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So much for keeping still and not disturbing my husband.

"I think I forgot how to sleep," I said, rolling over to face him. "Can you re-teach me? Maybe with a demonstration."

He smiled, a lopsided little smirk that made my heart squeeze. "First lesson: close your eyes. Second lesson: listen to the sound of my voice. Third lesson: try not to think of any more disasters."

"Well, now that's the only thing I'm going to think about."

"Then maybe we talk through them, hmm?" He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Tell me what you are fretting about?”

I hesitated, tracing a finger over the warm skin of his shoulder. "That might take all night.”

He feigned an alarmed look. "Okay, maybe hit me with the one that’s bothering you most, and we’ll go from there."

"Are you worried about… Hugo and Lisette?"

He didn't answer right away, which made my nerves buzz with concern.

"Why would I be worried about them?"

I forced a smile, but my insides churned. "I mean, they already have a mother, even if she's in witch pokey. Now they have me, and a new baby on the way? What if they feel like I'm just… taking over their whole life?"

Etienne was quiet, thoughtful. I loved that he never tried to dismiss my fears outright, even when they sounded dumb. "Lisette adores you," he said finally. "Hugo worships you, but would never admit it. They already see you as family."

"But this is different," I pressed. "It's one thing to be the cool stepmom who lets them have extra dessert and teaches them how to levitate a spoon. It's another to add a whole new sibling into the mix. That's a lot, Etienne."

He smiled softly. "Mally, you have never been 'the cool stepmom.' You are their mother. Far more than their biological mother."

“To be fair, your ex isn’t a hard act to follow.”

He laughed and kissed the back of my hand, holding it against his chest. "They will love this baby because it is theirs, and because it is yours."

I squinted at him. "You make it sound so easy."

He shrugged. "It is easy. Children are simple. They love, they fight, they get over it. Adults make things complicated." He hesitated, and then: "What is the real fear,chérie? Tell me."

It took me a second to find words. "I just… don't want them to feel like they're being replaced. Or that they're not special anymore." I chewed the inside of my cheek. "When I was little, Mom never made me feel different for my lack of magic ability. But I still felt like an outsider. Everyone is going to be curious, and I’m sure a bit suspicious about our child. The baby is bound to draw a lot of attention. I don’t want Hugo and Lisette to feel less important."

Etienne was silent for a long moment. Then he rose up on one elbow, pinning me with a look that could melt asphalt. "Do you know what they said to me just days after meeting you?"

"No?"

"They said, 'Can we call herMamannow, or is that only for real mothers?'"

My heart stumbled over itself. "They said that?"

"They did. I told them they could call you anything they wanted, butMamanwas perfect. Because you are, for them, the only real mother they have ever known."

I sniffed, not bothering to hide it. "You're making this up so I'll go to sleep, aren't you?"

He smiled, kissing away a tear before it could escape. "I am French. We do not lie about such things."

I cuddled in closer, letting the warmth of him seep into me. "Maybe we should do something special for them separate from the announcement party."

On our ride home, we’d already discussed that we needed to have a family get together to tell everyone the exciting news.

"Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"Something fun. Maybe a picnic? Or a day at the zoo?" My mind raced with possibilities. "It has to be perfect. Not too over-the-top, but not boring, either. Maybe with cake."