Tredecim

Who's Who Table of contents for the family

13 years later

Despite all the memories attached to their home, Emma had decided it was time for a change. And more room, and with a bit of coaxing she had managed to convince her teenager daughters and adoptive son to move to a home on the other side of town. Titus, Topaz, and Carmelo thankfully were too little to really care.

Emma was hardly surprised when Cello and Thistle asked to move in with Mercedes. She hadn't been surprised when Delmar had come to her and asked to go with Mercedes when she got a place with Mason Sackholme. Her late step-father's partner. Now that had nearly struck poor Emma dead, learning he was a vampire nearly gave her gray hair.

Impossible, but you get the point.

"Symphony!" Emma yelled from the kitchen. "Get ready! Now!"

She knew her daughter was lounging around, still in casual clothes. She also knew her daughter rolled her eyes and stuck her headphones in.

"We are going to be late for your sister's wedding! Now get a move on!"

Thumping was her answer and assurance that Symphony was getting ready.

Topaz had already changed. running around giggling to herself while Titus and Carmelo sat on the floor playing with their dolls and Kona, who looked quite nice in his suit.

Symphony had turned out to be the trouble child.

She was the one breaking curfew without a care, staying up or out as late as she wanted. Pranking neighbor's houses. Rather irritating having friends show up covered in raw eggs or toilet paper or both. But she refused to listen to her. Braendan had been in her life just a short time and Symphony refused to acknowledge her biological father. The only people she would even begin to listen to were Oceane, Kona, Titus, and Doyle.

Symphony adored her older sister and Oceane's youngest and only son Doyle. Titus had her wrapped around his little finger and Kona had her heart. Emma would never understand how she got regulated to the back but she did.

Sometimes, the way Symphony acted, some of the things she said... well Emma just wondered if her daughter even loved her or if she sometimes wished she were dead...

"There. Happy now." Symphony snarled, stomping down the stairs dressed in a violet and dark orange gown, her hair styled up so that it prominently displayed her purple highlights.

"Yes." Emma sighed. "You look lovely dear." Of all her children, Symphony was the one she felt closest to despite their differences and Symphony's snarls and hisses.

Sometimes she thought her daughter had snake blood.

"Whatever." Symphony huffed, walking past Emma to crouch down by Kona and Titus. She lifted the red transparent toddler into her arms, tickling him, a smile lighting up their faces and revealing their fangs.

Kona lifted Carmelo into his arms, laughing at his girlfriend and Titus. And Topaz had climbed on a chair and was preceding over her imaginary royal court. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Topaz!"

"Mama." Oceane greeted Emma, wrapping her arms around her mother while Shayne shook hands with Kona and kissed Symphony's cheek.

She noticed Kona and Symphony following Shayne inside while Topaz ran around the yard, giggling to herself.

"You holding up ok?" Emma asked, stepping back to take in her daughter's wedding attire. Oceane had chosen to wear a strapless floor length gown, bunched at the waist with a lace design down the side. She'd put her hair into a half bun, the veil resting on top, mint green curls resting on her shoulders. She wore light mint green eye shadow to make her lilac eyes pop, the green only a few shades lighter then her hair and her light lilac lipstick matched her eyes.

"Yeah, mama." Oceane smiled.

"You look beautiful darling."

At that moment Symphony came running down the steps, Doyle in her arms, Titus on her heels.

Carmelo, Mindy with Slyvia in her arms, Coral, Shayne with Jeana on his back, and Kona came flying past just seconds later.

"Dear lord, what the hell is going on now?"

And Oceane laughed.

Mercedes walked up not long after everything had been settled, little Hannah in her arms. Mason at her side with Aidan on his hips. Delmar and Thistle behind them. With an ache, Emma realized Cello hadn't come. But she forced a smile and greeted her family.

Emma wished her oldest had brought her household sooner, but as it was, they showed up just in time for the bride to walk, barely time for hellos and hugs.

Another painful jab stuck Emma's heart.

The wedding was beautiful, the color scheme mint green and white. Shayne in his tux and her daughter dressed in white brought a tear to Emma's eye. The only downside was Doyle. He screamed the entire ceremony. No one could calm the child, not Symphony, Emma, Mindy, not even his own parents. So the wedding forged on, everyone trying valiantly to drown out the screams.

When Shayne and Oceane went to cut the cake, Doyle quit screaming and sat giggling instead, patiently.

Emma stood off to the side watching her large family celebrating.

"I can't believe my baby sister got married before me!" Mercedes hugged Oceane, the two girls laughing and chatting.

Shayne and Mason stood off to the side with beers, joking around with Kona. Thistle and settled down with a book along side Delmar, Carmelo had discovered the playground while Topaz had found a chair to go back to her royal court.

Jeana, Hannah, Sylvia, Aidan, and Doyle were all tumbling across the yard keeping themselves entertained. Doyle had started climbing on the chairs to grab fistfuls of icing and vanilla cake from distracted adults.

A soft laugh escaped as she watched the little violet skinned boy, climb down another chair icing on his small pudgy hands and caked on his face, some had even made it in his hair.

And of course Symphony was sneaking around scaring the living daylights out of people, Titus shadowing her. Mindy had disappeared inside. She assumed that the sun had become too much for her.

Emma knew that Oceane and Mercedes wouldn't become her companions, she knew her daughters had chosen a mortal life much to her heartbreak...

Seven left....



(Sorry, this took so long. I had more pictures, but I've no idea what happened to them. :/)