we got that.”