Little Celena snuggled deeper into her soft, warm bed as her father Blake sat beside her, ready to tell her favorite bedtime story once again. Even though she was only two years old, Celena never seemed to tire of hearing about the night she got her name.
"Alright, my little star," Blake began, smoothing Celena's dark curls off her forehead. "Let's see. It was the night of your first birthday party. We had the celebration at our cabin in the woods, with all our family and friends."
"Uncle Reggie and Aunt Nana were there, right Daddy?" Celena piped up. She loved hearing about her Uncles and Aunt...as she calls them.
"That's right, sweetheart. Reggie and Nana came all the way from their home far away, even though they were supposed to be on their honeymoon. They loved you so much that they delayed their special trip just to be there for your big day."
Celena smiled, hugging her teddy bear tight. It made her feel so good to know how much they all cared about her.
Blake continued the story. "So Reggie and Nana celebrated with us, but then they had to go back home the next day to finally start their honeymoon. And your Uncle Randal was there too, but he couldn't stay long either. He had to go to work at the club. You know how much he loves the nightlife and the music."
Celena nodded. Her Uncle Randal was so cool and always had funny stories about the people he met while working as a bartender.
"But there was one person who decided to stay the night after the party," Blake said. "And that was your Uncle Gunther. He didn't have anywhere else he needed to be, since the church parish he worked for was getting along just fine without him for a little while."
Blake paused, looking thoughtful. Celena waited, wide-eyed. She knew this was the part where Daddy told a bit more about Uncle Gunther.
"You see, baby girl, your Uncle Gunther used to have a pretty wild life. He got into some dangerous things and ended up in a very scary situation. But after all that trouble, Gunther decided to turn his life around. He found peace in joining the church and becoming a priest."
Celena wasn't quite sure about the kind of trouble her father was referring to, but she knew it wasn't a happy story. She was glad Uncle Gunther was a priest now instead of being in danger.
Blake smiled and tapped Celena gently on the nose. "But I'll tell you a little secret about Gunther. He may be a priest, but he still has a bit of a drinking problem. That man sure loves his whiskey! He better be careful or his bad habit might be the one thing that keeps him out of Heaven and sends him straight to you-know-where!"
"She's asleep," Blake reported, draping an arm around his wife. "I told her the name story again."
Rose laid her head on Blake's shoulder. "She never gets tired of that one. I'm glad we have that happy memory to share with her. Proof that there is light to be found even in the darkest of times."
Blake nodded, but there was a troubled crease between his eyebrows. Rose noticed and sat up straighter, taking his hand.
"What's wrong, my love? I can see something is weighing on you."
Blake was quiet for a long moment. Then he spoke softly, hesitantly. "Do you ever worry about the future, Rose? About what will happen when Celena is older and starts to question our way of life? When she realizes how different she is from everyone else and wonders why she has to hide it?"
Rose's grip tightened on Blake's hand. This was a topic they had danced around many times, always with a sense of foreboding.
"Of course I worry," Rose admitted. "How could I not? Our daughter is extraordinary, Blake. She has powers beyond imagining. And you're right, the day will come when she'll want to explore the full extent of her abilities. When she'll start pushing the boundaries we've set for her."
The couple fell silent for a moment, the weight of their unspoken fears heavy in the room. Neither wanted to voice the chilling question that haunted them both: what if they couldn't control Celena? What if, despite their best efforts, their daughter's vampire side won out and she became a creature of the night they could no longer recognize?
Finally, Blake let out a long, slow breath. He pulled Rose close and kissed her hair. "Whatever the future holds, we'll face it as a family," he said firmly. "Celena is our daughter and we will never stop fighting for her. Never stop loving her."
"No matter what," Rose agreed, blinking back sudden tears.
They held each other on the couch, drawing strength and solace from their bond. The house was dark and quiet around them. In her room down the hall, Celena dreamed, her sleep untroubled. She was too young to know the fears that kept her parents awake at night, the battle that might loom in her future. A battle between the human and vampire sides of her nature, with her very soul as the prize.
For now, she was safe. Protected by the unwavering love of her mother and father. But Blake and Rose knew that innocence couldn't last forever. Someday, their little girl would have to choose her own path.