Page 56 of Bound

The eyes that now flowed with milky mixtures of ointment and tears as Maimanne reached again for her.

The eyes that squeezed tight before her mother tucked her close, an embrace she had stopped dreaming about a long time ago.

The eyes that quickly turned her shoulder into a pool of wet, as Maimanne wept quietly for long minutes on end. Each and every one was a treasure to Jayd. All the messy magnificence of them. Every inch of the wet. Every aching drop of the emotions. Every sloppy sob she gave in return to her mother.

This force of nature…who now felt like a mother.

Force of nature, indeed.

At once, she could not wait for the chance to have her parents meet Brickham. As soon as humanly possible. Yes, there was still that small, nagging warning that it would likely be just once, but did that mean it could not happen at all? That she was forbidden from looking forward to the magic of it? Not so long ago, she had never thought a moment like this would ever be possible with Maimanne and Paipanne.

Miracles did happen. All the time.

This one got even better too. It was enough to make Jayd laugh aloud, from the moment Paipanne shifted around and gathered Maimanne and her in his massive embrace.

And now, there was complete warmth.

Absolute acceptance.

Consummate perfection.

Yes. A miracle.

“Your maimanne started from our union because I wandered first, Jayd. Your conception is what started pulling us back together.”

And now, those astounding words.

“My beautiful little girl. You brought so much back to my life before you were even born.”

And then those.

“This still does not mean we are perfect,” Paipanne injected. “It simply means that you showed us that we have to try. For each other, and for all of you kids, we promise you that we will always try.”

Even more joy.

Then a thousand more sublime sensations, overflowing every lane and curb of her heart, until they drenched her soul as well. Until she was a buoy of elation on those waves of happiness, to the point that she was not aware of her fresh sobs until she had to suck in a glob of snot.

Thankfully, her parents were ready with indulgent laughter and thick tissues. After Jayd evacuated her nose as politely as possible, she sat back and stared at her parents. And then stared some more. It was the only option she could grasp. The only way to properly wrap her mind around this moment. She could only keep taking it in, over and over. Force-feeding its incredible reality into her psyche.

After the better part of a long minute, Paipanne spoke up again. “Do you believe me now, bijeur? Do you feel all of this, from both of us?” Once more, he folded one of her hands between both of his. “You were our ultimate blessing, Jayd Dawne. Never, ever our mistake.”

“Our what?” Maimanne stiffened, reparking her backside on the chaise. “Who said that?” She squinted Jayd’s way. “Did you say that? Why?”

Jayd consoled her with a new pat on the hand. “I was only the first to utter it, Mother. No doubt the kingdom is already afizz with a thousand other expressions for it. Some kinder, and certainly some crueler…”

“Well, fuck those imbezaks.”

Before Jayd could scrape her jaw off the floor, Paipanne gave his wife a roguish chuckle. “Darling, the side effects of your medications have certainly been an adventure.”

“Fuck the medications too,” Maimanne grumbled. “Nobody calls my daughter a mistake and gets away with it.”

She started to fuss, even pulling her hand free from Jayd’s grip and starting to wave it around as if attempting a lewd finger gesture or a boxing ring punch. Jayd was clueless as to which, since Maimanne was miserably failing at both. Or perhaps reinventing both. Yes, that fit her mother better.

Thankfully, Paipanne’s smile said that he agreed. Still, he suggested, “Perhaps it is time for you to consider a small rest, raismette.”

“I can rest when I am dead. And I do not plan on that anytime soon.”

Jayd let herself have a light laugh. “Thank the Creator.”