I did, letting it out slowly.
“We are going to be dads, and we are going to need a new bedroom for our little one, but right now, let’s enjoy the journey to fatherhood.”
“I love the sound of that.”
I came here looking to get away from city life, from the grind of working a nine-to-five, and I found myself a home, my true love, and now I was going to start a family.
“Come with me.” I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him down the front steps and into the orchard.
“Guess what? We’re gonna be dads!” I told all of the trees at once, and then individually. I’d never stop talking to them after that first day. They knew everything about my life and the news and local gossip.
Between my mate and me, mostly my mate, they were now looking like something that belonged in a magazine. The orchard was thriving, just like my life was.
“Do you think they’re happy for me?” I leaned into Corvus.
“I know they are.”
I never asked him if he could speak to the trees, not like I did just randomly talking to them and hoping that they understood,or at least got the positive energy from me. I knew he could do that. But I had a feeling he could actually talk with them.
How the orchard had changed since that first day. Now, when I walked among the trees, there wasn’t that heavy feeling sitting on me. It was a happy place.
My happy place.
Our happy place.
Chapter Seventeen
Corvus
Today was the Peach Blossom Festival, my mate’s first in-person event in Whisper Grove, and he was nervous. He didn’t need to be. His work was stunning, and I wasn’t just saying that because I was his mate. I understood what drew people to his pieces. Magnificent, they were approachable and transcended styles. They could be worn every day or used to dress up for a specific event. He was going to make a killing.
He got up before the sun and came out to work on some pieces. I knew better than to interrupt him when he was like that, so aside from offering to get him something to eat, I let him be. But now, it was getting close to the time when he had to stop and, at the very least, get ready with a shower and a meal. I had no choice but to interrupt.
Today was going to be a long one. The event might be listed as ending at eight at night, but people stayed until they were done. We’d be there until they were done, and that could easily be close to midnight depending on the weather and how easily the gossip was flowing.
“I’m making breakfast now,” I said. “I think it’s safe to say this won’t be ready for today.”
“It’s not for today.” Joshua pushed back from his work and waved me over. “I woke up after having a dream that I needed to create this.”
“That sounds ominous. What is this?”
“It’s for the baby.”
I looked down, and they were different strings, not that “strings” was the right word. As I looked closer, I saw the various charms and fittings, all of them found on this land.
“It’s for the window,” he said. “I thought they would like them, you know, a piece of their home from outside, in here.”
Some of the items had been left there for years, falling out of people’s pockets or scattered when a chain broke, but others were items I’d left for him.
I still did that.
My crow insisted I couldn’t just hand my mate treasures, although I’d done that, too. My beast loved nothing more than leaving shiny bobbles on the windowsill, so reminiscent of the crow he told me about from his youth.
He still talked about his childhood feathered friend and how he wished he knew more about him. I couldn’t help but think that the goddess sent that crow to pave the way for me, so that when it was time, Joshua would accept who and what I was and allow me to walk by his side for the rest of our lives.
“It’s gorgeous. They’re gonna love it.”
“I think so too.” He got up and kissed my cheek. “I’m gonna take a quick shower, and then we can go.”
