Chapter Seventeen

~Leonard~

Entering my apartment, I slammed the door behind me, shaking my head in frustration. "I'll never understand that woman," I muttered, leaning against the door and rubbing my temple. A knock on the door interrupted me as I tried to collect my thoughts. I sighed and said, "I'm not in the mood, Graceona. Go home. We'll talk later."

"It's not Grace, it's Darin. You busy?"

I opened the door and found Darin holding a couple of baseball bats and mitts. I gave him a questioning look. "Let me guess, Graceona sent you?"

"Nope, it's still baseball season. Playing baseball after midnight is the best time. Are you up for it?"

I glanced at him and replied, "I planned to stay home tonight, maybe tomorrow. I want some alone time for tonight."

He looked at me quizzically and asked, "What did she do this time? If you choose to hang out alone, you feel down or annoyed. Do you want to relax, watch Netflix, or maybe train in the forest to blow off steam? Sometimes, a good fight can help calm all your problems."

"I suppose we could watch some Netflix. Looks like it's going to be a sleepless night for me. Come on in. Natalia dropped off some leftovers from the party. Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to change into something more cozy." I stepped aside to let Darin enter, and he placed his belongings against the wall by the door. Darin whistled as he looked around the house.

"You've made it from a hazardous house to a mansion. Must be nice without a troublesome teenager running around."

I glanced at him. "It's something. It's a relief not having to worry about the eviction notice I was facing. Plus, my house stays clean now. When are you planning to host the next caged match?"

"Caged match? Those happen every Wednesday night. I used to host them until that vampire killed some of us. I'm unsure if I should host another one, especially with a staff shortage. There weren't many legendary vampires that night." I looked at him as he sighed. "It was a good thing you weren't there; that rogue vampire took out a lot of powerful warriors; with you being human, it was a blessing that you had stayed home."

"Right." I looked at Darin.

"So, how does it feel to be a father?"

"I'm excited about it." I exhaled a sigh.

"You don't sound very excited, you have the chance that many of us didn't," Darin said, looking at me with a raised brow,

"I'm not the one upset about it; that's what Graceona and I are arguing over; she isn't thrilled about the idea of having children and having her life hindered, as she called it."

Darin sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Grace is strange; I'm sure she'll come around; she always does; give her time."

I walked into the sitting room, sitting on the couch, as Darin followed suit. "Grace isn't a horrible person; deep down, she cares. I've seen her caring side. I try to think this pregnancy is something that hinders her, but I also feel I'm being too hard on her. It does take two, but I'm also aware that, as parents, we should be together in this. I grew up with a single parent. My mom worked and provided the best way she knew how and with the means she had; however, I'm now in a situation where I can step up and be the father that I never had. I don't doubt that Graceona will love those children; this is new to her, it's new to both of us, everybody handles things differently, I seek redemption, and Grace is all about going and the fact that she can't go nonstop I suppose that is something that she considers hindrance I suppose for 200 years rest and taking it easy is something she has never done…" I looked at Darin. "I think I should go talk to her."

Darin looked at me. "I think you should; if you think you calmed down enough, you should work it out. Grace may do and say things people disagree with, but she does have reasons for doing so. She's really into you other than me. I'm not aware that she has given anyone else a second glance. I wouldn't say the two of us dating; we never kissed, and we never made it a week, so she must think that you are something; she's the way she is because she cares for you. Graceona never was a person who could express her emotions properly; she's more show and not tell. if she was told that relationship would die before the hour ended." He chuckled, "She'd be a good author, ay, that would be weird if she became a writer."

"Why would you think it would be a weird profession for Grace to be a writer?" I asked.

"Leonard, you know that Grace has little to no imagination, she doesn't read, reading she says is boring, you have to read a book to write one."

"I don't know, dude. I think she could do it."

"Why not tell her that she will be resting for nine months? That'd give her something to do; she'd be busy. The woman needs a hobby."

"Right, stay as long as you want; I'm gone." I walked from the door.

"I'm taking all the ho-ho dogs. Take your time, dude."

"You do that, Darin."

I walked from the home, shutting the door behind me. The once clear night was now a downpour morning, the sun about to come out as I rushed to the palace.