#just how many cues miranda gives that people are starting to make her uncomfortable and feel Not Okay

[rxttenfish]

while aaravi remains firmly within "yeah miranda has a difficult personality and isn't very easy to get along with + has many rough edges which are slowly being worked on but still going to be an issue" after having been very much so within the camp that miranda is a Vexing Bitch upon first contact/getting to know her, she DOES go from "miranda is unpredictable and dangerous as a merfolk and large macropredator and her emotions are inscrutable and random" to "merfolk aren't very hard to understand or predict and it's very easy to stay on the safe side if you keep basic rules in mind and don't freak out the second something unexpected happens"

[lepusrufus]

A cold day and a death wish

Aka, that time Esteria saved Daniela's ass, earning Alcina's respect. Warning for gore!

---

January 20th 1983

Romanian winters sure were frigid in the mountains, so unlike the seaside climate she had grown accustomed to during her lifetime. A lifetime of being stuck in an unwanted family who fiercely shoved their ideas down her throat from the moment she had opened her wide blue eyes into the world.

Esteria shook her head to chase away the past's blurry memories and wrapped the blanket she had taken from her bed more tightly around her shoulders. Of course, the new state her body found itself in did not aid with keeping her warm, blood circulation all but becoming progressively useless since her infection, leaving her extremities perpetually cold. You win some you lose some, she thought with a chuckle.

It was the middle of the day, not that it mattered given the gloomy skies above. Esteria preferred to keep any activities she did in the afternoons, when Lady Dimitrescu was sure to be asleep in her chambers. It was best for the both of them really, as the woman was obviously displeased with what she saw as an invasion of her home in Esteria's presence at the castle. And in all fairness, she wasn't completely in the wrong. Mother Miranda had taken a particular interest in observing the development of her infection and, when she had to go away for a few months, she had apparently shoved that task onto the Lady's shoulders. And that, of course, included Esteria staying at the castle for the time being.

The three daughters would occasionally get up and roam around at any and all hours, doing god knows what, but Lady Dimitrescu was always a woman that stuck to her routine. And besides, the daughters could be quite pleasant company at times, happy to make conversation over a cup of tea, or blood nowadays, or showing her whatever project they were working on at the moment. Sometimes it was a painting while other times it was a new torture device. At least they kept things interesting, right?

The cold marble of the main hall's floor came in contact with skin and she mentally cursed herself for not putting on any shoes, or even socks, before leaving her bedroom. This place was so damn big and had her occasionally stopping to check her surroundings and make sure she had taken the right path, even after over a month of being there, and that only prolonged her walk in the uncomfortable temperature. She just wanted a cup of water and to return to her warm bed.

She was shuffling her way past the stairwell and towards the kitchen when the deafening blast of a gun, echoing ominously through ancient hallways, made her freeze in place. It was close, much too close for comfort.

Her head turned slowly, in an effort to locate the source of the sound but a second shot made her jump in place, eyes snapping to the hall leading to the entrance. Surely no staff member was instructed to shoot something inside the castle, and the daughters seemed to prefer more archaic weapons, so to speak.

Blanket promptly forgotten and left to limply slide off her shoulders and onto the floor, quick steps were taken towards what she hoped was nothing but a misstep. Quick and deliberate, moving close to the wall and keeping to the shadows, hiding as much as possible given her rather tall frame and stark white hair. She passed by grand paintings hanging against the beautifully patterned wallpaper and maneuvered around antique vases, all with precise footsteps, like a predator stalking its prey.

Up until a third shot, this time accompanied by an enraged scream, broke the silence.

"Filthy man-thing!"

Daniela's voice reached her with an unusual high pitch to it, although the growl that came after was no less fierce. There was an odd strain to it too, something that Esteria realized must be caused by pain.

No.

She hastily reached the entrance hall, cool air from the door left wide open hitting her in the face like the world's coldest slap across her features. It made her lips twist into a snarl at the sensation.

Snarl that turned into a growl when her eyes fell upon the scene unfolding there.

Daniela, the ever so sweet youngest daughter, slumped against one of the marble pillars surrounding the portrait of her and her sisters and trying to stop her knees from buckling and giving way to what could only be immense pain. Her sickle was held tightly in one hand, knuckles turning white from the effort, while her eyes sparked like angry mismatched embers towards the man in front of her. A man, who she did not recognize, with a shotgun pointed directly at her, face contorted with anger.

Upon noticing Esteria, he took a handful of stumbling steps back, the barrel now moving between the two women frantically.

"Stay back!" She did. Esteria did not have Alcina's healing abilities and was not particularly keen on getting a bullet to the face. For now. "You wretched witches! Y- You took my wife from me. She came here for work and never came back!"

Daniela groaned for a moment, apparently gathering her strength to reply. "Maybe she doesn't want to go back." Her voice, despite coming out raspy, was sickly sweet, the same tone she used so many times before when toying with her prey, but now the dripping malice behind her words was on full display.

The hunter stomped forward, aiming for another shot, and that's when Esteria's body finally reacted, jumping forward.

Transformations were never painful, no, it felt more like a really good stretch. A stretch of bone and skin down to the very cells, that made her body tingle for a meager moment until a gangly beast with wide eyes like the deepest caverns full of water and silt took her place. The one thing that required some getting used to however, was the mild disorienting sensation that came with her normal vision being completely replaced by black and white and all the grayscale in between, forming fuzzy silhouettes that were brighter or dimmer according to heat signatures.

Long talons screeched against the smooth floor when she pounced, crashing into his body within the blink of an eye.

The shot was fired, however not at its intended target but ending up embedded somewhere in a wall behind them. It broke something priceless for sure, but no matter. There was something more important to deal with at the moment.

The man thrashed under the weight of her claws, his hands trying in vain to push or cause any form of damage. His voice mixed terror and rage in screams that all but scratched against her eardrums.

And he was an intruder.

Not in her home, no, this was not her home to begin with. But if nothing else, she respected Lady Dimitrescu deeply and her daughters had grown on her more than she would like to admit. Hurting Daniela certainly warranted punishment. And punishment she delivered.

Her mouth opened in a fraction of a second, elongated jaws forming an unnaturally wide angle and sharp fangs glistening in the low light. Without another moment of hesitation, she dipped her head, maw clamped shut around his face and those same fangs digging their way through scalp and skin and bone and everything that lay beneath. Sickening cracks, that were more felt than heard with the irking scraping of bone against bone, were accompanied by pained screeches. Esteria shook her head slightly, the movements dislodging some fragments from her mouth and tongue, and then she jerked her head back. Still shut jaws took with them a good portion of the cranium, that was promptly spat out and sent rolling on the marble floor smearing it in crimson, finally putting a stop to any sound or movement from the man.

There was no time to dwell around the corpse however, as a small whimper made its way to her ears. In a moment she was back to her normal self, although her robes were hanging rather loosely and were now soaked in blood on the front, and taking long steps towards the source of the noise.

She kneeled in front of Daniela, who was now also on the floor. "Hey. Hey darling, I'm here, what's wrong?"

One hand came to gently caress a pallid cheek, making sure to use the back of her hand to avoid her talons causing any further pain. She almost recoiled at how frigid the skin was. Frigid and cracking, feeling almost crystalline under her fingers.

Surprisingly enough, Daniela clung to her, shaky hands grabbing fistfuls of her robes and slumping forward with a couple choked sobs.

"P- please. Take me-... take me out of h- here."

Esteria did just that, scooping the girl into her arms and quickly walking down the same hallway she had come from. A few servants were starting to gather around, wide eyed, having heard the commotion and coming to check on what was going on.

"Shut that damned door," Esteria all but barked while stepping around them, although everyone quickly jumped out of her way.

She did not wait for an answer, as she started to make her way up the stairs, when her eyes landed on none other than Alcina Dimitrescu, coming down and freezing for a moment upon noticing the shaking form of her youngest daughter in her arms. The Lady's face contorted with anger, but before any accusations could be made, Esteria spoke up, voice coming in a rushed breath.

"A hunter came in. Please just-... where should I put her?"

Alcina did not answer her however, opting to bend down and take her daughter into her own arms, features immediately softening upon hearing a small whimper from Daniela caused by being shifted around. She cooed at the girl for a moment, whispering words of reassurance that were far too quiet for anyone else to hear.

She turned around, heading back up without another word, and any sensible person would take it as their cue to get lost and mind their own business. But growing up in the woods like some Peter Pan wannabe didn't make sensible people now did it. Esteria followed along, quick steps barely keeping up with the Lady's long determined strides. She followed until they reached a bedroom unfamiliar to her, though by the furniture and decorations, she could assume it was the youngest's chambers. She stepped inside and watched as she placed her daughter on a small couch placed right in front of the fireplace, soft furs covering the patterned cushions.

Not wanting to simply sit by, she helped by gathering a few extra blankets, gears finally turning in her brain, and handing them to Alcina, who by now was gently stroking red locks as Daniela all but glued herself to her mother's lap. Golden eyes snapped at her but the blankets were accepted, unfolded and quickly wrapped around the shivering girl.

Esteria couldn't help placing a hand on Daniela's shoulder and giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze, although she was unsure whether or not it was felt through the multiple layers.

She didn't look at the other woman when she spoke, eyes fixated on her hand, seemingly finding her talons of interest at the moment. "Are they… weak to the cold?"

It was barely a whisper and the reply took so long to arrive that Esteria started to think she had only imagined asking in the first place.

"Were it not for the fact that you're Mother Miranda's pet project, I would kill you for knowing that." Alcina's tone was flat, but the conviction it carried left no room for interpretation on the truthfulness of her words.

Esteria chuckled. That sure was a way to thank someone for saving her daughter.

She decided to take that as her cue to leave, raising slowly and making her way to the door left ajar. A mental note to change her robes and take a bath before returning to bed was also made, the sticky sensation on her skin quite unpleasant. Before she could get a hold on the door handle and exit the room however, the Lady's voice called out for her, uncharacteristic tenderness making its way where sharp pointy edges were mere moments ago.

"Thank you. I'm glad you were there to intervene before any real damage was done."

Esteria managed to hold back a grimace and a snort, remembering that some damage had definitely been done, although most likely to an antique decoration or painting hit by a stray bullet. Keeping her expression under control, she half turned her head, fond smile adorning her lips.

"Of course my Lady."

"Just call me Alcina."

[sweetcontradiction]

The Bet

ICYMI: Part 1

PART 2

Distributing all her toys, Charlotte handed Charlie a handful of figurines, hoping he’d find one that he liked enough to play with in her dolls’ house. She smiled in relief when he eagerly took two out of her hand and shuffled over to join her by the gigantic pink house situated in the corner of the room by the bay window. He looked on in awe at the glimmering white door, the white trim to the pink paint and the immaculate white roof; even with the intricate details inside from the staircase to the homely kitchen, he didn’t care if it was considered a ‘girl’ toy - he wanted one.

Charlotte looked on in pride as Charlie sat awestruck but as she moved the wooden baby into its crib and deposited the mom in the kitchen with the dad just like own parents were, she couldn’t help but notice Charlie’s eyes were averting to something else.

“What’s that?”

Following his eyes, Charlotte traced his gaze to the massive picture frame on the main wall of her house, above the mantel.

“That’s momma and daddy…” she answered, confused. Although the picture was taken before she was born, she figured they hadn’t changed so much to the point of being unrecognizable.

“When?” Charlie asked, not taking his eyes off Charlotte’s parents on the canvas.

“On the day they got married.” Charlotte beamed. “Momma’s in her white dress.”

It was her favorite picture in the house, it even beat the family portraits where she was the center of attention or the many dog photoshoots she had been included in; her mom wanting all her babies in one big picture. She loved how happy Miranda and Anderson looked, his arm slung neatly around her waist as they gazed up at each other.

Not thinking anything of Charlie’s fixation on the picture, Charlotte let it go. Most people who visited the farm always complimented it. Just as she was about to pick the mom figurine back up, she heard Miranda call from the kitchen that lunch was ready.

As she darted into the adjoining room with Charlie in tow, she pushed herself up onto a stool and stared at the array of sandwiches and fruits Miranda had prepared. Whilst the pair dove in, Miranda smiled to herself, happy that the food was going down well. When Luna reached out to her, she laughed, her little hands squeezing together to make a milking motion - she knew what that undoubtedly meant.

“I’ll feed her upstairs.” she whispered, taking her baby from her husband and making her way to the nursery; Charlie and Charlotte so engrossed in their lunch that they didn’t even notice she had left.

Once the pair had demolished everything in sight, Anderson suggested that they watch a movie to try and calm them down. He was pretty confident with the amount of talking Charlotte had been doing that she needed some time to recuperate. As he waited for them to decide on the Lion King, Anderson took a seat on the couch, moving Luna’s pink blanket out of the way so it didn’t bother them but his eyes almost popped out when his little girl’s friend toddled over to him.

“Can I use your bathroom?” he tried to whisper, a little shy. He would have much preferred Miranda and her warm smile but with her disappearance, Charlie was left with no choice.

“Sure, buddy. It’s upstairs, it’s the second room as soon as you walk up.”

Charlie nodded his head and mustered a quick thank you before running upstairs and trying to recall what Anderson had just told him. All the room doors looked exactly the same and he couldn’t quite remember if he said the second or third. Trying his luck on one, he twisted the handle and walked in, surprised when he saw Miranda sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room with Luna cradled in her arms.

“I’m s-s-sorry. I-I—“

“It’s okay, honey.” Miranda smiled, not fazed by the little boy interrupting her. He seemed more shaken up than he should be. Luna evidently didn’t care either as she continued to squeeze at her mom’s breast to ensure her lunch wasn’t going to be cut short. “What are you looking for?”

“The bathroom.”

“It’s next door.”

Stuttering a thank you, Charlie turned around to leave but his curiosity got the better of him and he whipped his body around once again to face Miranda.

“What are you doing?”

Miranda beckoned him over, hating how nervous the little boy looked cowered over by the door. She watched as he made his way over timidly, still keeping his distance from the armchair Miranda was situated in but his eyes remained on Luna.

“You know how you had your lunch?” she began, trying to start up a little conversation. All Charlotte’s other friends were inquisitive too but none were as shy as this little boy. When he nodded his head, she continued. “Luna is having hers right now.”

Charlie shot her a look of confusion, his eyes diverting up to her welcoming face as she kept her grip on the one-year-old. He didn’t have any siblings so he had never seen a baby being fed before and from what he saw it looked uncomfortable.

“You make food?”

Miranda chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess. Only milk though, nothing special.”

Charlie looked on, completely fascinated. He watched as Luna sucked for dear life, her eyes rolling back as she held onto her mom.

“Did my mom do that with me?”

“Probably.” she smiled. “Just like I did with Charlotte.”

Once Luna had finally had enough and her mouth let go of Miranda, she gave out a long and happy sigh, her body inching closer to her mom’s as she began to give into her tiredness.

“This part is less fun.” Miranda told him, pulling her shirt back down over her chest. As she lifted Luna over her shoulder and began to softly pat her back, Charlie agreed with her, said a quick goodbye and wandered off to the find the bathroom.

“He’s a nice little boy, isn’t he babe?” Miranda asked Luna but her only response was a loud burp.

—————

Anderson thanked his lucky stars when the credits rolled for the Lion King, he was sure he was one animal away from falling asleep but much to his surprise Charlotte was re-energized and ready for more fun with her friend. Looking out the window, she bounced up and down in excitement when she noticed the rain had stopped.

“We can go back outside!” she hollered, making her way back over to Charlie who was lazing in the big armchair with Bellamy cuddled into his side.

Suggesting a game of basketball to try and tire his little girl out, Anderson smiled when he heard his wife come down the stairs, a sleeping Luna pressed against her chest in a pink wrap. Charlotte seemed just as thrilled with her mom’s presence as she enthusiastically asked her parents to join in too.

“But y’all can’t be in a team together.” she instructed, authority in her voice. “Dad’s too big and that’s not fair on me and Charlie.”

Anderson looked at his wife with a helpless expression but as Miranda bumped his shoulder with her own, he humored her and accepted her forcible request.

“So who’s with whom?”

“I’ll go with Miranda!” Charlie bounced up and down, running over to her and positioning himself in between Charlotte’s parents.

Charlotte just nodded her head, smirking to herself. She knew she hit the jackpot being in her dad’s team. Her mom was useless - always scoring into the wrong net and giving up before the game was even over. With her lack of interest in all sport, she had a feeling it was going to be an easy win.

“Whose team is Luna in?” Charlie asked innocently, looking up at Miranda and completely ignoring Anderson.

“She’s the referee.” Miranda smiled, pointing over to her bouncy chair that was located by the TV. Anderson took that as his cue to go and pick it up and take it into the backyard where they could keep an eye on her and still include her in the fun.

As the five made their way out of the patio doors, followed by a few of the smaller dogs, Charlotte found a basketball in the garage and held it tightly against her chest, hoping if she remained incognito she could start the game and get ahead quickly. Realistically, she knew that was more than likely considering her mom didn’t know the rules.

Making sure Luna was okay in her chair, Miranda moved over to where Charlie was stood, his hands clasped as he looked over at his friend and her dad. Anderson had Charlotte on his hip as he whispered into her ear.

“Do we have a game plan?” he asked Miranda, signaling over to Charlotte. They seemed to be taking it more seriously than his other team member was.

“Of course we do, Charlie. Do whatever it takes to win. If we gotta cheat, we cheat.”

Charlie giggled, liking how upfront Miranda was. She seemed a lot more fun than her husband. As she got ready to attack her daughter for the ball, she bit her lip when a compliment escaped Charlie’s lips.

“You’re really funny…”

“I’m funny, huh?” she grimaced, liking the compliment but cursing deep down. Her horse was getting further and further away from her. She reckoned her husband would never know he told her that so what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her chances.

Charlotte dribbled the ball up the makeshift court, trying to dodge Charlie as best she could when he extended his hand to try and hit it out of her hands but her tiny legs were too fast for him and she slowly managed to reach the net, throwing the ball up as it landed perfectly through.

Miranda looked on in dismay, she may not have cared for sports but she was still a sore loser.

“3 points for Charlotte!” Anderson cheered, running over and giving her a high five as they dribbled back. He shot Miranda a wink as she stalked back over to her own side of the court, her hand on her hip.

As the game went on and Miranda and Charlie were getting beaten by almost 15 points, it was time for her to take matters into her own hands. With Charlie too polite to try and attack his little friend for the ball and his intimidation toward her husband, Miranda knew it was up to her. When Charlotte bounced the ball to her dad and he began to dribble his way past Charlie, Miranda seized her opportunity. If there was anyone she could take down - it was her husband.

Sneaking up behind him, Miranda waited until he was almost running before she grabbed him from behind, wrapping her arms around his middle and holding him back. His weight was far too much for her to carry but as she held and gripped him with force, she laughed when he tried to shrug her off.

“That’s not happening!!” she groaned, keeping her grip tight but with one swift motion, Anderson freed himself from his wife’s embrace and passed the ball to Charlotte who was waiting by the net.

When she missed the net by a fraction, Charlotte passed the ball to her dad, hoping his height would help him score another point but as he leaned up to try and hit the target, Miranda came storming at him, her body flying into his. As he tried to wriggle out of her grip, Miranda took extreme measures and kicked his knee cap, celebrating a little too profusely when he crumbled to the ground. But as he fell, Anderson couldn’t resist and grabbed her waist, taking her down with him.

Charlotte and Charlie looked on confused as Miranda and Anderson wrestled on the grass, their arms flying everywhere as Miranda tried to take the ball out of his hands. When she finally did, she held it up in the air and threw it as far away as she could.

“REFEREE” Anderson shouted jokingly, looking over at Luna who looked like she was about to fall asleep. Clearly they were the only two who cared about winning.

With Miranda in his lap laughing at her own triumphant interception, Anderson grabbed her hips and pulled her down closer to him, his hands making their way through her sweaty hair.

“You hurt me!”

“You big baby. I could’ve hit you in worse places...” she teased, leaning down and giving his lips a quick kiss, not particularly bothered by the kids’ presence. While Charlotte rolled her eyes at her parents’ affection, Charlie’s eyes didn’t move off Anderson’s hands which rested proudly on Miranda’s hips.

“I’m serious.” he stated looking straight into her eyes. “I may never walk again.”

Moving off his lap, Miranda pressed her lips against his jean-clad knee, allowing her lips to linger for a few seconds before looking back up at her husband.

“Better?”

“Almost…” he smirked, kneeling on the ground and pulling Miranda in closer as he puckered his lips out and let her attack them, her hands covering his face.

Sick of her parents, Charlotte ran off to retrieve the ball, wanting to get the game back up and running as soon as possible. Running back and throwing the ball at Anderson’s back, one strict look from his five-year-old and he knew she wasn’t playing games.

As he held Miranda’s hands and helped her off the ground, he gave her ass a quick pat before running over to Charlotte ready to defeat her once again.

After the father-daughter duo had scored another few baskets, Miranda was ready to call it a day. She could tell her daughter was running out of steam and Charlie’s mom would soon be showing up to collect him. With her hands on her hips, she exhaled a deep breath and made her way over to Anderson but just as she reached him, her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Charlie trip over his own feet and tumble to the ground, gripping his knee just like Anderson had five minutes prior.

“Oh, honey! Are you okay?” she rambled on as she ran over, Anderson and Charlotte right behind her.

Charlie shook his head as he continued to grip his knee, reluctantly removing his hand when Miranda put hers on top of his.

“It looks alright…” she stated, checking it over before looking at her husband for a confirmation. “It doesn’t look like it’ll bruise.”

“It hurts!” Charlie insisted, moving his hand back over the invisible injury.

“Do you wanna put something cold over it?” Miranda suggested, wracking her brain for ideas. “I think we have some cold peas in the freezer…”

“No…” the little boy trailed off, looking Miranda straight in the eye. “Maybe a kiss will help…”

Anderson bit his lip as he tried to keep his laughter in. He desperately wanted to run over and pick up Luna so he could choke but he wanted to see how this went down more. One thing was for sure, he knew he had won not only the game, but the bet.

Miranda didn’t even bother to look back at her husband, knowing his smug face would be too much to handle right now. But as to not dishearten Charlie, she laid her lips on his tiny knee and kissed it. Patting it for good measure, she stood up and ruffled his hair.

“Better?”

“Much.” Charlie said proudly, standing up and running over to Charlotte like nothing had happened.

As the kids ran into the house, Miranda didn’t say a word as she wandered over to pick Luna out of her bouncy chair, her frown turning upside down as her mom held her in her arms and kissed her temple. Picking up the chair, Anderson used his other hand to hold Miranda’s waist, not wanting to say anything. He knew she was aware of the circumstances.

With Luna crawling around the living room babbling to herself while Charlotte and Charlie spoke to each other on the couch, Anderson took the opportunity to spill to his wife. Planting himself into the armchair, he pulled Miranda on top of him, turning her around a little so she was nearing closer to his face.

“Do you think he actually fell?” he whispered so the kids couldn’t hear.

“Maybe…”

“I feel bad for him.” Anderson said, getting Miranda’s attention. She thought her husband would be loving this - especially his part of the bet. “I remember my first crush.”

“Who was it?” Miranda asked in surprise, her voice rising. He had never told her this story before.

“She was my babysitter.”

Miranda kept her lips pursed together as Anderson rubbed her sides.

“My dad had no idea I liked her.” he laughed at the memory. “I was six. She was starting college; tall, brunette, brown eyes. She lived in the same street and I had to see her almost everyday.”

“You poor thing…” Miranda teased, running her fingers through his curls.

“My point is… I would have tried anything to get her attention. I once tried to make her dinner but when I burned the sausage, I had to give her cereal. I know what a little boy’s crush looks like. Especially one that happens to be on my wife.”

“But I’m not tall, brunette or a student…”

“You know that’s not what I mean” he laughed, hitting her playfully. “and besides you’re way hotter than she ever was.”

Miranda smiled, moving in and leaning her head on her husband’s shoulder as they watched Charlotte play with her friend. Each time Charlie turned his head around and smiled at Miranda, Anderson kissed the top of her head. He knew she knew he was crushing hard but he could tell she was embarrassed by it so he chose not to press the subject.

When they finally heard the doorbell ring, Charlotte helped Charlie collect his things before they met Anderson and Miranda at the front door. As Miranda made small talk with Charlie’s mom, Anderson made sure he had all his things.

“Thank you Mike.” Charlie said politely, after being forced to do so. “And thank you, Miranda.”

Anderson watched as his smile grew bigger with that courteous reply.

“You’re very welcome, honey. You’ll need to come over again sometime.”

After Charlie and Charlotte had said their goodbyes, Anderson threw the door shut and gave his wife a heavy sigh. Just as he was about to talk, Charlotte stalked over, taking Luna from her mom’s arms and carrying her back into the living room, ready to play with her again now that her friend was gone.

“I think we should call it a tie.” Miranda stated. “I mean there was no actual evidence. It’s not like he admitted it…”

“He didn’t have to, babe. His face said it all.”

“But that doesn’t count!” she insisted. “If we call it a draw we both win; you get to find that corset in the closet and I get my horse.”

Anderson laughed as her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together like a child.

“A tie.” he reiterated, extending his hand out to hers and shaking on it once again.  “I’m the only winner, really. You know I was gonna get you that horse long before this bet.”

Miranda smirked, telling him she knew that but the sentiment was there. Just as she was about to lead him into their girls, he held her back by the waist.

“And besides, I have no choice. I’ve gotta keep you on my good side - you have a history of going for younger men…”

Hitting his shoulder, Miranda leaned into him, pretending to be offended by his comment.

As she pressed her hands against his stomach, she looked him straight in the eyes.

“Only one younger guy with curly hair and a guitar. Otherwise I’m not interested…”

————

“Goodnight, baby” Miranda smiled, moving in to kiss Charlotte’s lips as she tucked her in.

Pulling the sheets up past her Aladdin pajamas, Miranda gave her nose one last kiss before moving over to allow her husband to do the same. Their daily ritual.

As Charlotte settled into the sheets with her stuffed dog and Bellamy at the foot of her bed, Anderson turned off the light and was about to leave her when she piped up.

“Momma?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“I had fun today…”

Anderson rolled his eyes, knowing she was trying to prolong bedtime. The same routine happened almost every night.

“I know you did, honey. But it’s time to sleep.”

Charlotte nodded, her body too tired to form any more words but just as her parents were about to close her door, she managed to muster a few final words.

“Charlie really liked you, momma.” she muttered, barely audible. “He said you were really pretty.”

Hitting her husband’s shoulder, Miranda put her finger to her lips, signaling that they weren’t having this conversation again. The bet was well and truly off. And she had lost by a clear mile.