Ayla
Omden came over one day, asking for me. That confused me, but when he said it was because Meri wanted me to go to her checkup with her, I assured him I'd be there. I actually liked that she'd asked for me, although he told me she'd also asked Jeera and Brielle to bring the baby, so I understood why she wanted me there.
This was going to be hard for her. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to carry a child, give birth to it, and then give it to someone else. I couldn't imagine being pregnant either, except in the most general ways. Then, to know the child she'd brought into this world was a part of someone who'd been so cruel to her? I couldn't imagine that either.
So all I could do was support my friend however she needed me to.
When the day came, I headed to Drozel and Omden's place to make sure she'd be able to walk that far. I knew there were carts in town for those who couldn't, but I'd never used them. I'd only seen them at a distance, but if that was what Meri needed, then I'd make sure she had one.
Instead, she answered the door in a soft peach dress, looking amazing! Her stomach had flattened a lot, even if it wasn't thesame as it had been as a girl. Her cheeks were fuller though, and that made me happier than I wanted to admit.
"Meri!" I said. "You look great!"
She smoothed down the dress. "Lessa made this for me. She said I have to wait a bit longer for the rest, since my body's still changing, but look!" And she twirled in a circle, showing how the calf-length skirts flared out.
"It's gorgeous," I told her. "So, does this mean you're up for walking the whole way?"
"I am." But she murmured and made a face. "IthinkI am. No one has let me walk that far since the baby arrived, but I feel okay." And she stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "Drozel and Omden are working again, but they said it was okay for me to treat the house like my own. I just don't know what that means."
"It means what it sounds like," I explained. "You can come and go without needing their permission. I think they say that because they're worried we'd wait outside for them to get back, thinking we couldn't just walk in without asking."
"I can see that." But she stopped, looking at my throat. "Is that gold?"
I touched the torc, letting my fingers trace the symbols for the guys. "Yeah. I wanted to tell you about it."
"Okay, but while we walk?" she asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but if Naomi says I'm okay, then I can start sewing again, and I really don't want to be late and miss my chance."
I wasn't going to tell her Naomi would still see her, so I gestured for us to head toward the clinic. From here, it was mostly a straight path, taking us just behind the market. I'd been around town enough on my own now to not get lost, but only if I used the "main" streets.
"So," I said, "it seems Dragons have a lot more customs than Moles. Down in the compound, we had to get married. Therewasn't any option. Up here, a woman can stay 'single' her whole life if she wants. She can get married too, but it sounds like most people don't. Instead, they have something they call a family."
"Like Drozel and Omden," she said, proving she knew a bit of this.
"Yeah," I agreed, "but it isn't to have children, Meri. It's for an emotional bond."
"Lessa told me about that," she said. "And that's why it's okay for her to fuck Drozel, and for Drozel to fuck Omden."
I gaped at her, surprised at how easily she used the profanity. "Uh, yeah. I mean, a family is a group of any number who wants to share their lives. Kids, no kids, or anything else. But yeah, I didn't think about that."
"Like how Brielle and Jeera are with Irrik?" But she made a face. "Although he doesn't live with them."
"No, but I think you've wrapped your mind around this family thing faster than I did." And again I touched the torc. "And this? It's a symbol of commitment. The guys gave it to me to ask if I'd try to be in a family with them."
"Allof them?"
I nodded. "And I agreed. Meri, please don't think I'm a harlot, because it's not like that, but I do like them. And I've kissed all three of them now, and it's so different with each one!"
Her eyebrows shot up. "Really? But how different can kissing be?"
"Very," I assured her. "Zasen is very determined and strong, but in a holding me up, not a shoving me down way. Rymar? He's..." I smiled, thinking about it. "He makes me breathless. He kisses me in a way that should be shameful, but isn't up here. And Kanik's so soft and gentle. He treats me like I'm something valuable, and it..." I fluttered my hands before me to show how flustered I was even thinking about it.
"But how does it work with three..." She grunted. "Partners? That's what Omden calls Drozel, and these men are nothing like husbands."
"I know," I agreed. "But yes, they are my partners, and they mean it! They treat me like an equal, so I thought I should try it, since they all say that if I change my mind, I just have to give the torc back."
"Torc?"
"Necklace," I clarified. "That's the name of this style of necklace, I guess?"
