PECULIAR (✓)

38. Future Dreams

I'm spending half the day at the museum to gather my new projects and talk to the other Head Curators. I feel giddy, the experience from Greece making me feel less out of place and confident. As I walk out to meet Cass so we can head home, I see an employee talking to Cassius.

I try to focus on her ID badge and recognise the name.

Amanda.

Rolling my eyes, I realise this is the woman Liz was telling me about. Cass looks very uncomfortable as she puts her hand on his shoulder and plays with her curly hair.

Fixing my outfit of a black pencil skirt and green shirt, I strut - yes strut towards them both. Cass' eyes widen and I plaster a smile on my face. "Hey handsome, could you spare me a moment?" Amanda looks me up and down, while Cass smiles at me. Before he can open his mouth, Amanda shifts closer to him telling me they were talking.

I keep my eyes on Cass and continue my game, "Sorry, you Sir are just too beautiful for me not to ask if you could come home with me?" Amanda's eyes widen at my supposedly indecent remark, while Cass laughs. Amanda looks at Cass shocked at this unfamiliar action.

It's a laugh he reserves for me.

"Please Sir, I might need your help going home." A massive smile threatens to break onto my face ruining my ruse. "Well Madam, lead the way." Cassius' words cause Amanda's mouth to drop. He takes my hand and we leave, when we go through the door, I giggle doubling over. "Thank you for saving me Alettra." I courtesy, still smiling thinking about the look on her face.

Cass puts his hands in his pocket, leaning forwards and whispers to me, "I really liked you calling me Sir." My laughter ceases and Cassius' grin grows. I shove him telling him we have to go home, making him laugh even harder as we head to his car.

I'm on my laptop working on proposals for the museum, in Cassius' library. Cass insisted on staying at home with me.

I sat in the library tired, unsure on what to do, after I finished my work. I was extremely bored. Cass walks in and hugs me from behind. "What's wrong baby?" I let out a huff telling him I'm bored.

He sits me down and goes to the bookshelf and plucks an unfamiliar book from the back. "This was my mother's favourite book, she used to read to me a lot." He hands it to me and I peek at the cover grinning.

The Nutcracker by E T A Hoffman.

"Do you mind if I could read it to you and the baby?" The idea brings the biggest smile to my face. Apparently the baby also likes it, because they start kicking like crazy.

I lay down with Cassius joining to lay himself beside me, placing his hand on my stomach as he begins to read. I listened to him for a couple of hours, enjoying the sound of his voice entering my head.

I know it's wrong to dream about this baby, especially when the risks are still high. My head, however, still transports me to a hopeful scene. Cass reading to our son or daughter when it's bedtime. Maybe I'll read to them as well.

Cassius kisses my forehead asking me what's wrong, while looking into my eyes tentatively. "Do you think our baby would like books?" Cassius looks at me and shifts to his side to look at me. While stroking my hair, he shrugs "It would definitely be our child if it does. But even if they don't it's okay."

"What do you think they will be like?" Cassius' lips curve into a smile, "I think he or she would be the best thing in the world, cause, well, we're both pretty great ourselves." I chuckle nodding. "Maybe they could be more reserved like you, or crazy like me. Either way, they will be so very loved."

I turn on my side looking at him, "I can imagine them playing in that massive garden in the back. Us eating breakfast together, laughing. They could, I dunno, play a sport, play an instrument or dance... We'd go to every event of theirs." Cassius gazes into my eyes, his smile reaching his eyes as he pictures the happy future. Our happy future.

"You're gonna be an amazing dad, Cassius."

Cassius grabs my hand replying "Alettra, you going to be a brilliant mum. You're already doing a great job."

I smile in appreciation. I had needed to hear that. While staring at him I admit that I hope they look like him. He smirks and agrees. "If our daughter even has half of your beauty, I'm going to have to be chasing off all of the boys with a stick. Better she doesn't look like you." I laugh at his overprotectiveness.

"I don't know, a boy with your genetics and confident aura would have everyone bowing down to him. That's a lot of power for a kid." He smirks, agreeing.

Ron comes bursting into the library distributing the peace. Cass lets out an exasperated sigh, but I can't stop the smile that grows on my face. "I HEARD I'M AN UNCLE." His huge arms filled with teddy bears and gift baskets. I laugh in glee, his happiness too infectious to ignore.

I go to hug Ronnie and he jumps up and down with me in his arms. Cass mutters with a glare, "Steady there, Ron." Ronnie smirks looking at my stomach and talks to the baby. "Ay kid, for the love of God please don't be a killjoy like your old man here."

I stifle a laugh while Cass glares harder at Ronnie. "Would you like some tea or coffee Ronnie?" He nods and I start to head to the kitchen until Cass stops me and tells me to rest, while pressing a kiss to my cheek. He mutters under his breath, "I might kill Ron, if I stay here."

Ron sits down next to me and we talk. I learn about how he and Cass actually met while they were both in the Army. He tells me some stories about Cass. Funny stories. I can already see his role as the 'fun uncle' in our child's life.

Cass comes in with the coffee, orange juice for me though, causing me to frown. I was really missing caffeine.

Ron looks at us both looking like he has something on his mind. "So you guys know my name is unisex right, so you could name the baby after me." Cass' head drops forward muttering curse words. "Oh let's hope the baby gets Alettra's kindness rather than the Cassie's well you know..." Ronnie then motions with his hands Cassius' frown.

I laugh louder, causing Cass to smile as well. He was right. Our child will have so many people surrounding them, giving them more than enough love.

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