“Come on in. How are you? Would you like a cup of tea?” Corbin’s smile was genuine, and Calla blinked at him, tilted her head, and then smiled.
“I would love one. Thank you.”
Evander chuckled. “You stay sat; I’ll get it.”
It was amusing as hell to see the Lady of the Court of Roses actually a little disarmed by her son’s genuine happiness to see her. He liked it.
“Look at all of this. It’s lovely.” She tilted her head and blinked at Corbin. “What have I done to deserve this?”
“Well, Mom, I don’t think you have to have done anything to deserve it.” Corbin reached out and took her hand. “I was thinking about you the other day, trying to figure out how you handled us all at the same time. It occurred to me how scared you must have been and how brave you are. I don’t think I’ve given you enough credit for that or said thank you.”
Calla’s eyes went huge in her face, and she blushed so prettily. “It was my honor. I love your father, and to be able to carry his children… it was my honor. It still is.”
Evander stayed out of the way, pouring the tea and bringing it over, quiet as a mouse.
“To be honest, I’m a little scared.”
“Frightened? Why?” She leaned in toward her son. “What’s wrong? I don’t sense anything amiss.”
“My friend Yarrow, the beaver.”
She chuckled and nodded.
“He says there’s triplets, and he thinks that they’re going to end up being guardians here. What if I doom them to this life forever, and they don’t want it? What if this is a terrible mistake? What if I’m a terrible father? What if I can’t handle three?”
“Oh, Corbin.” Calla stood before Evander could move to comfort his lethean, coming around to hug him tightly. “If I could manage three wicked little dragonettes on my own without the help of even my closest friends—for at the time, they had not yet forgiven me—you can do it. You have not only Evander, but your brothers and their mates, me, your father, and Evander’s father, and brothers who are all excited to meet their grandchildren.”
Evander nodded, as she met his eyes, because Father was over the moon at the very idea of loving these babies.
“Do you feel trapped in this home?” she asked.
Corbin shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I’m as free as anyone ever could be. I can go anywhere. I can be in summer anytime I wish to be. It’s magical, literally.”
Calla just looked at him, and he blushed dark.
“Okay, I see your point, but I had a choice. I didn’t have to come be the guardian here.”
She shrugged. “Did you? Do any of us? We all have our crowns to wear. Even if that crown is very small, we have our responsibilities. We have our duties, and we do them, sometimes with joy, sometimes with frustration. This is life, son. Now more importantly, I thought you said there were two?”
“That’s what I thought, as well, but now I don’t know. It’s early days, I suppose.”
“Yes.” She held her hand out toward his belly. “May I?”
“Of course. You are their favoriteamma.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled and touched his belly.
Evander heard an amazing trilling sound, one that was familiar to him as life, as breath, as sun. This was the lady communing with her ancestors and with her forebearers.
“Oh.” She smiled, nodding her head. “Three perfectly joined souls. Three amazing spirits. A triad of joy.”
Tears streaked down her face, and Corbin followed quickly behind.
He wanted to move over to comfort them both, but this was so special—just this, as it was now—he didn’t dare interrupt.
So he sat with his tea and smiled with them, and somewhere, distantly, he heard laughter. Sweet, enchanting laughter. Like the wind on a field of flowers with a hint of snapping snapdragons and a tiny bit of hooves ringing on earth.
Evander’s eyes widened. Those were his babies. They were his babies, and he could hear them.
