"Mommy, will I ever get wings?"
Anastasia glanced down at her five-year-old daughter, Aurora, who sat cross-legged in the grass beside her, eyes wide with innocent wonder. The late afternoon sun cast golden highlights in the little girl's dark blonde curls, a perfect blend of her parents.
"Someday, sweetheart," Anastasia said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her daughter's face. "But for now, you just focus on being a kid."
Aurora sighed dramatically, resting her chin on her tiny hands as she watched her older brothers, Alex and Shane, racing across the garden. Bastian was right there with them, tackling Alex to the ground while Shane climbed onto his back like a wild monkey. Laughter echoed through the yard, the sound of pure joy and contentment.
Bastian had grown used to living under the identity of Warren when they were out in public. It took time to adjust, but they had eventually told his parents the truth—with Zadkiel's permission, of course. It hadn't been easy convincing them, but in the end, they had accepted the miracle. Bastian's parents now visited regularly, completely devoted to their grandchildren.
For official records, Anastasia and Bastian had a simple Earth wedding and took on the name Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin in honor of her late father. Bastian had studied law—not that he needed to study, but it helped him blend in. He was now a partner at Wyatt's firm, and Sean had joined him after graduating from Harvard. Sean, unbeknownst to everyone at first, had secretly dated Trixie for four years. They were now married and expecting their first child.
As for Matt and Jenny, their eldest son, Wyatt Jr., was twelve—inseparable from Alex. They had also welcomed twins, Jude and Sylvia. Expectedly, Jude had inherited the power of a demon hunter, while Sylvia was already showing signs of being a little witch. Phillip and Hugh took it upon themselves to train Alex and Wyatt Jr., ensuring they used their immense power responsibly. But training never overshadowed childhood. They only trained three times a week for two hours, leaving plenty of time for them to just be kids.
Billy and Rose had also started their own family, adding to the growing number of children running wild at family gatherings. The house was never quiet, and Anastasia wouldn't have it any other way.
Then there was Elijah—forever the overprotective uncle. His self-appointed mission in life? Ensuring the children's absolute safety… even when they didn't need it.
One time, Alex had tripped over his own feet while playing soccer, and Elijah had burst through the garden hedge wielding a crossbow, demanding to know what "assailant" had harmed his nephew.
"Uncle Elijah, I fell!" Alex had groaned, rolling onto his back.
Elijah had narrowed his eyes at the ground like he was considering smiting the grass itself. "I knew that rock looked suspicious."
And that wasn't even the worst of it. At last year's Christmas gathering, he had insisted on putting "protective charms" on all the presents, convinced that demons might infiltrate the gift exchange.
"Really, Elijah?" Sean had sighed, holding up a teddy bear that had been wrapped in multiple layers of blessed silk. "A demonic invasion via stuffed animal?"
Elijah had crossed his arms. "You can never be too careful."
But the biggest, most ridiculous moment? Anastasia's matchmaking.
Elijah had sworn he didn't need anyone, that he was perfectly fine on his own. Anastasia, of course, took that as a challenge. And so, at one of their family dinners, she had invited a woman named Veronica—a smart, beautiful witch and, most importantly, patient enough to deal with Elijah's dramatics.
The moment he realized what she had done, he had turned to her with the driest glare imaginable. "Tell me you didn't."
"I did." Anastasia had smiled sweetly, watching as Veronica approached with a friendly smile. "Be nice."
Elijah had muttered something about betrayal under his breath, but then Veronica had opened her mouth and matched his sarcasm word for word. By the end of the night, they were deep in conversation, and Anastasia had caught Elijah sneaking glances at her when he thought no one was looking.
"Oh, shut up," he had grumbled when Anastasia smirked at him.
Now, over a year later, he and Veronica were still "getting to know each other," though the rest of the family had already decided she was here to stay.
Christmas was always a disaster in the best possible way.
The house was packed. Kids running everywhere, adults shouting over one another, and Billy swearing at the turkey as it somehow caught fire—again.
"Billy, for the love of everything, how do you manage to burn it every year?" Rose demanded, frantically waving a dish towel at the smoking oven.
"I don't know! It just happens!"
"It's cursed," Elijah deadpanned from the corner, arms crossed. "Clearly."
"Nothing is cursed," Bastian said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's Billy."
"Who gave Jude a sword?!"
Matt's voice rang out over the sound of wrapping paper being torn apart, and all eyes turned to the 5-year-old who was currently swinging an actual blade through the air.
Phillip cleared his throat. "That would be me."
"Phillip!" Jenny threw her hands up. "He's five!"
"Five and destined for greatness!" Phillip countered. "Besides, it's blunt. Mostly."
Jenny snatched the sword away as Jude pouted, and Bastian chuckled, nursing a glass of whiskey. Sean, ever the instigator, leaned over. "I mean, if he's going to be a demon hunter, he might as well start early."
"Not. Helping," Jenny hissed.
Anastasia sat back, watching the disaster unfold, when a sudden shriek filled the room. "Uncle Billy, no!"
Billy, in all his drunken wisdom, had taken it upon himself to challenge Alex and Wyatt Jr. to a 'duel,' which had resulted in both kids using their powers to suspend him in mid-air. He flailed, cursing under his breath, while Rose stood off to the side, sipping her wine.
"You deserve this," she said flatly.
Billy scowled. "I thought wives were supposed to be supportive."
"Not when their husbands act like idiots," she shot back, raising her glass in a mock toast.
Meanwhile, the kids had started an all-out war with wrapping paper, turning the living room into a battlefield of torn ribbons and shredded bows. At some point, Aurora ended up on Alex's shoulders, wielding a cardboard tube like a sword, while Jude and Wyatt Jr. took cover behind the couch, plotting their attack.
Phillip and Hugh, ever the responsible ones, sat on the sidelines with their drinks, placing bets on which child would emerge victorious.
"I give Alex five minutes before he surrenders," Phillip mused, taking a sip of his wine.
"You're underestimating Aurora," Hugh countered. "She's got the fire."
Then there was Matt and Sean, who had found the eggnog.
"Do we really need this much?" Matt asked, staring at the absurd amount of spiked eggnog on the counter.
"It's Christmas," Sean replied, already pouring himself another glass. "And we have to survive this madness somehow."
Eventually, everyone gathered around the massive tree, exchanging gifts, laughter filling the space.
Elijah, despite his grumbling, had a soft smile on his face as Veronica leaned into him, watching the chaos unfold. Billy finally managed to get a non-burnt turkey on the table. And for a few precious hours, the world was perfect.
As the night wound down, Bastian pulled Anastasia into his arms, resting his forehead against hers.
"We did good, didn't we?" he murmured.
She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Yeah. We did."
The war was long over. Their family had grown. And no matter what the future held, they would face it together.
Forever.