MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Before he could put his finger on what was bothering him, Rose interrupted his thoughts. "Blake, could you please go get Celena ready for breakfast?" Rose said.

"Okay hun, right away!" Blake replied as he hurried upstairs.

Rose finished setting out the food, then slipped off the oven mitts she'd been wearing.

There, stark against her pale skin, she noticed a patch of mottled gray on the pad of her index finger . It looked almost like a bruise, but the edges were too precise, the color too ashy.

"What the hell is this? Why is my thumb dark?" She asked herself. The mark wasn't there the previous day nor did she notice it when she woke up.

What then could it be?

She knew couldn't let Blake see this unless she wanted him to call the fire service, army and even astronauts on her behalf. She knew her husband loved her but sometimes it felt he did a little too much. She wasn't complaining though.

She went about her routine of setting breakfast up while cleaning the mess she made in the kitchen. Already she could hear Celena and Blake's voices in the upper cabin. It was bath time and boy, did her little girl like bath time. Minutes later, she was done and she sat waiting for Celena and Blake while her eyes were still fixed on her thumb.

Rose quickly hid the dark mark when she heard Celena padding into the kitchen. She was dressed in an adorable little pink princess gown, complete with a matching ribbon tied on her tousled hair.

"Good morning, Mommy!" she cried, running to hug Rose around the legs. "I picked out my dress all by myself. Do you like it?"

"Well, don't you look beautiful!" Rose exclaimed, scooping Celena up and peppering her face with kisses. "Is it a special occasion?"

"Uh-huh," Celena said seriously. "Yesterday was my birthday, so that means today is my birthday eve. Daddy said I could wear my princess dress."

Rose turned to Blake with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, did he now?"

Blake held up his hands in mock surrender, chuckling. "Hey, it made her happy. And after the scare we had with you, I figured we could all use a little extra celebration."

"I suppose you're right," Rose allowed, smiling. "Okay, Princess Celena, go wash those royal hands and then we'll have a feast fit for a birthday eve!"

Giggling, Celena scampered off to the bathroom.

Rose pasted on a bright smile and began serving up breakfast.

They settled at the table, enjoying the delicious breakfast Rose had prepared. Pancakes, eggs, bacon - all of Celena's favorites. The little family chatted and laughed, savoring the peaceful morning together.

After the meal, they moved to the living room. It was a cozy space, with plush couches, a crackling fireplace, and large windows overlooking the tranquil woods outside. Celena plopped down in front of the TV, engrossed in her favorite cartoons.

Blake and Rose sat on the sofa, watching their daughter with content smiles. But beneath the surface, both of their minds were churning with unspoken worries.

Blake couldn't stop thinking about yesterday's events - Rose's sudden collapse, her inexplicable weakness. Even though she seemed fine now, laughing and playing with Celena, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was still very wrong.

Rose, meanwhile, was preoccupied with the dark mark she'd discovered on her index finger. She'd managed to keep it hidden during breakfast, but the sight of it filled her with a creeping sense of dread. What did it mean? Was it somehow connected to her illness?

As they sat in silence, each lost in their own troubled thoughts, a question suddenly occurred to Blake. He turned to Rose, his brow furrowed.

"Rose, do you ever... Do you ever miss the big city? Our old life there?"

Rose looked at him in surprise, taken aback by the unexpected query. "What? Why do you ask?"

Blake shrugged, trying to seem casual even as his heart raced. "I don't know. It's just, we've been living out here in the woods for two years now. We've made it our home. But sometimes I wonder if you miss it. The condos, the estates, the bustle of city life."

Rose was quiet for a moment, considering. Then she shook her head. "No, not really. I mean, sure, sometimes I think about the convenience of having everything at our fingertips. But Blake, you know I sold all of that when... when you were taken."

Her voice hitched slightly on the last word, the memory of that terrible time still painful. Blake reached over and took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I know. I was just thinking about how different our life is now. The environment here, it's not exactly conducive to raising a child in some ways."

Rose's eyes widened. "Are you having second thoughts about living out here? I thought we agreed, after everything that happened, that it was best to stay away from all of that. The media drama, the prying eyes, the constant scrutiny..."

"No, no," Blake assured her quickly. "I'm not having second thoughts. Home is wherever you and Celena are. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't feel like you had to stay out here because of me. That you knew the option was still open, if you ever changed your mind."

Rose's expression softened. She leaned over and kissed Blake gently. "I appreciate that, love. And you're right, maybe one day we'll decide it's time to move back to the city. Let Celena experience the bigger world out there. But for now, this is where I want to be.

With our little family, in the peace and quiet of nature."

Blake nodded, relieved. He wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders, pulling her close as they turned their attention back to their daughter's cartoons.

But even as they sat there, soaking in the ordinary magic of a lazy Saturday morning, the shadow of unease lingered. Rose's assurances couldn't quite banish the feeling that something momentous was looming on the horizon.

For now, though, they clung to this pocket of normalcy, this bubble of family warmth. The outside world and all its threats could wait. In this moment, they had each other - and that was enough.