She did,Estelle answered, still watching them.
Margaret said something then, and Adara laughed, the sound bright and carefree, before catching hold of her grandmother’s hand and tugging her farther along the path.
Leo came up behind Estelle and slid an arm around her waist.
“You’ve been standing here for five minutes,” he murmured.
“I know.”
He rested his chin lightly against her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Estelle let out a slow breath, her gaze still fixed on the garden. “I never thought I’d see this.”
Leo’s hold tightened slightly. “No?”
She shook her head. “No.” Her throat tightened. “Maris would have been so happy. She would have loved seeing them together.”
Leo pressed a kiss to her temple. “I think she’d be happy with a lot of things if she could see you now.”
Estelle turned then, leaning back against him. “Such as?”
“You staying,” he said simply. “Letting people love you. Putting down roots.” His hand spread warm and steady over her middle. “Making a life here.”
Emotion rose so fast she had to swallow before she could answer.
“It still feels a little unreal,” she admitted. “Like if I look away too long, it might all disappear.”
It won’t,her dragon said at once.This is ours now.
Leo drew her fully into his arms. “It won’t.”
Outside, Adara bent to pick something up from the grass and held it out proudly. Margaret took it with a smile.
It was such a natural sight. Just a grandmother and a little girl in the afternoon sun.
When she looked back at Leo, her vision had gone slightly blurred.
“I love you,” she said.
His expression softened at once. “I love you too.”
He kissed her then, slow and certain, with late afternoon light lying gold across the kitchen floor and the sound of Adara’s voice drifting in through the open window.
Tell him,her dragon urged, filled with excitement.Tell him now.
When they parted, Estelle took his hand.
There was a smile trembling at her mouth now, one he did not seem to know how to read.
“What is it?” he asked.
Instead of answering, she guided his hand lower and pressed it gently against her belly.
Leo went very still.
Estelle held his gaze. “And soon,” she said softly, “there’ll be another little dragon in the world.”
For one heartbeat, he only stared at her.
