Now I know who I got my sassiness from.
“Our house was filled with plants,” Dad said. “She loved them. There were two, sometimes three, hanging in front of every window, and I’d installed window boxes for her to fill with all the colorful flowers she loved. She named those houseplants and never mixed them up. I can’t tell you how many times I walked in on her telling a story to them. She’d listen to books on tape and CDs, so the plants could hear the stories too, and boy did they grow. Your nursery windows had flowers growing around them. She wanted you to wake up to something beautiful every morning. I told her you already did, because you woke up to her.”
Love.
It was in every word he spoke about her. After thinking of that vile Foley as my father for so long, and seeing the misery my mother endured, I’d never imagined that I’d been born of love. Now I knew that Upalo and I had been treasured, and that the wonderful lives our parents had planned for us had been interrupted by cruelty and evil.
“She used to sing in the kitchen while she cooked, didn’t she?” Upalo asked.
“She was always singing,” Dad said. “She went about her day with a song on her lips, which always brightened mine. I never understood how she could memorize so many of them, but she only had to hear a song a few times before she could sing it.”
“I love to sing too,” I said.
“I’ve been offered money not to sing,” Upalo said. “But I do it anyway. Sometimes I just can’t help myself.”
“Then sing,” Dad said. “As long as it brings you joy don’t let anyone try to silence you.”
“I won’t,” Upalo said.
Hearing him say that, I knew I’d never have to worry about being myself around him. It was a welcome change from everything I was used to before coming to Dragon City. Thisplace had become a haven and a sanctuary, not just for me, but for so many who’d been prohibited from being themselves and had their lives controlled by individuals who didn’t care anything about them. All that they were after was how they could use us to their benefit until we had nothing left to give.
But the protectors would put an end to it. I knew they would.
“Son, I am dying to know how you met your mate,” Dad said. “I’m sure you already have stories of your own to tell your girls.”
Snickering, I thought back to those early moments with Odem and tried to decide what to share with Dad and what to keep to myself.
“By the time I can tell those stories, they won’t be little anymore,” I declared. “They might not be ready to hear those until they are at least a hundred and six. Let’s just say that their Papa is a notorious flirt and I am not much better. In fact, I may have been a bit of an instigator, which I’m sure he’ll remind me of anytime I tell the story of how we met.”
“And how did you meet?” Dad asked.
“At the diner I was working at,” I said. “He showed up with that grin of his, cracking jokes and being all…Odem, and I got distracted and accidentally poured ice water in a customer’s lap instead of in their glass. Of course, turnabout was fair play, and I made sure to be quite distracting just when he was headed up to the counter to pay. He walked right into a table and made a way bigger mess than the one I made of my customer.”
Dad snorted, while Upalo sat there snickering with a hand pressed to his face.
“I’m going to guess that is the censored version of the story and leave it at that,” Dad said, chuckling now.
“Fair,” I replied, flushing a bit.
Busted.
Dare I hope that someday mom would be here to laugh with us and tell us stories about our dad, since I got the sense that he’dmuch rather sing her praises. While I hated to wish for anything more after everything the Goddess had done for me, I couldn’t help but send up a tiny plea, in the hope that one day our family would be fully reunited.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Odem
The smiles on Ronan and Upalo’s faces made the mission more than worth it. Not that rescuing the others wasn’t important, but finding their parents was at the top of my list. Hopefully Mattias will have insight as to where their mother is soon.
Speak of the devil and half of his mates. Still can’t work past that lucky dragon being blessed with two of them.
“Came to speak with Kaelith and visit with my nieces, of course,” Kes grinned beside him and Mattias planted the sweetest kiss atop his head.
“Absolutely. Help me take our nest side picnic up. You two are welcome to join us.” Mattias was a big seafood aficionado like my mate.
“Don’t mind if I do.” They each picked up a tray and followed me upstairs.
“We have company,” I announced as we stepped inside. “Kaelith, you remember my brother Mattias? This is one of his mates and Upalo’s bestie, Kes.”
