Chapter 0176

“You’re coming home, son,” Cora says, crossing her arms and glaring at her eldest child. ” Because if I let you stay here, you’ll drink yourself silly with your cousins and then be

useless to me in the morning.”

“Mom!” Jesse begs, sending an anxious glance towards Daphne, who pretends not to notice the whole conversation.

“Jesse,” Roger says, his hands on his hips, his voice low and dangerous. “Get in line. Your mom wants you home, so you’re coming home. If it were up to me I’d leave you here, because you always rile the small ones into rebellion, telling them all sorts of nonsense about free will –”

“They deserve to know the truth!” Jesse protests.

“But your mother wants you home. So?” Roger points emphatically to the front of the line.

Daphne, to her credit, does her very best to suppress her smile and pretend that she’s incredibly interested in the trim that adorns the bottom of dad’s armchair. Ben has no such grace and watches eagerly, laughing. But Jesse, realizing that he’s lost this battle, just groans and pushes himself to his feet, slumping to the front of the line.

boy,” Roger murmurs, patting Jesse on the head. Jesse just

standing at attention, and then – at

with which her kids are swept out into the hall. “Love you, see you tomorrow or the next day or whenever!”

and it’s only when I look over at Luca and Jackson’s shocked faces that I realize how weird it is. I burst out laughing myself, because I mean I’m just so used to the way

himself up into Roger and Cora’s abandoned chair. “I

a refill?” Rafe asks, smiling happily and getting to his feet. “Daphne?” He raises an

Mom says, getting to her feet herself.

it’s our first night

says, giving him a super

protests, throwing out his

“And if I don’t stay up to supervise you, Cora is right – you’ll drink yourselves silly and be all useless tomorrow. And we have things to do!” She

looking around with embarrassment. “You can’t just make everyone go to bed because you’re tired.”

I should go anyway,” Luca says with a sigh, getting to his

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