"Well, not his birth mother, of course," Pashain said with a kind smile. "Sadly, we lost her a few years back."
"But still my mom," Kanik assured her.
"It's so nice to finally meet you," Gill said, offering his hand between those two. I took it only for him to wrap his otheraround mine and grip gently. "I want to ask all the normal questions, like how you met, but I already know them."
"How do you like being partnered to a teacher?" Pashain asked, but it was with the sort of smile that proved she was helping her partner know what to ask.
"Kanik taught me Vestrian," I bragged. "I think that means I like it a lot. He's also helped me understand so much about the world, from hand-to-hand combat to what happened in the centuries the Moles were underground."
"And," Rymar said, making his way out with his herd of family, "we broke a few of her misconceptions about religion while we were at it. It seems Moles have a very strict view of a vengeful god."
"An angry and hateful one," I agreed, guiding everyone away from the door as a line began to form. "Is everyone here?"
"We were the last, I think?" Gill said, checking with Kanik.
"Yep," Kanik said, but his attention snapped behind me. "Tamin, Holly is not allowed to fetch those. Make her sit!"
"Sit!" the boy ordered.
I turned to see him pointing at the ground, but Holly was intent on the slow training arrows he used. I had a better idea. "Put the bow away and throw a stick for her," I told him.
"Okay, Aunt Ayla!" Tamin agreed.
Which made Kanik's mother chuckle. "You're good with kids."
"Other people's kids," Saveah said, moving in beside me like she'd been waiting for her chance. "Ayla and I have an agreement. I'll carry on our bloodline, and she'll do the fighting. We're both happier this way."
"No kids?" Gill asked, looking at Kanik. "I thought you wanted some."
"I," Kanik told him, "wanted toteachchildren. That's not the same as raising them. I have no interest in marriage. I could goeither way on kids, but not right now. Maybe in five or ten years, but if I never have them, I'm fine with that."
"I wanted kids," Pashain told me. "We got three. Two girls and a boy, and Kanik was right in the middle, so the house was overrun with girls."
"Just him and me," Gill said, grinning at his son.
Which was when Cailyon, Rymar's mother, joined us. "Ayla!" And she pushed through the middle to give me an impressive hug. "I had a feeling my boy would convince you to give him a chance. It's nice to have you as a part of our family."
"Cailyon!" Emerton warned, hurrying over. "Don't you terrorize that girl already!"
I just laughed. Rymar's description of this mess had been completely accurate. There was only one little problem with it: I didn't know how to brag well. I wanted to, but everything I thought to say got stuck before it came out. Either I was worried one of my other partners - and I liked that term a lot - would feel bad because of it, or the man I was complimenting wouldn't like the same thing I'd been impressed by.
But Cailyon's enthusiasm convinced me to try. "Well, I would've been foolish to refuse these three, Cailyon. They are the most handsome men in all of Lorsa. At least to me."
I saw Gill twitch in surprise before grinning at his son again. Pashain clasped Kanik's shoulder, rubbing it proudly. Rymar's parents - the two here - were nodding like they expected nothing less, but Saveah laughed.
"I mean, you're not wrong, Ayla." Then to the others, she added, "And she missed when they were heathens."
"Oh, and they were," Emerton groaned.
Which got both sets of parents talking to each other. Kanik slipped in, mouthing, "Thank you," to Saveah, and guided me away. "So, apparently Zasen's family saw your torc already?"
"When I took Meri to the clinic," I explained. "But they didn't ask about it."
"They knew there'd be an announcement," he explained. "Andthey, unlike mine and Rymar's families, don't need to shove their noses into everything."
"No, but I am proud of you. All of you," I clarified. "Rymar said I could brag today, but it's harder than I thought. I keep worrying I'll say something wrong."
"You're fine," Kanik assured me. "But speaking of fine..." He paused, turning to face me when we were at a safe distance from the rest. "Zasen said you fell asleep in his bed last night. Are you good with that?"
