Cinderfella 3: Life Continues - 2. I Turn Thirty!!!

I got my two goblets of milk. I've always loved milk! I heard people got upset stomachs when they drank it. Not my stomach! I loved the taste and it coats. I heard those at the University in A'Dore were working out on a way to keep it fresh longer. They have my support!

I drank the milk and had a couple of goblets of juice from the icebox. We live in a vineyard. We would not run out. Once I didn't have that horrible taste I needed to check on Seth. For me. I now had empathy, not just sympathy. I knew the horrible taste myself now. As I was heading upstairs I heard Kitty make that sound again he got when his tail was stepped on. I grinned as Ryan left the room. What was also sweet was what Dennis was saying to Kitty. Assuring Kitty he was fine, and that he loved Kitty very much.

I stuck my head in their room. “You probably don't remember how and why we got Kitty."

Dennis shook his head.

“It's ironic, but the day we got Kitty was for comforting you after you got the little warriors in you.” I grinned. “We did something special for you.”

“Wow,” Dennis said nose to nose with Kitty who started purring again.

“You need to do something special for him.”

“Like what?” Dennis asked.

“What!? You know what he likes better than anyone. I'll tell you what my Dad told me. If you want it badly enough you'll figure out how. You are very smart.” I chuckled heading into Seth's and my room. He was still the most beautiful human being to me. He looked comfortable. He was even doing his little snore. The area we lived in didn't get cold that much. In fact, it could get damned hot. The house was built with vents high on the wall to let that heat out. A very clever man came up with a mill wheel powered by the river that would turn fans. It worked! The few fans sent a breeze through the house. The ice we put on his foot was still there on both sides. I knew that was cold. Carefully, I didn't want to wake him. I reached under the blanket to touch him. He was warm. I smiled at that risking my fingers through his hair. That light snore never stopped.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. Ryan checked on Seth, too. Telling me he was recovering just fine. Faster with the little warriors in him.

“And when he needs to go to the bathroom, I could give you something to help him go.” Ryan offered. “I use it for patients who can't get up. But if he wants to get up, let him. That would be fine if you help him get there. I know some men don't want the help, but you take him to get there, does what he needs to and help him back to bed. Darrin likes privacy when he goes.”

I did check on him more often. There was a man in Royal Valley that complained on the nights he drank, which was almost every night, his drunk didn't last like it used to. Dennis did find something Kitty loved to do. He loved to try to get to things dangled in his face. Dennis got a stick and dangled the string with little jingle bells tied together with a bright red ribbon. Kitty loved playing this game! He would get it to jingle and did it again.

“That's my brilliant, son."

Dennis shrugged. “Thanks, Dad. He could do this for hours.”

I saw Seth was coming out of it, so I went quickly downstairs and fixed him a tray with two goblets of milk and two goblets of juice and a bell. Going back in our room where Seth was gaining his coherency and was smacking his lips. “I'm here and I have the solution for that.” I helped him sit up and held a goblet of milk. “Drink this. It will coat your mouth and stomach.”

“Thanks, Babe.” He said and drank it slowly. “That stuff really was nasty.”

“I know a tiny bit.” I grinned holding my thumb and forefinger so close but didn't touch. “I kissed you twice after you took that awful stuff, and I could taste it. Just a taste!”

Seth chuckled. “I now know you love me. You kissed me once and got the taste. Knowing you'd get more, you did it again! That is love.”

“After twelve years you get that!?” I shook my head chuckling. I leaned toward Seth. "Are you tasting it now?”

“Yep.”

I nodded. “Thanks for being honest. I suggest you take a little milk and hold it in your mouth a minute. I think you saturated your taste buds and mouth with that nasty stuff. Do that and I'll kiss you.” I watched him do as I asked. “Are you hungry or need to go to the bathroom? If you do I have to take you, Doctor's orders.” He raised his hand and did his fingers walking toward the bathroom. I grinned. “I will take you to put you on the toilet and give you privacy, then when you are done, I'll take you back to bed.” I saw Seth nod and swallow.

“I just need to pee.”

“I'll help you up.” He let me help him stand and I was his crutch. I'd seen every centimeter or inch on him. He didn't stand to pee, but I heard him go. The only time he closed the water closet's door was when he pooped. He would warn me or use another bathroom to do what I needed to do. “Are you hungry?”

“Not yet.” He smiled and drank more milk and held it in again.

We heard the purr before Dennis and Toby came in.

“I heard you talking,” Dennis said. “Are you feeling better, Daddy?” He asked putting Kitty on the bed and Kitty's purr got louder. He walked over to give him the loving head rub. Seth scooped him up.

“He really is a loving cat,” Seth said.

“For everyone except Ryan for now.” I smiled with the boys. “He sort of hurt him to put the little warriors in Kitty.”

Seth looked at Kitty closer. “His eyes are a brighter green."

“We won't worry about him getting distemper or any other deceases cats and other animals get,” I said and then spoke to Seth and the boys. Toby could read lips and Dennis could hear. “Add ten or fifteen years to his life!”

'Yes. He would.” Seth grinned hugging Kitty.

“I'll risk it now.” I pulled Seth to me and kissed him gently but let the kiss linger. “I only taste the milk.” I put our foreheads together.

“Are you coming to the party, Daddy?” Dennis asked as he grinned at Toby who grinned back but nodded. “You have to come.”

'I'll try.” Seth said.

“He'll be there. We will watch out for Daddy.” I told them. “Uncle Deme and Aunt Dara, Uncle Ryan and Uncle Darrin, Grace...there are a lot of people to watch daddy.”

“Be there!” Dennis said.

He drank a lot so he had to pee again. Then he said he was hungry. I knew Grace had something, but she made him a chicken stew almost. Thicker than soup, but thinner than a stew that had small bits of chicken pulled apart, potatoes, onions, little green things. It smelled great. I went back to Seth taking his bowl and mine on a tray. I couldn't leave him. He was my husband and best friend. You think of course. He was! We took vows in front of our family and friends and God Himself and promised we would do that and do.

Ryan checked on him showing us Seth's little warriors were working fast as the bruise had faded. It was still there for now.

Seth and I talked as we did every day. Usually in the bathtub, but we could do it fine in bed.

I smiled when Seth took his usual position spooning me, which I held his arm and hand closer to me. Night rituals were done, including our toothbrushes and soda to clean. The little stick had short and stiff animal hairs of some animal hairs to scrape the teeth. It worked well and there was toothpicks to get what the brush couldn't get out. Mouthwash! A must today!

The morning started with telling me he had to go to the bathroom. When he said bathroom instead of pee, I knew what he meant. I got him up and took him. I heard the water from the tank above to flush it out and saw the door crack open I rushed over.

“Not alone!” I said. “I helped Christian when he was attacked medically by those nasty things Len Na gave him.”

“I was protecting you from the smell.” Seth chuckled as I got him back in bed.

“Twelve years! You don't think I haven't smelled it before!? You've smelled mine.” I bent to kiss him. “I'd be really worried if you didn't go.” I kissed him.

His arms held me. “Happy Birthday, my love.” He kissed me deeper with a lot of love. “I am not ready to restart our connection yet. I don't think there's a comfortable position that will work.”

“Restart?” I asked. “It never stopped, Babe.” I looked at the sky and clock. “I need to dress and be at the mirrored doorway in an hour. I'll go get your coffee.” He grinned more when I said that. “I'll be right back after that; I’ll change to go do that.”

I did change and combed my hair and went down for his much-needed coffee. I put a pot of coffee on a tray with his favorite mug. I also put some of Grace's fresh biscuits, butter and jelly on a plate and took it upstairs. Putting the tray down beside him on the bed. “I'll be back after I pop over to A'Dore. Then we will both bathe in the tub and get ready for the afternoon.”

Seth poured the coffee inhaling the smell. “Yes, you do that.” He waved me off.

“I'll leave you with your precious coffee.” I chuckled and headed toward the door.

“Well, it is!” Seth shouted as I headed to the attic stairs.

I came back sticking my head in. “Just promise me one thing. Don't ever change!”

Seth grinned. “I won't.” Then his face changed as he thought. “I don't think I can.” He gave a shrug. “You love me. You know I love you.”

“I do know.”

I went into the attic and uncovered the mirror. I touched the four crystals and saw the inside the room they had placed it to get it out of Christian’s and Ella’s bedroom. Many people in A'Dore had seen unbelievable things and knew something happened that had to be magic. Hell, the villagers saw Len Na's destruction of the palace and appeared and disappear right in front of them. The door for the room where all those scientists worked knew, too. Most still worked there where all those Children of Lilith appeared. Ella came in followed by Christian.

“Sorry, we were a little late.” Christian greeted hugging me tightly. He was very handsome with the gray in his temples and a few strands through his black hair.

“You're never late, you're a king!” I said as I had done many times in our lives.

I was hugged by Ella.

“You don't usually come without Seth,” Christian stated. “Is there a problem?”

“He broke his foot yesterday,” I told them.

“The poor man!” Ella said sadly.

I then explained what was being done to help him and his recovery.

“It's your birthday party today,” Christian said sadly. “Will he be able to go to the party?”

“Oh, yes.” I chuckled. “In fact, Toby and Dennis demanded we be there to get their gift for us.” We visited a while longer. They promised to come to Royal Valley tomorrow and see Seth. I Invited them to have lunch.

I went back to my house. Going in our room I saw Dennis, Toby, and Kitty keeping their daddy company. Kitty was more interested in the smells he got from the containers of butter and jelly. I chuckled picking up the tray and took it downstairs. Looking for what we would like for breakfast. We had a busy house right now. Grace had help cooking now so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. She made these crapes filled with things from her thick creamed cheese and bits of ham and chicken.

I kissed Grace on the cheek. “How would we survive without you? You don't change either.”

She turned as she finished squeezing a small orange fruit. There were many oranges and lemons and some I saw odd fruits that when sliced it across it naturally looked like a star occasionally. The fruit was a present from the Asians. These smaller tangerines were popular in A'Dore and Blethos. We have groves of them and other fruit trees! “How's Seth?”

“He broke his foot, but not his sense of humor.” I chuckled. “We’ll bring him down when the guests arrive.”

“Good.” She put a ceramic jug on the tray and held her hand up, got a thin vase and took a single red rose they had out to decorate the house and dropped the rose in it.

Going up to our room I heard laughter and heard Kitty purring as he was getting stroked by Seth. “Okay, your dads need to eat in peace. Not keeping a certain cute, pink nose out of our food.”

“We'll take him to our room.” Dennis smiled took Kitty and left with Toby.

I told Seth we'd see Ella and Christian tomorrow. I did get him in the tub and I got in, too. As I bathed him and me, I noticed the pain was coming back to Seth. I rinsed our hair of shampoo using fresh water from the pipe I got out getting the drying cloth for both of us. I dried quickly. I held my hand to stop him from getting out, but he sat on the edge swinging his legs over the side. He dried his hair and face.

“But don't stand without me. I don't want you to break anything else like your neck.” I grumbled.

“I don't need help drying off.” Seth shot back. “Not the top half!”

“I only get irritated when you get impossibly stubborn!” I said. "Your father warned me you would be.”

“You always forgive me.” Seth grinned.

“And I always will.” I chuckled. “The truth is I like many of the comebacks you come up with.”

“I like our disagreements, too.” Seth grinned nodding. “You come up with great comebacks.”

I dried him and got the stuff from Parisa to stop us from stinking a while and nice cologne we got imported here and sold from our own shop that sold those great soaps, perfumes, and lotions. Once on he looked at what I brought over.

I sighed and sat next to him. “It's a mixture of Aspri-willow and Opium.” I watched his eyes widen so I hurried to explain. “Not to take! I wouldn't dream of asking you to. Ryan said to cover your foot well with it and then wrap your foot. I did it last night! The wrapping part, but he swears you won't taste it. You will be awake downstairs.”

“Okay, but if I even get a little of the taste, I wring his neck!”

I got him ready and helped him in his clothes. Ryan came in carrying what I'd seen others use to get around. It was a crutch. He cautioned us to only use it downstairs. He and Uncle Deme would go in front of him in case he fell forward. He would be using me as the crutch. Demetrius headed down the hall where I heard many voices I knew. We even had a small group from Blethos' capital to play nice music while we had a party. Finally, at the bottom of the stairs Seth grinned at Ryan. “Your neck is safe.”

Ryan's eyebrows rose.

“Later,” I said to Ryan.

Bringing him in the living room where everyone quieted to hear what I or Seth will say.

“I'm sure you all know I broke my foot,” Seth said. “Word always traveled quickly here in Royal Valley.” He sat in a chair we arranged for him. I moved the cushioned stool where I helped him put his foot on. “The love from my husband and from some good friends, I'll get better.” He chuckled. “This is Erik's birthday.” He took the goblet of wine in his hand.

People clapped at that.

Before we went into party mode. Demetrius stopped everyone. “Now, everyone, especially their Dads, pay attention. They both worked hard for this. One's about to have a heart attack!” He waved the boys over. “You've got the whole room's attention and your Dads.”

It had to be a good present.

“We will continue to work on it, but...” Dennis turned to Toby.

Toby put fingers on his neck, opened his mouth, made a light hum and then said, “Happy Birthday, Dad,” Toby said. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Seth was so shocked he sat up startled and almost dropped his goblet of wine. I was feeling shocked and nearly fainted. Gasps were heard around the room from hearing Toby speak. If Garth wasn't right by me, who held me up and shook me lightly. I would have fainted.

“Do you like it?” Toby asked.

I realized I was so shocked that he SPOKE to me I almost forgot to answer his question. “I love it!” I hugged Toby I said so he could see me say, “No one has ever given me a gift I love more. You know what I mean, Seth.”

I looked at Seth who was crying as he smiled and waved to them toward him.

“I coached him on speaking and stopping the vibrations in his neck between words,” Dennis said proudly.

“You both did what I thought was impossible,” I managed to say as tears blurred my vision.

Toby spoke again. “As Dad told me if you want something bad enough you find a way. Did everyone hear me and understand?”

Everyone nodded and said yes. Seth pulled Toby to see his face. “We all heard you.” He hugged Toby.