In the main room was Max, in his triceratops footie pajamas and dragging his fuzzy blankie, regarding Rafe with wide eyes. Rafe stood on the woven rug before the fireplace, wrapped in Magnus’s red silk robe. His eyes narrowed into the death stare that had frightened the other kids at the Shadow Market.

Max, who had never felt threatened by anything in his life, smiled guilelessly up at him. Rafe’s scowl faltered.

Max turned at the opening of the door. He padded swiftly over to Alec, and Alec knelt down to embrace him.

“Daddy, Daddy!” Max caroled. “This the brother orra sister?”

Rafael’s eyebrows went up. He said something quickly in Spanish.

“Not a sister,” Magnus translated from the door. “Max, this is Rafe. Say hi.”

Max clearly took this as confirmation. He patted Alec’s shoulder as if to say: great job, Dad, finally you deliver the goods. Then he turned back to Rafe.

“What are you? Werewolf?” Max guessed.

Rafe glanced at Magnus, who translated. “He says he’s a Shadowhunter.”

Max beamed. “Daddy’s a Shadowhunter. I’m a Shadowhunter too!”

Rafe regarded Max’s horns with an air suggesting: Can you believe this guy? He shook his head firmly and attempted to explain the situation.

“He says you’re a warlock,” Magnus translated faithfully. “And that this is a very good thing to be, because it means you can do magic, and magic is cool and pretty.” Magnus paused. “Which is so true.”

Max’s face screwed up in rage. “I’m a Shadowhunter!”

Rafe waved a hand, his attitude one of deep impatience.

“All right, my blue-ringed octopus,” Magnus interposed hastily. “Let’s continue this debate tomorrow, shall we? Everybody needs sleep. Rafe has had a long day, and it is incredibly past your bedtime.”

“I’ll read you a story,” Alec promised.

Max dropped his fury as swiftly as he’d assumed it. His blue brows knit. He seemed to be thinking deeply. “No bed!” he argued. “Stay up. Be with Rafe.” He sidled up to a stunned-looking Rafael and gave him a big hug. “I’m love him.”

Rafe hesitated, then hugged Max shyly back. The sight of them made Alec’s chest hurt.

He cast a glance back at Magnus, who had an equally smitten expression.

“It’s a special occasion,” Alec pointed out.

“I was never very good at discipline anyway,” said Magnus, and threw himself down beside the kids on the rug. Rafe edged closer, and Magnus looped an arm around him. Rafe cuddled up. “How about you tell us all a bedtime story about what happened in Buenos Aires?”

“It wasn’t that exciting,” Alec said. “Other than: I found Rafe. I missed you. I came home. That’s it. We’ll have to go back and forth to Buenos Aires a few times to finalize the adoption, before we can make it official and tell everyone. Maybe we can all go together sometime.”