Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 23. Chapter 23

I shook my head. “None of you have had children? In two centuries? How can that be?”

Dara and Demetrius shrugged. “Well, it’s not from a lack of trying,” Dara said with a chuckled.

“And we did try.” Demetrius agreed. “It just wasn’t happening. I could tell you boys some things. Even help you guys out. There are some things you haven’t figured out yet.”

Dara shoved him lightly. “Stop. They do just fine.” Then she shrugged. “Apparently our time is about to pass.”

“We were given the ability to tap the magic to help guide you and your kind,” Demetrius explained. “In another four or five hundred years, we will be gone.”

Seth shook his head. “We’ll be long dead in that time. But what do Toby and Dennis have to do with this?”

“They both have very gifted minds,” Dara explained. “You’re right, they are both very intelligent. I don’t know exactly how much, but when I touched them, I could sense it.”

Demetrius reached for Dennis who seemed to be offering his hand to Demetrius. Demetrius took the tiny hand gently. “Such precious children.”

I groaned shaking my head. “I must not be that smart, I’m not getting it.”

Demetrius shook his head. “You’re part of it.” He looked at Seth. “And you, Seth. You both have exceptional minds, but you are able to love without using instinct. You accepted them as your own. Most people might feel sorry for them, but you’ve loved them as if they were born to you. Toby and Dennis are so much more. Much more. This is the beginning of the age of reason.” He looked at me with a look of seriousness I had never seen before. “Their children and their descendants will harness energies and discover cures for diseases you couldn’t imagine. You’ve already changed this town into a real town. The people no longer see the two of you as odd. There are even those beginning relationships they were meant to.”

Dara added. “They will go places you never dreamed of.”

“Science will be their power,” Demetrius said. “That is their magic.”

I looked at the innocent faces of my sons. “So, you brought them here to us.” I looked at my two godparents. “That’s a big responsibility.”

Dara smiled. “Could you think of someone better? If I hadn’t, they would have died.” She said logically. “Toby would have been considered a simpleton by most that came across him. He can’t speak simply because he can’t hear, therefore stupid. Dennis would be dead because his mother would have died having him in some shack. You two, have the resources and means to nurture them and make them good men. And I know you will.”

“Because we’re not gone yet,” Demetrius said gravely. “We’re watching.” Then smiled again.

Dennis reached up for Seth, making a sound at his father. Of course, Seth looked at the baby, the love for Dennis plain on Seth’s face.

“But I don’t worry about that,” Demetrius said with a sigh. “They both love you two. You are their whole world.”

I grinned as Toby offered his cup of juice to Dara. Dara smiled, taking the cup and sipping.

“Giving them for you two to raise, was one of the best things we've ever done.” Dara handed back Toby’s cup. “I can already see it. They’re given love and give it back.”

“What about their mother?” I asked. “Toby should have mourned some, but he never did.”

Dara shrugged. “Well, his mother did tell Toby she was leaving and going to see Tom, his father. Perhaps Toby understood that and accepted that. I don’t know.”

Seth nodded. “When Toby addressed me, it as Daddy. I always assumed he just thinks that’s my name, not what I am. Same with Erik.”

Demetrius nodded a shrug. “Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. You could always show him what it means.” He grinned at Toby. “Show him what makes a family. Show him others and explain the differences. He’ll get it.” Then Demetrius rose. “But I’ll be around. Call me if needed.” Then he brightened. “Oh yes, here.” He handed me a note. “I promised.”

I took the note and read Christian’s handwriting. Beware, she’s coming. I chuckled after reading it. “Ella’s coming.” I showed Seth the note.

“Along with Edward, Ana, and Ada.” Dara smiled. “Thomas elected to stay with his father.”

Demetrius chuckled. “Thomas didn’t want his father to get too lonely. Christian would have loved to come, but….”

I nodded laughing. “He is king.”

“That’s right. A lot of responsibility.” Demetrius nodded. “They still have a few days travel. We’ll leave as we came in.” He pointed to the hallway. Then he and Dara walked out.

“Your aunt is coming!” Seth told Dennis who only burbled a response. Then Seth looked at me. “Wait until you tell Grace.”

In my office at the house, I told Grace. “Your sister’s coming here? Now!?” Grace was now looking quite panicked. “She’s the Queen of A’Dore!” She looked at me and around the room as if she could see the whole house. “We’ve got to clean this house!”

I chuckled. “It is clean.”

Seth also laughed. “You knew Terry before she was Queen of Blethos, so? I was king for pete’s sake.”

“I’ve known you two all your lives practically.” Grace waved that off. “The Queen’s now Terry.” She shook her head. “I knew her before she learned to walk, but his sister is Cinderella! Cinderella!”

“I say again…so?” Seth asked. “She’s a nice person.”

Grace nodded, but she was already planning what she needed to do. “Yes, yes…I’m sure, but Cinderella is coming here!” She hurried out to begin…I couldn’t imagine what.

“Well, she took that well.” I grinned at Seth. “But I need to tell you.”

Seth was still grinning about Grace’s panic. “What?”

“I will and should have, but…” I hesitated. “I didn’t tell them about Toby.”

Seth nodded. “That him being deaf?” He shrugged. “Ella won’t care.” That’s when Toby came in from the hall where Seth grabbed him up as he passed making Toby squeal happily.

I grinned, walking over to them. “He and Edward are about the same age. He’ll have a playmate.”

The joy of potty training. It wasn’t too easy, at first. But I signed and told Toby what he needed to do. It took a few days and he figured it out. Some may not like it, but I showed him what to do. We were both boys and we had the same equipment, so I did pee where Toby could see me how to do it. Then gave him a chamber pot to use. He wasn’t tall enough for the toilet yet. I thought of getting a stool, but for now. The chamber pot. I was glad he was getting it enough before Ella arrived. I wasn’t showing him about pooping. We’d work on that slowly.

Decorative plants to have around, the streets were swept daily and kept clean. Grace went out of her way to scrub and polish everything. She made me tired just watching her! Provisions were put in the kitchen and of course, Grace planned to cook wonderful meals. She had me hire extra help, which I had intended to do anyway. We had rooms and one was made for the queen. Another was made up for my nieces. Edward would no doubt stay with Ella. We would have room for the guards that came if not, there were two inns in town. Or, if they got along well, Edward could stay with Toby and Dennis, though having a baby in the room might bother Edward with the nannies coming and going.

Then I heard a bell again. Toby and I were having lunch and of course, Toby didn’t hear it, but kept eating the foods I sliced up that he could eat with his fingers. And juice. “Okay.”

Now Demetrius did walk in as he usually did. He came through a wall as he just walked out of, as he often did. Toby didn’t react with surprise. He just smiled at Demetrius.

“Hello, Toby.” Demetrius signed and said. Then he shrugged at me. “He’s going to find out, so why hide what we are…but I think he knew before.”

I got up and hugged Demetrius. “As long as he knows he can’t do that. And neither can I.”

Demetrius chuckled. “All it takes is one collision with the wall to find out he can’t.” He sat with us. “Just to let you know, Ella’s on the outskirts of town now. She will be here in about an hour.”

“She made good time,” I said, knowing it was not quite two weeks. “Has she many guards?”

He shook his head. “Only four.”

I nodded. “We have the room.” I reached for Toby. “Let’s tell Daddy we’re having guests.” I signed to Toby.

Toby didn’t know what was happening exactly, but he nodded. Seth came in and quickly took a bath and changed. Now the carriage was arriving at the front of the house. One guard driving the carriage, the other three riding along. Gathering up Dennis, we went out to greet them. She was a queen, but she was also my sister-in-law and friend. She got out of the carriage helping a little boy I knew had to be Edward. He had more hair now and was bigger and was about two years old now. Then Ada and Ana got down. Ella smiled at me walking over. Women react pretty much the same when there are babies. Her face got this look. The Oh, he’s so cute look. Fortunately, Dennis was wide awake and putting on his charm. After hugging Ella I held Dennis higher.

“This is Dennis.” I introduced. I pointed at Ella. “This is your Aunt Ella,” I told Dennis. Then turned to Seth. But I turned back to Ella. “This is Toby, but before I say more. He’s deaf.”

Ella looked surprised a second.

I spoke and signed for Toby. “This is your Aunt Ella.” I spelled out her name. “She’s my sister,” I explained. Then I turned to Ella. “He reads lips, but he will sign back. Just speak to his face, he’ll understand you.”

“Hello, Toby.” Ella greeted. Then as everyone did when meeting both boys. “He’s so beautiful. They both are!”

I grinned as Toby greeted her back in sign. “Of course, you know Seth.”

Seth smirked. “Oh, gee, thanks.” He hugged Ella. “It’s great to see you.”

But Edward was staring at Seth. “Uncle Seth?” But it wasn’t a question exactly. He was seeking confirmation that he was his Uncle Seth.

It had been over a year. But a part of Edward remembered him.

“He was asking for you for two weeks after you left,” Ella said. “We had that picture of you two and showed him, telling that you had to go home.” She looked at her son. “Remember that long trip we were on just now?” Edward nodded. “We’re now where Uncle Seth and Uncle Erik live. We’re at their home.”

Edward’s brow furrowed a little. “You home is far away.”

Seth smiled. “No, your home is far away.” He chuckled. “Now you understand why we couldn’t just come back.”

Ana walked forward, hugging both of us. “Why were you moving your hands like that?”

I expected this. “Well. Listen.” I suggested. “What do you hear?”

They were both about to be eight, but the general question was too much.

“Do you hear our conversation?” I asked. They both nodded. “Do you hear the horses whinny, the sound of their hooves as they fidget?” The both nodded again. “Well, Toby can’t hear that. He can’t hear when we speak, so we talk to him with our hands. And he has to talk back that way because he can’t hear himself speak. He’s deaf.”

“Why?” Ada asked. “His ears don’t work?”

“No, they don’t,” I explained. “When he was a baby, he got a bad fever that got so hot they caused the part that hears with in his brain to shut down. His fever went away, but the damage was done. He can’t hear anymore.” I smiled at Toby. “But he’s very smart.”

“Does he know his ABCs?” Edward asked. “I learned them.”

I nodded. “Yes, he does.” I signed for Toby to show them the ABCs. “But he does it with his hands. He’ll form each letter with his fingers.”

It was interesting as Edward began speaking and Toby began signing each. He’d finally gotten them all in order.

Ada and Ana were fascinated as they watched him.

“That looks fun!” Ana said. “Can we learn that?”

I chuckled. “Sure, I’m sure Toby will be happy to show you. Just remember, when you talk to him, make sure he sees your face or he won’t understand you.” Seth put Toby down and his cousins were around him in seconds.

“What was the letter A again?” Ana asked Toby.

He smiled back and held the letter up.

Ella looked at me with a smile. “This is wonderful.” She touched Dennis’ head gently. “They are just beautiful.” Then she looked at Toby, then Dennis and then Seth and me. “They sort of look like you two.”

Seth laughed. “If by that, we have dark hair and male, okay.”

Ella smirked. “There’s more to that than dark hair and male.” Then she gasped. “Did he just smile at me?” She marveled and moved her face closer. “There, he did it again!” But Dennis made a burble sound at her. “How old is he?”

I smiled. “Six weeks.”

“Six weeks!?” Ella balked. “He’s not supposed to do that for another month at least!” Then she moved and Dennis followed her with his eyes.

Seth shrugged. “Well, he does.”

“He never read where he wasn’t supposed to.” I chuckled and shrugged.

“But the way he’s going he could,” Seth said proudly. “Erik already had Toby seeing words and knew learns what they are pretty fast and what they mean. He’ll be reading soon. We show him the letters C.A.T and he signs cat but he knows a cat is a feline, an animal.”

“When he starts to read watch out world!” I joked. Then I looked at Ella. “Here, you hold him. He likes you.”

Ella grinned as she took the baby. “He is so adorable!” Then she looked at Seth and me. “I knew you’d make great parents.” Then she looked sad. “I was told what happened to their mother. That was a shame.”

I pointed to a gate off portion of the yard where Sarah’s grave was. The garden around her marker stone was thriving. “She’s over there. We’re going to make sure the boys know about her.”

Ella looked up at the house. “This place is lovely.”

I laughed. “And I know you’re tired. Come in, I’ll show you your room. You can rest.”

Ella laughed. “Believe me when I say, being out of that carriage is reward enough, but I’d love some coffee.”