There was nothing that could’ve taken that happiness away from them, nothing except one tiny little detail they had forgotten about.

“Are you happy? Because I’m happy” was the only thing his questions boiled down to once he had time to let it sink in, it was the only thing that mattered in the end. “Of course, we’ll have a little version of us. I can’t imagine being any happier", she admitted with tears in her eyes.

“We have to make room for the baby, we need to buy so many things, how are we supposed to do everything in 9 months?! Where are they going to sleep? What do babies even eat? My dad will freak out I–”

Saying those words out loud felt surreal, like a fairytale she was about to wake up from. “Are you serious? I thought this was going to take forever?!” he gasped, not sure if Isa was trying to mess with him.

When he pulled her closer she couldn't take it anymore. “I'm pregnant Dima”

That's when the door clicked open and Dima arrived home. How was she going to tell him? She tried her best to remain calm and greet him, but he managed to look through it and see the tears and feelings Isa was trying to hold back.

Regardless, when she saw it, she wasn't sure what to feel. Or think or even do. She was overwhelmed. Isa had expected everything but not 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠.

Usually Isa was a patient person, and yet she found herself pacing around anxiously waiting for a result. It had to be nothing, it would be insane to get so lucky on the first try.

She couldn't tell why, but it urged her to run to the bathroom and open a box she thought she wouldn't need for a good while. And with that doubts crept up in her mind and she had no choice but to find out right then and there.

After another nap she tried to search up her symptoms, which she had to admit wasn't the smartest idea for someone who wasn't human, but at least it could help her narrow it down. One result stood out to Isa especially.

She had been getting sleepy all the time without even doing anything exhausting. At first she thought it might've been fatigue or stress, but there was nothing in her life right now that could make her feel that way. Maybe she was getting sick?

Isa was setting up a website and a portfolio for their business, while Dima was out trying to find clients. But for some reason she could barely work on it for more than 3-4 hours before getting tired and falling asleep.

"Demon fertility isn’t like it is for gods. It could take us years if not decades to conceive” “I have nothing against trying, but I think we should set up the business first and get all that figured out before we have to take care of a little one” “So much for saying you’re not responsible”

“I mean we already talked about wanting kids. And I know we’re still very young, but maybe we could start trying?” “You mean right now?” “Not right here you silly!”

“Not sure I can be a great dad, I was never the most responsible person” "I think you would be wonderful” Isa reassured him, knowing that he would go above and beyond for the people he loved. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Do you think we’d make good parents?” Isa finally blurted out, hoping that it was enough to make Dima realize what she wanted to suggest. “Yes, I mean…you would make a wonderful mother. You’re caring and sweet and–” “What about you becoming a dad?”

“I–uh…you like kids right" “Yeah, but what does that have to do with us getting married?” Dima asked, completely oblivious to what Isa was trying to say. Only then did Isa shake her worries off to ask what she wanted to this whole time.

“Wondering what?” Only then did the realization hit that to make a child they would have to make love to each other, and everyone would know that they did. Including her father and brother.

"You basically asked me to marry you the second you saw me” she giggled as she reminisced. “Was I wrong? I mean see where we ended up” “I’m glad it all worked out, but I was wondering…” she began but couldn't finish the sentence.

Isa thought it was a good time to start the topic after they had gotten bubble tea from the local cafe and were on their way home. “Remember when we met? For the second time?” “Of course, why?”

Isa and Dima had glossed over the topic of having kids someday, but they had never discussed it in detail, especially now that they were married it might've been an overdue conversation. Considering the fertility of demons worked differently to gods

Their goal now was to work on their future together, building a life for themselves they were proud of. And maybe someday a life their kids would be proud of too.

While that was happening they still enjoyed the domestic bliss of married life. To be able to call themselves husband and wife, do chores together and work on something that was only theirs. It was everything they had ever wanted.

In that case Isa was glad to have her parents nearby, because they were there every step of the way. Helped them out whenever they seemed to hit a roadblock. But another problem was the lack of clients and jobs, since they hadn’t established a career with a portfolio yet.

Even Vincent was proud enough of his sister to repost their work and give them much more attention than they had expected. And their parents were more than supportive of the idea. With all their help they began to plan it, which sounded easier than it was.

When they had moved in there were still a few things missing, decorations and little nic nacs they hadn’t had the time to set up yet. So they decided to keep documenting their progress and eventually set up the business they were dreaming of.

Since Isa and Dima had renovated their home they had gathered a lot of positive attention for it online, after their loved ones and even neighbors had told them that their work was worth sharing. And they weren't wrong.

It really was a good thing they had the space for this now. Because Elian wasn’t sure how she could live without any of the people in this room anymore. Her family—hard fought and hard won. The most perfect blend of chaos she’d ever seen.

Elian probably could have cried longer, but right around the time her tears dried, other people started to show up. It was the biggest floor picnic she and Harlow had ever hosted. From just the two of them to them and their girls to them, their girls, Danika, Delphine, Peter, Ada, and the band.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into his shoulder when he sat down and pulled her close. “Why?” he asked gently. “Because when you performed it for me I didn’t appreciate it right and now I can’t even do it for you—” “Shh,” Glen soothed sweetly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

She knew the words, the notes. Knew that she could do this without crying if she just didn’t look at Glen too much during it. She thought she knew that, at least. But with a little less than a minute left, the music died at her fingers, her voice given over to her sobs.

She played the first few notes and listened to Glen’s breath catch in his throat. “For so long,” she sang quietly, trying not to let her voice tremble with her nerves, “I have waited. So long that I almost became…”

“Thought you’d serenade me?” Glen teased, leaning against the piano. Actually, yes. But she didn’t say that. Instead, she laid her fingers against the keys and took a deep breath, hoping she’d practiced enough for this. She was sure her mother’s piano in Olympus was sick of her.

The tour ended at the one thing she’d actually been excited to show him—the one thing he seemed genuinely surprised and a little excited to see. “Ta-da!” she sang as she wiggled. “I thought…I dunno.”

Elian gave Glen a quick tour—she’d already shown him most of the house through the listing. Seeing it in person wasn’t much different besides it now including furniture, and he wasn’t the type to get worked up over chairs and tables. He did pretend to care about his drawers and toothbrush, though.

“I think mine is more grounds and his is more house,” Elian mused. “Could be.” “C’mon—I’ve got your key in my room. I think Harlow will probably have a gate code set by tonight.”

“Hi, baby!” Elian greeted, as was customary, hopping into his arms to hug him. “Do you like it?” “I’m trying to figure out if it’s bigger than Alucard’s castle or about the same,” Glen muttered.

Of all the people she invited over that day, Glen was first to arrive, dressed like he’d still expected to be asked to carry things. He stood a few feet back from the front door, looking around at the expanse of the house with his mouth open just enough for her to see the points of his teeth.

The only things that hadn’t been put up or built or placed were the knickknacks and pictures that Elian did want to handle herself, and all of the animals’ belongings. She wanted to do a little bit of personalization with her own hands—just not too much. She was best at visions.

There was no need for all that. Not when Elian could pay someone else to do it. She could pay for movers. Painters. Delivery. Contractors. She could pay for the house to be move in ready on move in day. So she did.

But she had no desire to pick things up and carry them around and shift them from place to place. And she didn’t want to ask her friends to do it for her either—even if everyone did now possess more strength than they had last time, and they had a few more helping hands.

One thing Elian has learned from their previous move was how much she did not like 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. She didn’t mind packing. Didn’t even mind cleaning. Or unpacking when it came to little things.

“It seems fine,” Neo said after he’d taken the guided tour Elian felt semi-qualified to give. “Really white, though. It’d be hard to keep clean. You’d have to dust everyday.” “Paint?” Elian asked Harlow immediately, who nodded. “Paint.”

The house wasn’t perfect, but perfection wasn’t what Elian was looking for. She just needed potential. Promise. Harlow’s tentative and hard won approval. Oscár’s apparent stamp of safety. And then one more, new checkbox to tick.

“Let’s check the main house,” she said before Harlow could respond. “It could be another illusion of space.” “Too many houses trying to be way too much,” Oscár murmured in agreement. “People forget simplicity is an art. Especially in these mansions.”

Harlow rolled her eyes. “She’ll love it. And if she’s not going to pay rent, I don’t see why she should get to sleep in the big house.” “You really think she’d love being out here by herself?” Elian asked. Even as she did, she could feel the answer. Yes, Danika would love the freedom. The privacy.

Harlow split off from them, away from the path to the front door and into the garage instead. It was pretty basic from the outside, but inside… “Hey!” Harlow cheered. “A doghouse for Danika!” “Harlow,” Elian and Oscár admonished in sync.

“It’d be cool if we were filming Jersey Shore, but we’re supposed to 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 here,” Harlow grumbled. “You like the gates,” Elian said calmly, having already seen Harlow’s raised eyebrow of approval at them. “And the garage.” “I am curious about one thing…”

The fourth drew an exasperated huff from Harlow, but she didn’t forbid them from getting out of the car again. That was something, at least. “Very classic Hollywood,” Oscár said on the tail end of a low whistle. “I like the stones.”

The third was so cramped that any bedroom Elian could have chosen would have been half the size of her current one. It was not the kind of space upgrade that would allow Dana and her dogs to move in, or for Dave to have his own bedroom. Not even the pool outside could make up for it.