“Could be. How did you feel when you grew?”
“Conspicuous but safe.” She paused. “Oh. Shit.”
Syar sighed. “Sometimes we have to face what we fear.”
“Like when you came back and accepted Reynaldo.”
“Exactly like that.”
She got a hug, and Syar reached up to ruffle her hair. She scrunched her shoulders, and he laughed again.
She looked around and found Eden and Rache talking to her mother over fruit salad.
Moira smiled at how comfortable they both looked.
Syar said, “Walk with me a bit. Kekoa has an idea for a show, and he asked me if you would do it.”
“Wait. Why am I suddenly a creature of myth and legend?”
“The first is the pointy ears, and the second is... you always were. So, it’s a free-running show across the island with stops at scenic points and a few swimming sections.”
“Right. And he wants me competing like this?” She waved a hand down her body.
“Do you have any sports gear?”
“Of course. It’s at the airfield with the enormous stash of fabric I brought with me.”
“So, you want to be a seamstress?”
“Want isn’t the right word. Out of everything that I have tried over the last decade, this feels the most like me, and I really enjoy the faces of people who put on the garments for the first time and just glow.”
Syar paused. “May I touch your shirt?”
“Sure.”
He stroked the edge of the blouse, and his eyes went wide. “Where did you get this fabric?”
“Um, I spent some of my savings having it designed for me. All kinds of colours. I have just the thing for Ven, by the way.”
“You brought supplies?”
“I boxed up a shop and had it settled in the plane. That’s why I very politely asked for the flight back. The cost of shipping would have killed me.”
He grinned. “So, you really mean to stay in the islands?”
“Sure. I can work from home if I find the right position. I know I can get satellite internet out here.” She smiled.
Syar chuckled and gave her a side hug. “Whatever you need, let me know. I am always eager to participate in success.”
“Your daughter is gorgeous, and your beta is stunning.”
“What about my alpha?”
“He’s an alpha.” She shrugged and grinned.
Syar laughed. “A little short for you?”
“Meh. I am not shopping.”
