Chapter Text
Alexandria Jane Tyler leaned against the trunk of an old Elm tree that sat in her grandfather Peter Tyler's front yard. It was a beautiful day, the sun beaming down warming the earth, the air.
Her long, golden blonde hair blew gently in the breeze. She'd meant to put in a ponytail, but had forgotten in her haste to get outside into the sun. With a smile, she drummed the end of her pencil onto the thick paper of her sketchbook.
Perfect weather for sketching, it was.
At the moment Alex, as she called herself, was working on a portrait of her cat, Ten. He was a proud, short haired Calico who enjoyed lazy days like this just as much as she did.
She grinned, thinking of how long it had taken her to convince her father, John, to let her have a cat in the first place. He'd never liked them, but Ten was different. They'd found him as a newborn kitten, hiding under their porch. The poor little thing had been shaking like a leaf, scared and alone.
Once her father's eyes met the kitten's, she knew that little Ten was hers.
Said feline was curled up next to her, fast asleep. Alex gave him a few gentle strokes on his furry back.
His ears perked up to the sound of laughter coming from the house. Alex looked and saw her parents laughing at what she figured was a shared joke.
She smiled, seeing the love shining in their eyes as they gazed at one another. To any person who didn't know them, they would think that they were ordinary, just another couple. Oh, they were far from that, indeed.
That made Alex smile. Truth be told, she loved the uniqueness of their family and how it came to be. Her parents had feared she'd be put off by it, or even disturbed. But she wasn't. Considering the many things she had seen over her lifetime, this was by far the least of the odd.
Her eyes were the same shade as her father's, which Alex was always very proud of. He was a bit a hero to her, though he was just as mortal as she. One didn't need to have to have the ability to live forever to be special, to mean everything to the world, the universe even.
“Alex, we've got lunch ready!” her mother called out.
She carefully gathered up her art supplies and headed towards the house, Ten in tow. “Coming!”
Since it was such a lovely day, Rose had set up lunch on the patio table. There was plenty of finger food, which was Alex's favourite. Bite sized sandwiches, vegetables, and an array of fruit with of course a giant pitcher of iced tea.
Alex arched a brow, flashing a grin at her father. “Wow, you're out of the suit for once.”
John gave his daughter a mock hurt expression. “I wear other things!”
“Tuxedos sometimes, for Dad's fancy events.” Rose pointed out, her eyes twinkling with humour.
John gave his wife the same look as his daughter. “I wore that turtleneck you got me.”
“Once.” Rose and Alex said at the same time.
Conceding defeat, he distracted them by pouring each a glass of iced tea and fussing over Ten, who had come to his side of the table to demand attention.
This made the two women laugh.
“I like your suits, though, Dad.” Alex decided to throw him a proverbial bone, just this once. But truly she did. They looked good on him and complemented his slim frame.
He beamed at her, giving his signature grin that made him look mischievous and adorable at the same time.
“Yeah,” Rose gently ruffled her husband's hair, “especially the blue one, yeah?” she winked.
John smiled up at Rose, then cupped her cheek in his hand bringing her down for a gentle kiss. The love there was obvious, plain as the sun in the sky.
Alex wanted a love like that. She had just turned twenty not a few days ago and had many years ahead of her to find it. But, find it she would. She wouldn't settle for less.
While Alex ate, she idly drew pictures on a fresh page in her sketchbook. If had looked down before she'd closed it, she'd have seen that there was not a doodle of a flower, but one of a wolf...