“But what if you don’t find love?”
He sighs. “If I make a promise to join you if I give up, will that help?”
Parxon shakes his head. “Zeu—”
“No, it is all right. She is our daughter.” He envelops me in his arms. “I promise, my little one, if I feel I would be happier with you, in your world, absolutely, I will come.” He laughs. “And then I will move in with you, and your man will never spank you again because he will fear me overhearing.”
I tearfully laugh with him.
“Well, he’s not wrong,” Dexter jokes. “And we’ll come back for the dark moon to visit. That’s only two weeks away.”
Without fanfare, Parxon takes Garrett and Amber and all the boxes of stuff through the ring, returning seconds later.
I feel like my heart is breaking all over again. “Please come with me. Please don’t leave me again.”
“Shh,shh, angel,” Dad says, holding me, rocking me. “It will not be long before I will be there with you all the time.”
“Zuzu,please, come with him.”
“Mazbushka, I made you a promise, and I will keep it.” He kisses my forehead and pulls me in for a hug. “We will see each other. This is not good-bye. And if things do not work out to my liking, then we will talk about me moving there. Besides, you have a man to love and let spank you. He will take care of you for us. He seems like an agreeable fellow.”
I sense Dexter step in behind me. “It’ll be all right, love.”
“Both of you come over. Please?”
Dad nods and, seconds later, we’re back in Cardiff.
John and Mark are standing there, talking with Garrett and Amber.
“You have your ring, angel,” Zuzu says. “Your father has his. Please, do not cry. Be happy that soon he will be here all the time. This is not an end, but a beginning.”
I nod, but it doesn’t comfort me.
“Love you.” He kisses my forehead, my cheeks. “See you soon, my little angel. Be good until I return.” It’s what he always said to me.
“Love you, too. Both of you.”
Dad hugs me tightly. “Love you so much. This will be all right. I will see you soon.”
I nod, but I’m crying too hard to talk.
After one last round of hugs with everyone, they step back into the stones and…
Gone.
I’m not too proud to admit I plop down right there, on the ground, clutching the ring on my finger against my chest while sobbing my agony to the stars.
41
Five Weeks Later…
Dexter
This isthe second most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen in my life—watching the sun set over the mountains west of Tucson on our first night back from the UK. I sit in front of the living room sliding glass doors that lead out to our balcony as I sip a chilled Moscato Eilidh picked for tonight.
We’ve moved two comfortable chairs here so we can watch the show.
Eilidh is my most beautiful sight—waking up to her curled at my side, with the late afternoon sunlight picking up the golden honey highlights in her hair.
