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Vanessa touched her baby’s tiny nose a bit, but Cassandra wouldn’t wake up. Nothing seemed to wake her up, despite the loud thunderstorm outside. It was quite fascinating, especially that none of her other daughters had that deep of a sleep when they were babies.
Covering the silver-haired baby with a blanket, Vanessa turned towards her husband, who was standing at the window, observing the thunderstorm.
“Quite the spectacle, isn’t it, honey?”
Nozel just nodded, without turning around. Since he was already ready for bed, he was only wearing his pyjama pants, leaving his upper body naked. Oh, Vanessa didn’t complained about that, on the contrary. Admiring Nozels not buff but well-defined muscles and imagining those toned arms around her was something she got never tired about. But she couldn’t allow herself to be thirsty, since their youngest daughter was present.
“And she really is still asleep?” Nozel finally asked as he turned around. Gosh, he looked so good with his hair down falling over his shoulders, fluffy, thick and silky, his bangs slightly falling over his eyes, unbraided.
“Don’t worry, this little one has the deepest sleep I ever saw in a baby,” Vanessa smiled while gesturing at Cassandras sleep basket on their bed. “She won’t be afraid of thunderstorms, I’m certain of that.”
“This one is rather heavy, though.”
“Still, Cassandra won’t be afraid. With that, she is more like Nymphea. You shouldn’t be surprised though if Lavinia will run into our bedroom in a few minutes. Maybe Valentina too, but she at least has her twin sister.”
Nozel nodded, while sitting down next to his wife on the bed. A soft smile appeared on his lips as he softly caressed the baby’s cheek. Cassandra didn’t woke up, but a happy baby smile shortly appeared on her face, her dolphin plushie next to her.
Vanessa sighed happily. Cassandra had definitely be a surprise baby. Three daughters was already a blessing for Nozel and her. Not to mention that she had needed to convince her husband a bit to have Lavinia.
Only a bit, though. Nozel enjoyed fatherhood more than he would ever admit. They had feel blessed with Nymphea, Valentina and Lavinia, feeling that their little family was now complete.
But then, Vanessa got pregnant again. A fourth baby had been on the way. A surprise baby, no denying about that. A shock, yes, but more a happy surprise than a reason to worry. Vanessa and Nozel had embraced it, even though they were determined to not have more than four children.
Unlike what most believed, especially the Black Bulls and their bets, it had been another girl instead of a boy. It didn’t matter to Vanessa and Nozel, Cassandra had been another blessing, just like her sisters before her. She was also wilder than their other daughters, when she wasn’t asleep that is.
Their door opening brought Vanessa back to reality. Just one second later, their three year old daughter Lavinia run towards the bed, holding her favourite plushie tightly in her arms. The little barn owl with the pink witch hat Vanessa had made for her on Lavinias first birthday. How time flies by…
Lavinia tried to climb on her parents bed, but sadly was still to tiny for that, her white puffy nightgown with the pink hearts was also a bit too big for her still and she was holding her plushie. Nozel helped her get on and Lavinia immediately went halfway into hiding under her parents blanket.
“Nia, sweetie, is it so scary for you?” Vanessa asked kindly, while she stroked her daughters rosewood coloured hair. She smiled while doing so, Lavinias might have her hair colour, but it was as soft and thick like her father’s.
“Can’t sleep, too scary,” the little girl mumbled, holding her plushie.
“It is just a thunderstorm, Lavinia,” Nozel said, with such a comforting voice that it made Vanessas heart melt. “As long as you are her with us, in this palace, nothing will happen to you.”
“What about monsters?”
“What monsters?”
“Uncle Zora said that when there are storms, there are monsters coming out to scare us.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. Typical Zora, always trying to be a very cool uncle. But she really should have a talk with him, Lavinia was after all a very shy little girl and for now still easy to scare.
“Was Luck nearby when your uncle talked about those storm monsters?” Nozel asked.
“Yes, papa.”
“Then he was probably talking about Luck, not some storm monsters.”
“Oh. True. Uncle Magna also says that uncle Luck can be like a monster sometimes.”
Vanessa smiled. Oh, she really preferred that than Zora scaring her baby girl because he tried to be a cool uncle.
“But storms are still scary.”
“If you want, you can stay with us and your little sister tonight, Lavinia. So you won’t be alone.”
Vanessa couldn’t help but smile brightly at her husband. Does he realize what a wonderful father he was? He was so worried to end up like his own jerk of a father, he who thought that because of his past mistakes, he would never become a loving parent… But Nozel became a parent like his mother was.
His fatherly side was certainly one of Vanessas favourite traits of him.
The next moment, the door to their chamber opened again and their eight year old twin daughters entered, so adorable in their lavender nightgowns. Valentina was behind her sister, clinging onto her while holding a black cat plushie tightly. Nymphea was more calm, guiding her twin towards the bed, her eagle plushie under her arm.
“Look, Nia. Your two big sisters are now also coming, so that you won’t be alone in the storm,” Vanessa smiled as she caressed Lavinias head, while Nozel helped the twins getting on the bed. Valentina immediately went on her father’s lap and put the blanket above her head. Nozel hold her immediately, giving her a comforting embrace and stroked her hair. Valentina had hair just like Noelle and Acier, but in a brighter shade of rosewood than Vanessas. In the sunlight, she even had some silver highlights, it was truly gorgeous to look at.
“Tina couldn’t sleep,” Nymphea explained calmly, just like Nozel. “And she couldn’t stop moving. Especially when a lightning was seen. So, I brought her here. She only stops moving when one of you is holding her.”
“Good job, little water lily,” Vanessa giggled, while caressing her oldest daughters hair. Unlike her twin, Nymphea had silver hair like her father – with pink highlights in the sun – but wavy and slightly curly like her mother.
“I didn’t want to come!” Valentina protested weakly, coming from out of the blanket for a moment. “I don’t want Lavinia and Cassandra to see me scared, I’m their big sis, I have to be brave!”
Vanessa couldn’t help but giggle at the seriousness. Valentina secretly wanted to come to her parents, but it was true that she wanted to be brave for her little sisters. Currently, she was the most daring of her daughters. Let’s see how Cassandra will grow up.
“Oh, Tina, sweetie, you are very brave and I’m sure that your little sisters know that.”
“Valentina, it is okay to be scared. It is when you can be brave. Sometimes, it takes a lot of courage to admit to be scared.”
“Really, papa?”
“Really. Trust me little one, I know what I’m talking about.”
He really did. More than their daughters even know yet. Vanessa smiled at Nozel and took his hand.
Nozels words seemed to have calm down Valentina a bit. At least, until the next thunder, making her cling to Nozel and to her plushie with fierce.
“It’s okay, big sis, it’s okay,” Lavinia whispered, while still trembling, but brave enough to take Valentinas hand.
“Our baby sister is still asleep, it seems,” Nymphea commented, while looking into the basket with a calm fascination. The resemblance with Nozel was sometimes really obvious, even when she was still a baby. It had irritated a lot of the Bulls back then. And make Yami laugh a lot.
“Really?”
Forgetting their fear of thunderstorms for a moment, Valentina and Lavinia moved a bit to look into the sleep basket. The vision of their little baby sister, sleeping so profoundly while it was so loud outside, seemed to soothe them a bit.
“Cassie is very brave,” Lavinia whispered. She still had some difficulties to say Cassandras full name. Vanessa admitted that it wasn’t the easiest one, but it had been one of hers and Nozels favourite.
“I bet she is going to be afraid of nothing,” Valentina added with pride. Ah, how cute she was being proud of her baby sister.
“I don’t doubt that she will be brave, just like you and your sisters,” Nozel replied with a smile. “But she will be afraid of something as well. Maybe not of thunderstorms like you and Lavinia, but of other things.”
“Like Nymphea is afraid of mosquitos?”
“I have an excellent reason to be afraid of them.”
“Papa, mama, are you also afraid of things?”
“Of course we are, sweetie,” Vanessa giggled. “Papa and I are afraid of various things. Of simple things like you, for example I don’t like spiders. But we are also afraid of things that are more adult stuff. You’re too young yet to know such things.”
“I’m not young, I’m eight, that is old!” Valentina protested!”
“But still too young to have a grimoire,” Nymphea replied calmly. Sounding so much like Nozel. Vanessa couldn’t help but giggle, even more so as she the look in her husband’s eyes as he glanced at Nymphea. A mix of pride and irritation.
Valentina was about to reply when another lightning, followed by loud thunder, cut through the sky. She and Lavinia remembered their fear of storms and both girls dived under the blanket again. Cassandra continued to sleep, while Nymphea was completely unbothered. She was more occupied to stroke her eagle plushie, as if it was invited to some gala and needed to have neat feathers.
Nozel sighed with compassion, before he took Valentina and Lavinia firmly into his arms. The two girls seemed to calm down a bit, hold by their father, while they had a firm grip on their respective plushies.
Vanessa felt her heart melt again at the vision. The most loving father she knew… Okay, she was biased and she loved him deeply, but it was a fact that Nozel was a very loving and very caring father. He could be unsure about it as much as he want, but actions spoke stronger than doubts. Just seeing him like this with Valentina and Lavinia was proof enough.
Smiling happily, Vanessa turned towards Nymphea. “What do you think, little Water Lily? Do you want to cuddle with mama and your eagle friend?”
Nymphea might be the most proper out of her girls, but she never hesitated to cuddle. She got that side from her, that was certain. Nymphea only nodded and moved a bit to make herself comfortable on Vanessas lap. Vanessa pulled her tightly against herself, diving her nose into her daughters silver waves. Just like Nozel, Nymphea had a soft lavender scent. But hers was mixed with a sweet water lily smell.
Which was rather ironic and normal, she was named after those flowers. Who also were the favourites of the late Acier Silva.
“You can sleep with us tonight, little hatchlings,” Nozel said, his voice soft and warm. It was so clear how much he loved his daughters. “There is nothing to be afraid of. Your mother and I are here for all four of you.”
“Will you be there when we’re wake-wake again?”
“Yes, Lavinia. You have my word.”
“Thank you, papa.”
Cradled in his embrace, Valentina and Lavinia soon fell asleep, just as deeply as Cassandra. Nymphea took a bit longer, but Vanessa felt that her eldest daughter was slowly falling back into slumber.
She still whispered softly, with a yawn, “Don’t tell them yet, but I like thunderstorms. I love to think that the noises are either dragons fighting in the sky or giants having battles nearby.”
And she fell asleep as well.
“Do you think we should have a closer look at her reading?”
“Honey, she loves fairy tales and she is already clever enough to recognize what kind of books she can read or not yet.”
Vanessa expected a reply, but Nozel only nodded. His eyes were pensive, but caring, looking at his daughters. And at her.
“Is something, honey.”
“No. I just feel so blessed to have the five of you in my life. Nymphea, Valentina, Lavinia, Cassandra and you… you mean the world to me.”
Vanessa smiled, her heart melting again. She knew that it was never easy for Nozel put this into words, even today it wasn’t always easy. But she also that it came from his heart.
“For me as well, Nozel.”
She kissed him good night and both parents fell asleep as well, their four wonderful daughters slumbering around them. This was their family.