Mother walked over to me and gave me a hug that was supposed to be comforting but instead was suffocating. “It’s okay, honey. These things happen. We’ll get you home, and then we can figure it all out. Dad just wants to know who it was so we can sue for child support. I mean, if it was a hippy on the trail, then it won’t be much support, but at least it would be a way for them to take responsibility.”
Suddenly, I had yet another realization. They thought I had gotten knocked up way out here in the woods and needed their help. But it wasn’t like that. At least, I hadn’t thought it was.
“Ya’ll have it all wrong. I met my mate, and he’s not a hippy hiking the trail. Well, technically, he was hiking the trail, but he’s not a hippy. He’s a…” I hesitated to tell them the truth because I wasn’t sure if that was even allowed, so I decided to hedge the truth a bit. “He lives in the north, and he’s a delivery driver.”
Mother fell back toward the sofa and fanned her face. “Dear, it’s worse than we thought. You got involved with a random UPS driver? I mean, UPS is a good job, but, sweetheart, he left you out here by yourself. How good of a provider can he be? Even places like UPS can hire unsavory characters now and then.”
This was getting insane. While Mother was going on and on about UPS and good providers, Dad had been quietly grinding his teeth and looking like he wanted to hurt someone. Looking at my phone, I opened it and saw I had missed twenty texts and several calls from Hale. All my worry last night had been for nothing, obviously, but also, it was clear that right now, I didn’t need to be separated from my mate. Something was going to have to happen, and soon.
“Mother, Dad, I’m going outside to make a phone call. I'll explain everything as soon as I get back, but you both need to calm down.”
I walked out onto the front porch, and as the door closed, I heard a cork pop on a bottle of wine. Good, at least Mother would be chilling out soon. I texted Hale first that I was about to call, but my phone rang before I had a chance.
“Hale, where were you last night? What happened?”
“Alden, what happened to you? I kept trying to call, and the phone kept going straight to voicemail all night. And then, all day today, I couldn’t get you. I was getting frantic.”
“I’m fine. Well, I’m sort of fine and sort of freaking out, but mostly fine.”
“Little owl, you are not helping. Freaking out and fine should never be in the same sentence.”
Laughing, I walked into the front yard and leaned against a big oak tree by my parent’s rented SUV. Rolling my eyes at the monstrosity, I clarified the best I could for my mate.
“Okay, here’s the gist. I freaked out last night because I realized I’ve been so sick because I’m knocked up, probably, won’t know for sure without a test, but today my parents showed up because I refused to come to Thanksgiving because I was sick, and they figured it out, too, and they’re here to help and to find the miscreant who knocked up their baby boy and make him pay child support and take responsibility. I started to explain, but then I didn’t know if it was okay to tell them about the big guys and the magic stuff, so I said you lived up north and were a delivery driver on vacation hiking the trail. Now, Mom’s happy you’re not a hippy, but she wonders what kind of provider you can be as a UPS driver who knocks up random guys in North Carolina and then skips town. Dad is silent and grinding his teeth, which I don’t even know what that means, but I can’t be away from you anymore. Is there any way I can move up there, like now?”
Silence was so deafening on the other end of the line I thought the call had been dropped. Finally, Hale laughed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “I’m glad you think this is so funny, Hale, but it’s not that funny where I am at the moment.”
“Oh, my little owl. I love you so much and am thrilled to hear you want to move now. I’ve been going crazy missing you and worrying about you down there by yourself. Let me make a call, and I can be there in a couple of hours. Will that be okay?”
“I mean, yeah. I would love to see you in a few hours, but how the hell are you going to manage that?”
“Did you forget about the magic, Alden? I’ll see you in a few.”
Ending the call, I realized that, once again, I had indeed forgotten about the freaking magic. But as I took a deep breath and got ready to go back inside, I realized something else even more important.
He said he loved me!
11
COMET
“Santa, I need a favor.”
I had never before asked a Santa for a favor, but this was an emergency, and I wasn’t above begging.
“I need to get my mate and bring him back here today, but he’s all the way down in North Carolina. Is there any way you can help me? I’ll do whatever you need for the next year, but I really need the help. He’s expecting, and his parents are freaking out, and I’m sort of freaking out, too.”
Santa 3 held up his hand and stopped my rant. “Hale, you don’t have to promise to do something for me. I’m glad to help. You’ve always done exactly what we asked of you and never asked anything in return. We’ve actually been hoping you would need our help at some point so we could return the hard work you put in every day. Now, just tell me when you want to go, and I’ll be ready.”
On a whim, I hugged the jolly man in a bear hug that picked him up off the ground, but then I remembered who the hell I was manhandling and gently set him down.
“Oh, crap, sorry about that. Um, can we leave in an hour? I have a few things I want to finish up at home before Alden sees the place.”
His jolly laughter was infectious, and soon, I was laughing with him. “Absolutely. I’ll see you in an hour.”
As I ran home to get the house ready, I texted Rayne’s mom, Misty, to tell her I would have to cancel his lesson this afternoon and that I might have a new patient for her soon. She sent back a thumbs up to the lesson cancellation, but in response to the other news, she sent hearts, roses, and kissy emojis for three whole lines, followed byCongratulations. Word traveled fast, I guess.
When I got home, I immediately stripped out of my training clothes and got a quick shower, changing into my favorite jeans, Henley, sweatshirt, and jacket. It was similar to what I’d worn the last time he’d seen me, but not as worn and grimy. I wanted Alden and his parents to know I could clean up just as well as anyone else. After I brushed my teeth, gargled, and checked my deodorant and hair, I walked into the bedroom and admired my latest building project. I was glad I’d gotten busy early because it was already finished for his first night in his new home.
