Episode 108: Release Day (Spence)

It was rare for Spence to wake up alone in bed. Maybe he had gotten up too early, maybe everyone knew he needed some space. Regardless of the cause, he felt alone in the expanse of his king bed. Alone and anxious and rested.

Since he was alone, with no one demanding morning tickles and hugs, he took his time taking a shower and getting dressed.  

When he got out, his face shaved except for the goatee he kept short but present, and his body was dressed in a black shirt and tan shorts, he decided he needed to investigate.

He found Ach in the library nook of their apartment with his blonde hair plastered to the armrest of a couch and his arm drooped to the floor. Held by his other arm, Hugh was nestled with his dark curls that were as opposite to Ach’s as possible. They looked like they had passed out after a war of wills.

Next, he found Cadence – Cady – in her room, sound asleep with an overstuffed cotton-candy-colored sheepdog under her arms and Rembrandt, Ach’s familiar, nestled along the back of her body with his nose draped across her ankle.

The scene continued, with Olida and Orris sitting quietly in the living room putting a 3D puzzle together. Olida had Val on her lap and Jax was asleep along the top of the couch, like a sloth hugging a tree.

The scene reminded Spence of a morning after everyone got drunk (in a movie), except his kids hadn’t even been wild the night before. Somehow, they had all settled into chaotic positions draped across the apartment.

Spence went to the kitchen and pulled down pancake mix, a bowl, a measuring cup, and a whisk. He set up four pans, to maximize cooking quantity, and started coffee.

As he got everything ready, Ella walked in. She was his third born, with long brown hair and big eyes.

She was clutching her duckies blanket and her eyes were still half closed. “Good morning” she said as she pulled herself onto a stool.

Spence smiled at her, “Good morning, Ellabear, how did you sleep?”

“Good,” she replied as she rested her head on her arms.

She watched him fill the bowl with mix then water, asking exactly how much of each he used. He loved how much like Ach Ella tended; she was literal, wordy, adorable…

Spence made the pancakes, pausing to move Ella back to bed once she fell asleep at the counter.

When he got back to the dark blue tiled kitchen, Spence realized he didn’t have to make pancakes, but he was so anxious about the day that he had anyway. They were good pancakes made from the insta mix so all you had to do was not mess up adding water. They were loppy, instead of adorable shapes, but they weren’t burnt.

Spence had forgotten syrup or jam or any sort of topping, so he poured some chocolate chips into a small bowl and some berries and sugar into a pan and he set it on the table. He opened the cupboard to put the pancake mix away.

He did have syrup.

He was struggling that morning; he was usually sharp, but today was the day his dad was going to be released from prison. He had been in the Dells prison for his entire life, plus a few months, and today was the day he wouldn’t be anymore. They had been working on a small cabin for him about a half mile away from the palace, in the pines. The house had room for his prison-girlfriend, Magenta, and their daughter. 

Magenta was in prison because she had turned the queen into a small animal as a joke, except that Konrad didn’t find it funny.

As he worked, the apartment came to life.

He loved his kids. Fort was his oldest, followed by Emma, Ella, and Jax.

He hadn’t been ready for these ones, really, but he had made it work and he had a ton of help. Talise had help too; he liked Niels.

Now he had Orris, Olida, Cady, and Hugh too. They were his Ach kids. Orris and Olida, twins, fit with them effortlessly. 

Cady and Hugh were orphaned in the fire. Hugh was the hardest, with his tough expression and his I-hate-the-world vibe at his entire six years of age, and he needed a home and love and … now he had it. He only made sense because adopting him meant no kids went to orphanages after the Clovercrest fire.

Jo and Val were Niels’, that Talise had adopted, and any day she was going to tell them she was pregnant. Everyone was in a buzzing mood except Spence.

Ach came up, leaned against Spence, and kissed behind his ear. “Nervous?”

Ach knew him. Spence was trying to focus. He had to snap out of it. Having Ach so near, he had a new fixation. Their skin sparked a little, and he could feel a buzz of energy building with their proximity to each other.

Emma ran up to him, disrupting his moment with Ach with something just as magical: “Daddy! Good morning Daddy I love you!”

He swung her into his arms, “Good morning, Emmabean.”

His dad called her Emmabean. He liked the nickname. He started to call Ella Ellabear because of it.

His dad had been in jail – the dad that fathered him not the dad that raised him – because he had taken over the dead king’s body for a little bit. Talise had included him in their kids’ lives since they were born, and it had helped Spence open up to his dad. His dad’s vision was to give everyone in Sylem the longevity the fairies had. The queen – Talise’s mom – was capable of doing so but had refused.

Actually, no one had asked.

He had just arranged for that to happen, to the non Caelum. He was finishing his dad’s work but in a reasonable way. He was going to tell his dad that morning too, while they showed off all the work they had done. Talise had arranged everything. He still loved her. He didn’t want to be with her, but he would always have a deep love for her.

They packed the pancakes up and Talise volunteered to bring them to set up at the house, so they could all eat breakfast with Sam. It was awkward.

“You look tired,” Talise said, a light joke to her tone. The kids were in the rooms between them, so he couldn’t lie.

“I am,” he replied.

“Everything is going to be good. He won’t reject freedom and he’s earned it.”

“I just don’t want this to mess things up.”
Talise rolled her eyes at him. “He loves his grandkids. He loves his sons. He even likes Ach, so really. Relax.”

“Okay,” he replied.

Ach wrapped his arm around his back.

Talise left and the morning carried on with various hugs and good mornings and the explosion of a mess that meant Ach was going to meet them at the house instead of following them downstairs. Olida stated to help him clean up. Niels took Jo, Val, and Orris to meet Talise, and Spence had the four, his four, in a row of hands to bring down to see his dad.

The walk was loud and long and exciting.

Spence finally opened the door to his dad’s cell. His dad’s former cell.

“Hi,” he said.

Sam looked at him, then focused on the ground and swooped Emma, the first to reach him and by far the most lovey social, into his arms.

“Hi grandpa,” Emma said as she wrapped her arms tight around his neck and stared at his face.

“Hi Emmabean,” Sam replied as he kissed her. He looked at the others, “Who’s hungry?”

“Me!” Fort yelled, through his dark short waves that were all Talise.

“Me more!” Jax insisted, as he pushed Fort aside to get the next hug. Jax had Spaden’s hair – fluffy and puffy with airy waves. He had Spence’s general face shape.

“I didn’t have to go to school yesterday,” Emma stated in an effort to draw the attention back to her. She was rested on Sam’s side and content to be there forever.

She was too innocent and loved too easily.

Spence laughed, it was summer term so no one had to go to school yesterday.

“Why not?” Sam asked.

“Can we eat outside today?” Fort interrupted.

It would be nice to have Sam free, so the kids could see him more often and maybe have some one on one time with him instead of the big group meetings.

He hoped his dad would come around often.

“Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaasssssseeee?” Fort begged.

“Sure,” Spence said, then looked at Sam, “Because two days ago was the last day before summer started.”

Sam laughed too, and the awkward started to ebb away into the hope that this was the right choice.

“Is school that bad?” Sam asked Emma.

“A’len cut my hair three days ago. I don’t like school,” she stated.

A’len had cut a half of an inch of hair off from the side, where Emma could see it, and it had turned into a three hour long crying fit catastrophe that resulted in her cool new haircut – that was one inch shorter all around. She was due for a haircut anyway.

“But you like your new haircut,” Spence reminded her.

“So? It was rude” she said, as though her insisting on the full inch wasn’t her idea, and the way she smiled when she swayed it in the mirror wasn’t her being happy with the change.

Spence opened the door to let them out. “Breakfast outside?”

Sam stepped out with them, a little hesitant. This was his first time being let out if the prison without guards following.

“What was rude?” Sam asked Emma.

“A kitty cat!” Ella replied.

“No!” Emma yelled, “That he cut my hair. In class. It fell everywhere and the whole room was covered and it was really mean.” Emma crossed her arms.

Spence loved her imagination, he could focus on for the moment.

“How is Mags?” he asked Sam.

Fort tugged on Sam’s leg until he looked down.

“I can stand on my head for three hours,” Fort proclaimed. He set his hands on the ground and counted to three.

Then, his hours were up and he toppled his toes to the ground. It was ridiculous how proud Spence was, errors and all. He guessed his own set of kids had made Sam want more, want a chance to be a dad instead of see his sons as almost adults, for the first time.

Despite everything Sam had done, Talise had made sure he understood the way Sam devoured their meetings like an addiction. She’d made everything possible, probably by some dead-dad hole she refused to admit existed but he could see.

“That’s impressive,” Sam told Fort. Fort’s smile spread across his face in a Talise-y grin that threatened to never end. Just like his mom’s, it was gone in a flash as his mind moved on to ruining Jax’s attempt at a headstand so he could hold Emma’s legs for her.

“She’s emotionally done with pregnancy I think,” Sam added.

“Maybe she’ll like this,” Spence said as he extended his hand.

The kids looked at the gesture and joined hands too, because apparently the monkeys knew one trick: don’t get left behind from a transport spell.

“Your shoes are on the wrong feet, little girl,” Sam said, teasing, to Ella.

“Whose feet should they be on?” she asked.

Spence laughed through his own smile; his little monsters had some Ach in them too. Ella… he grinned at her pink sneakers on the opposite feet before he ensured he had the cabin in mind, instead of a shoe store, and he dropped the transport pack.

They arrived where he wanted.

His dad took in the entire cabin, in a sweeping glance, as he turned to Spence.

“What’s this?” Sam asked.

“It’s a house,” Fort informed him. “Daddy made it for you.”

“I assume Konrad is aware?

“He is.” 

Sam’s raven familiar landed on his shoulder as the front door to the house opened.

Talise came out.

“Hi,” she said, in the sort of awkward I should announce myself voice she got. She looked at Spence. “The kids are just finishing inside.”

She hugged Sam, the same way she had a thousand times. He couldn’t imagine Ach doing the same, but at least Sam had been accepting of their relationship.

“Thank you both,” Sam said as he let Talise go.

“Don’t thank us yet,” Talise joked. “You get to work, too.”

Sam began to look back at him, but Emma finished a loop around the front yard and grabbed his hand, “I want to show you my picture!”

Sam let her pull him, and Spence hung back. The kids had covered the playroom with pictures, with Talise, over a few weekends. It started as a way to keep them happy while they worked, so they wouldn’t have to leave them in daycare, and had turned into some sort of masterpiece. He knew how Sam would react, because he knew how he would. He could let Sam have that moment.

He wouldn’t want to look that emotional and vulnerable around his kids.

While he waited, he found the stuffed panda Talise had requested her charity with Niels knit, and the knit blanket that had greens mixed together. He was amused – a panda and some bamboo. Talise had an obsession with pandas.

He let the blanket drape over his shoulder so he could toss the bear from hand to hand for a minute.

He wished Ach was around, but he assumed Ach was upstairs too.

After a minute, he heard, “Don’t hit your brother.” He took the stairs two at a time and met them in the playroom.

Sam was as emotional as Spence suspected; his grandkids loved him unconditionally.

“From Talise and Niels, for your daughter,” Spence said.

“You all didn’t have to do this,” sam said, his eyes attached to the neat rows.

“It was planned a few years ago, pending things. Now was good timing. Also, I have news,” Spence said in a rush.

The truth was, this wouldn’t have happened without Talise. As much as he loved Ach, Talise was the glue between him and Sam.

“Yes?” Sam asked.

Spence reached for Ach, and held his hand. He always got quiet around Sam.

“Everyone in Sylem, every non Caelum, even if they aren’t in our cult, is getting immortality.” Spence said. It was the reason behind every action Sam had taken that had landed him in prison, being freely given my Aadya and Meldrick. “Happy early birthday.”

Ach squeezed his hand while Sam’s face moved through the shock of it.

“Well,’ Sam said, settling on his response, “I guess I can die now that my life’s work is done.”

Spence laughed, then took the chance to really shock Sam. He hadn’t told him about Rhyss yet. “I’m running for governor with my brother, Rhyss Haartman.”

Sam tried to play it cool, but his shock was evident. Spence gave it a pass: Today was a day when their chess-like conversations had melted into expressing themselves a bit more.

“Is he?” Sam asked. “What about Jill?”

“No Jill. She was kidnapped a dozen years ago. He’s good- huge.”

“Tall?”

“As Zero,” Spence joked.

Standing between both his dads, it was impossible to think he was Zero’s.

He was Zero’s son, though. They both had feline familiars (Spence’s second go around; his first had been a kinkajou).

“Why is he in clovercrest and not at my house?”

“Xander said Nora refused your accounts. They’re frozen, accruing interest with no one to use them. Your house is probably a spider museum.”

“Rhyss should have inherited them if no one else did. Or you.”

“Probably,” Spence replied. He didn’t know what to say; so much of Sam’s life had been taken from him, had been owed by him.

“Are you ready to be mostly free? You’re not obligated to go back,” Spence joked. “You can, or you can stay here. Konrad wants to see if Mags escapes to find you.”

“We’ll find out,” Sam replied. His lips were spread thing, to hide a small grin.

“Do you want to see the rest of the house?” Spence asked. “There’s an art room full of supplies.”

“Is there?” Sam asked. They moved through the house, room by room, talking about the cascade of events that had encompassed his life: Adopting kids, engagement, the election and how Sam knew he would win.

“What prompted this, years ago?” Sam asked, his eyes fixed on the room overflowing with art supplies.

“Talise,” Spence admitted. “She went to court, to make a display of it. She told then you had only acted to protect your family, that the Caelum were family, but blood matters more to you and you’re family is royal now.”

“She told them that?” Sam asked, eyes a little wider than normal, and the smile of the day still sneaking its way out.

Zero was the dad that raised him and they had things in common, but Sam was his dad in many ways too. The way they both tried to act poised, the way they fought for their own path even if it alienated people or made them look bad to some. Above that, though, they were fiercely loyal to family. More than Zero.

“She doesn’t hate you for leaving her?” Sam asked.

“She’s way happier with Niels,” Spence replied. It was hard, sometimes, loving her so much and not wanting to be there as her husband. The twin thing too…

“And you’re way happier with your prince.”

“Yeah,” Spence replied.

“Am I going to be invited to this wedding?” Sam asked.

A knot formed in Spence, “Will you come? I’d like you to.” He admitted. His dad was wiccan; raised to believe gay was bad. He hadn’t been against Ach or exuberantly for.

“I would prefer to come.”

“Then yes, invited.” Spence relaxed and held back a smile. He continued the tour to show sam the playground they had made outside. It was a symbol: Sam would get to watch their kids here, he’d still have his weekly get togethers and the freedom to come see them too.

“Do you want help with the war, when you’re governor?” Sam asked.

Spence tried to hide his shock.

“You’re done with the Caelum?” he asked, stupidly.

Part of him had believed Talise, and part of him was just now getting there.

“I can give you names of powerful people who want immortality more than they want the Caelum. An incantation to break their compulsion,” Sam said.

“Okay, Thanks. I would appreciate that,” Spence replied.

Before he would be silent too long, thinking of how right Talise was, Emma ran up and wrapped her arms around Sam.

Of all his kids, none seemed to love as passionately as Emma.

“I love you,” she told Sam. Her eyes locked with Sam’s then she ran off to the swingset.

“You too, Emmabean,” Sam’s words trailed after her.

In some ways, he knew he loved Sam too. He had been in his life for years.

It was hard to accept that Spaden shouldn’t exist, far more than it was to get over him possessing the dead king.

In the end, Drey didn’t seem to have minded much. It was something that had come up in Spence’s brief death a few years prior.

Drey had given him words of wisdom in their time spent together: No one was completely good, in some light. It was all about perspective.

He swallowed, standing next to his dad. He was lucky to have two dads that loved him. Lucky to have a dad that would give up his own life in pursuit of providing Spence with a longer one.

He was lucky, in the right light.

He was an idiot, in the other.

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