Chapter Thirteen:

The small family was celebrating the birth of little Derek.

Eddie was so proud of his young wife and the little bundle of joy he thought they might never be blessed with.

Having retired some time ago, Eddie was content to be as involved as he could with raising his little son. And he loved every bit of it.

The months were going by so fast. Derek was growing up day by day. Layla and Eddie, having been given the child they so longed for, were free to focus more on Eddie's ailing health. Layla knew her husband was feeling the effects of a long life. Perhaps the vampirism cure he had taken when he was just a young man was taking it's toll on him now.

Eddie tried to hide from his wife the worry he felt. He could feel with every passing day just how mortal he was. And so he used his days to soak up as much of his family as he could.

It felt like the household was on standby. Layla watched her husband closely as the months went by and could see him getting tired so much faster. But the one thing she knew hadn't changed, was the love he had in his eyes for her.

Emerald and Tyler continued to be good friends. Spending her days helping out where she could with Eddie and Derek meant that Emerald needed, and often found with Tyler, a welcome distraction.

Eddie's good days were getting less and less. And so Layla took over most of the practical caring for Derek.

 Eddie began to get his affairs in order. He rarely left the house these days and so Emerald took to helping him out with the creation of a will. She thought it might be a good idea for him to finally reconcile with his brother and her mother, however she was not quite brave enough to broach the subject with him.

The only thing Eddie worried about was Layla. She seemed to be coping ok with his assurances that he would be around for a while to come, but he knew deep down she was scared to lose him.

Emerald was in no hurry to leave. She had helped her father through the dark days when Chloe had left, she had witnessed his happy marriage to Layla and now she was going to help out with the next few months when she knew the price he paid to be cured of vampirism was catching up.

Soon it was Derek's birthday. The family gathered, and the, uh.... maid, to celebrate with the little youngster.

 Derek was much like his father. And delighted in discovering things about the world around him.

Soon it would be Layla's birthday. And with the air of mortality hanging over Eddie and Layla's heads, they talked about reconciling with Will. But Eddie wasn't sure if being confronted with his brother, who would still be in the prime of his life, would be a good idea. Perhaps on a day when he was feeling a little stronger.

Emerald's sketches were selling for more and more money. She was selling them to art galleries all over the country.

Layla was soon celebrating her birthday. Despite the fears she now held about her husband, Layla was happy with the way her young adulthood had panned out, and was looking forward to the next stage of her life.

Eddie and his son got along like, well like father and son.

Little did Eddie or Derek know that Layla was hiding a wonderful secret.

She had been feeling so very sick for the past week or so. And she finally got confirmation on that which she had suspected. Layla was pregnant!

Her aging husband was so happy with the news. They forgot their worries about Eddie's health, and they revelled in the happy news.

 Layla tried to explain to her young son that she would be having another baby. He seemed happy with the news, but then he could have just been giggling like a toddler because he was one.

With the news of the pregnancy just barely sinking in to the family, Layla and Eddie were enjoyed a nice quiet night ater putting Derek to bed.

But while Layla was appreciating how lucky she was to have what she had, Eddie was about to leave her forever.

At just 64 years old Edward Summer-Moon passed away. He left behind a pregnant wife, a young son and two grown children.

Layla's cried brought Emerald running. And although she had been waiting for this day for months, it still caught Emerald by surprise.

Explaining to her little half-brother that their father would not be returning was perhaps one of the hardest things Emerald had to do. Layla was inconsoluable with grief so Emerald took over the job of telling people, and planning the funeral.

As if by some cruel irony Layla's pregnancy began to show.

Sleeping in that big master bedroom that she had shared with her husband was perhaps one of the hardest things Layla had to do. She had been preparing for this day for so long, but in the end she wasn't ready to lose her beloved Eddie.

 Having to tell Elijah that their father had passed on was tough on Emerald. But she bore the responsibility. She also called her mother. Whatever Emerald thought about her mother, it was important that Chloe be informed.

Will heard about his brother's death. It saddened him greatly. Whatever happened between these brothers was in the past. Many long nights Will had spent thinking about returning to his childhood home and making up with his brother, but he had forgotten about the mortality of the world outside his vampire curse. And now it was too late.

Soon it was the day of the funeral.

Emerald comforted her step-mother and they prepared for the short walk over to the graveyard. The remains of Emerald's grandmother Raven and grandfather Finn were also buried at this graveyard.

Little Derek was upset over his father's death, but Emerald was quite thankful that he was still just a little too young to fully understand.

Emerald and Layla decided to have the funeral during the day; Eddie had loved the sunshine. Which sadly meant that his brother was not able to attend.

It was a simple ceremony to commemorate the life of a wonderfully kind man.