Manon's Ascension

Epilogue

Epilogue

Colette laughed and squealed as she ran down the hall of her ancestral family home, socks sliding against the marble floor. Behind her, giggling like mad, the pounding of little bare feet smacked against the same floor and closed in on her.

She took a sharp turn, using the wall to keep her balance then cried out as, immediately, her son, waiting just around the corner, latched onto her leg. It brought her up short, allowing her daughter to catch up and grab her other leg.

"Oh, no!" She cried out in exaggerated despair, taking big, swinging steps forward as her kids yelled and laughed with delight at the ride. "I've been caught!"

"Give up, mom!" Her son, Leandre, yelled, beaming up at her, front tooth missing. His dark hair and dark eyes were a perfect copy of his father, and only become more similar with each passing day. There were times when the little ten year old even had the same serious scowl as Nicolas stretched across his cute face.

But that time wasn't now. Not when Colette was playing with them like this.

"Gib up, ma!" Her daughter, Vivie, named after her grandmother, agreed brightly. She was only three, and she tended to copy whatever her brother was doing. She had her father's dark eyes as well, but Colette's bright hair.

"Never surrender!" Colette shouted stomping down the hall to their playroom where she could toss them onto their play mats.

She didn't get that far, however, before an amused voice spoke from behind them.

"What massacre is this?"

"Daddy!" Two high pitched squeals of delight came from below as her children dropped off and raced for their dad.

Nicolas kneeled and scooped them both in his arms. They clung to his neck, one on each hip, Vivie already chatting excitedly. Only about half of her words were fully intelligible, but she spoke with enthusiasm and excitement.

"Welcome home," Colette said, stepping in close.

Nicolas moved their kids, allowing her to give him a sweet kiss in greeting. Leandre made a sound of disgust that Vivie immediately copied even as she laughed and bounced against her father's hip.

"Thank goodness you've come. They were just about to overwhelm me."

"We got, ma!" Vivie yelled in agreement.

"I saw," Nicolas chuckled as he nuzzled her cheek with his nose, making her laugh.

The sight made Colette's womb clench with longing. Nicolas loved his son and was proud of him, but his daughter had him wrapped around her tiny, littlest finger. It made her want another, despite how they had agreed to wait until Vivie was at least four or five before having another - if that's what they wanted at the time.

Some of that must have shown on her expression because an amorous look came over Nicolas' face before he put the kids back on the ground.

"Gran has jam cookies down in her room I hear she's looking for help eating," he told them like it was a secret.

Like the words were a magic spell that made children disappear, the two were gone in an instant, running down the hall, yelling for their grandmother at the top of their lungs. First Leandre, then Vivie, his cute little echo.

Colette laughed as Nicolas took her into his arms.

"Have a nice day?" She asked sweetly.

"Not too bad. I finished the preparations for our trip."

"Yay!" She bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. "I can't wait to see everyone. It's been so long. So, you're enjoying your new role, my lord mayor?"