Tea at Twilight

Chapter 1

Hello, I’m Andrea. Andrea James Valdez, I’m married to Reeve Valdez and we still live in the abandoned theater. Also living in the theater is Christian, Murph, Vicky, Kate, and Keara. It’s getting to be a lively house but that’s ok, lots of babysitters around.

I’m twenty-nine years old and have been married for about a year and a half. Reeve and I eloped soon after Keara was born. She’s four year old now, born on October 31st, 2007. Her hair is dark and curls at the ends and her big eyes are usually gold, except when she’s mad, then they flash black like her fathers.

Right now I’ve got Keara favorite stuffed dog under my arm and little Kate on my shoulder. Kate is a pixie that came home with us from Maine a few years ago. She took to city life like a fish to water and to my knowledge she never regretted coming here.

She used to live in a tissue box next to Christians bed but for her first Christmas with us Christian had and a custom dollhouse made for her. It was done in a Victorian style and was scaled to be in portion with her three-inch size. The dollhouse, standing at about two feet tall, as two stories and is wired. I don’t know how, but he even had a working fridge, stove, microwave, T.V and just about anything else you can like of installed in there for her.

Christian is a fruit loop but when he puts his mind to something he goes all out. He looks like he’s in his really twenties and is always high. It’s not that he smokes pot all the time, he was just so messed up when he was turned that the drugs never worked there way out of his system. He a carefree soul and is one of Keara’s favorite people.

Murph and Vicky aren’t married but they might as well be. They spend all their time together and they’ve turned O’Hara’s into one of the hottest vamp hangouts in the city.

I work at O’Hara’s now as a bar tender and couldn’t be happier; I like the work and the people.

“What do you think about hunting down Keara for her bath.” I asked Kate her wing flitted and it sent a breeze tickling over my ear.

“It sounds like a challenge.” Kate giggled. “She dose hate to take baths.” I laughed. It was true.

“Your right, so were do you think she is?” I asked the pixie.

“Lets check Christians room first. She love it in there.” I nodded my agreement and we made are way upstairs.

Christians door was open so we just went in. I stopped dead and put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. Kate didn’t try at all; she was laughing her ass off at the sight in front of us.

Keara was seated on a pillow at the little coffee table and Christian was sitting a crossed from her. They had a sheet draped over the table and a little tea set arranged on it. Keara was in a little white sundress and Christian was in an orange sundress with a white bonnet.

Christian looked up and smiled. “Good evening ladies, wont you join us.”

“We’d be delighted.” Kate said when she could breath again and I could only nod.

“Mommy, come sit by me.” Keara said patting the pillow with a small and.

“Aright.” I said sitting down next to her. Kate left my shoulder and went to sit with Christian.

The tea I have to say was lovely, imagery as it might have been, and really who doesn’t love spending time with Christian when he’s wearing an orange sundress.

An hour later I put down my little plastic cup and Smiled. “That was a lovely tea party but I’m afraid it’s time for little ms. Keara’s bath.”

“I don’t want to take a bath. I want to play pirates!” She jumped to her feet and giggled. “When I grow up I want to be a pirate!”

“Me too!” said Christian.

“That’s great, but good pirates take baths.” I told her, getting to my feet and trying to get in grabbing distance. If I could get my hands on her then it’s be all good but if she started running it was going to be another good hour before we got to the bath. Keara was fast; she was a vampire after all.

“Lair. Pirates don’t take baths, that why they’re always dirty.” Christian said behind me. I shot him a glare but I couldn’t keep a straight face in that outfit.

“Christian. Hush.” I said but it was to late, Keara took off in the other direction yelling. “All hale the pirate princess!”

I shook my head and took off after her, laughing. “Keara! Sweet, surrender and come take your bath!”

“I will never surrender!” that came from down stairs. I took the stair two at a time and when my feet touched the marble floor the side door leading outside opened and Reeve stepped in.

He looked at me and looked in the direction of the kitchen, then smiled at me. “Bath time?” He asked and I nodded. He grinned revealing his sharp fangs and glanced to the top of the stairs. Christian had followed me and was grinning at me.

“Christian,” Reeve said calmly. “You look good in that color.”

“Thanks! Simon sent it too me last week.” He said with a grin and disappeared into another door. Simon is my brother, and though he and Christian are no longer together that still stay in touch and send each other random gifts.

I smiled wearily at Reeve and he crossed the room and pulled me into his cool embrace. “I missed you.” He kissed my forehead. “Do you want some help?”

I grinned. “Yes please. It’s already dawn and if I don’t get her settled soon she’ll be up hale the morning. Then she’ll be cranky and in a bad mood all night.”

We both shuddered. Keara was small but she had a temper and no fear. When she was angry life became hell. She didn’t throw tantrums, and little things didn’t make her angry. Being off her sleep schedule made her irritable and then she was a terror.

Reeve smiled his, I have it covered so don’t worry, smile and let me go. “Keara,” he called loudly. “I’m home.”

“Daddy!” Keara appeared out of nowhere and Reeve caught her up in his arms and gave her a hug.

“Keara. Have you been a good girl?” She giggled at him.

“I’m always a good girl.” She told him and he grinned, handing her over to me.

“That’s my girl. Now go take your bath and let your mother tuck you in.” Keara yawned and nodded. She’d do anything Reeve told her to and it made me a little jealous but not enough to bother with. Her devotion to Reeve reminded me of my devotion to my own father.

After a blissfully uneventful bath I had Keara dry and in her night clothes, which was really only one of my old T-shirt, black with a pirate’s skull and crossbones on the front. I know it’s not something a four year old would usually wear but that’s the not she wanted.

I sat on the edge of her bed and handed her, her stuffed dog. She took and smiled. “Mommy, I love you.”

I smiled back and kissed her forehead. “I love you too. Good night sweetheart.” I started to get up, knowing she’d stop me.

“Mom.” She drawled and I looked back at her smiling face. We did this every night.

“Yes?” I asked her.

“You for got to sing a lullaby.” I gasped softly.

“I did didn’t I. Ok” I sat back down. It’s wasn’t really a lullaby, but the song was soft and it seemed to fit so I’d sung it to her every night since she’d been born.

Keara snuggled down into her blankets and closed her eyes as I started to sing.

If you be my star
I'll be your sky
you can hide underneath me and come out at night
when I turn jet black and you show off your light
I live to let you shine
I live to let you shine

but you can skyrocket away from me
and never come back if you find another galaxy
far from here with more room to fly
just leave me your stardust to remember you by

if you be my boat
I'll be your sea
a depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity
ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze
I live to make you free
I live to make you free

but you can set sail to the west if you want to
and past the horizon till I can't even see you
far from here where the beaches are wide
just leave me your wake to remember you by

if you be my star
I'll be your sky
you can hide underneath me and come out at night
when I turn jet black and you show off your light
I live to let you shine
I live to let you shine

but you can skyrocket away from me
and never come back if you find another galaxy
far from here with more room to fly
just leave me your stardust to remember you by
stardust to remember you by

I smiled down at my now sleeping daughter. Carefully I got up and left the bedroom, moving into her playroom. Reeve was leaning against the doorway that lead into the hall.

He took my hand and led me out, closing the door softly. “You know,” she said as we walked to our room. “I love that song.” I grinned and he grinned back, then he leaned forward and kissed me softly.