Chapter Thirty-Five

Here's Chapter Thirty-Five. Lexi and Felix are just returning home to introduce their new son Benji to Felix's parents Petra and Ziggy.

 

 

Lexi was over the moon with the safe birth of her son, but she did worry. She and Felix were technically second cousins and had been raised in the same house. Petra and Ziggy already knew about the secret relationship, but how would they react to ghostly Benji?

Lexi's mother, Petra's cousin Niki, had abandoned her at birth and as Lexi looked on her son's trusting face and knew that she could never leave him and she would do anything to protect Benji.

After Lexi and Felix put their new son in his nursery, Petra and Ziggy came in to tell the new parents how proud they were. It meant a lot to Lexi and Felix that Petra and Ziggy accepted their unorthodox relationship.

However it was clear to Lexi and Felix that their unsual relationship wouldn't be accpeted by everyone, and it was probably safer for this long standing and well respected family if they moved on quickly.

First step, Felix proposed. If he and Lexi were married, people would ask less questions about their family ties when they got to where ever they decided to move.

Petra knew that her son and Lexi wouldn't remain in the family house for long, and so she spent as much time with Benji as she could.

About a week after Benji was born, Felix's youngest sister Anastasia came home from boarding school.

Anastasia was the only one of Petra and Ziggy's kids to take after her father more than her ghostly mother. She was a stunning young woman, inheriting her father's unusual blue hair and purple eyes.

After Ana was caught up on all the news of the family since she last spoke to her mother, and after she congratulated her brother on the birth of Benji, Ana retired to her old room. The familiar paintings on the wall, over two generations old then, were a comforting sight.

The moring of Felix and Lexi's wedding was soon upon them. Petra rose early and made sure that, altough it was to be a small ceremony, it was still a pretty one.

Ziggy and Petra knew that their son would be leaving them for Moonlight Falls later that day after the wedding. And so it was not only an emotional day because of the wedding, but it was possible they might not see their son and his small family too often after they left.

Benji was thankfully napping while the family gathered in the backyard under Petra's decorated arch to watch Lexi and Felix marry.

Considering these two thought they might never be together truly, this was quite an extraordinary day. This day would forever be one of their best remembered days.

No sooner were they changed out of the wedding outfits did the taxi arrive. Felix had arranged a transfer to the Moonlight Falls army base and he and Lexi had found a nice shack to move to in this nearby small community. They said goodbye to their family home and set out together as one new, small and happy family for the chapter in their lives.

Petra was sad to see her son and Lexi go. But she knew it was for the best. The less people that knew about their unorthodox relationship, the better. She just hoped she'd be around long enough to go visit them one day. Nevertheless, this sad day inspired a new book by the best selling author; Love Where You Least Expect It: My Son's Story. This book sold millions of copies around the world, and paid for future renovations by Ana, long after Petra was no longer with them.

Ana was enjoying her time back home. Now that her sister was married to Sam and living next door, and her brother was off with his small family in Moonlight Falls, Ana knew she was to remain at home and take care of her ageing parents. Which was fine with her.

Ana loved heading off in to the town and exploring the less well known areas.

Stumbling across this unsual little shop was a highlight for Ana. She was immediately intrigued by all the jars of potions lining the walls and the interesting old book stacked everywhere.

Ana immediately began reading one of the books she bought on her exploration trip that day. Alchemy seemed to be her calling and she decided she needed to look into it a little more.

For nearly as long as this long standing family had been living on this part of land, an old lair rested below them. The kids had grown up knowing not to go down there, but now Ana wanted to change it from the old vampire lair into her own little sanctuary.

It didn't take long to add some new furniture and begin to fill the place with old artefacts and books that Ana found in that out of the way alchemy store by the beach.

She began researching more and more into the ancient art of alchemy and the more she discovered, she more she wanted to know.

The family graveyard soon had another addition. Niki Cooper, Petra's cousin and Lexi's mother, was laid to rest after passing away from old age. Petra took Ana down a few days later to pay their respects to Niki, and the rest of this ancient family.

Petra knew that she would soon be joining her family in this old cemetary. She took this oppurtunity to tell her daughter how to run the family. Ana was the only child of Petra's left in the house, and it was important that Ana knew the responsibilities of running the family after Petra was gone.

The years had been kind to this elderly couple, but both Ziggy and Petra knew that their time on this earth would be up soon.

Ana knew that she would have to lose her parents before she became the matriach of her family, and she dreaded that day. But she kept busy with her alchemy and spent as much time with her parents as they had left.

It was almost as if Petra knew. For only a week after she took Ana to the graveyard that afternoon, Petra was resting in the living room, when she suddenly rose to her feet.

It was a silent and peaceful passing. No fuss for this quiet matriach.

 The house was quiet and Ana walked past the place she knew her mother would be. When her eyes fell on the empty couch and the small box, a gift from the Grim Reaper, with her mother's name on it, Ana felt her heart break. Her beloved mother was gone.

And here ends chapter thirty-five. Thanks for reading! Until chapter thirty-six is out, here's a quick peek.

How will Ziggy cope without Petra? He started out life as her first toy, how will he be able to survive without his ghostly partner?

And will Ziggy be able to help his young daughter as she takes over the household?

And who is this terrifying man that Ana keeps seeing around the town?