Page 18 of From the Edge

Rowan tapped the table, and the phone appeared. “Here you go.”

Mell took it. “Thank you so much... ohmygod.” She grinned at the glittering phone case, started laughing, then the laughter turned to crying, and she hugged Rowan, crying against her shoulder. Rowan winced but stroked Mell’s hair.

Lucia said, “Over a phone case?”

With squeaks, Mell explained that when they were in uni, she had needed a new phone case and the very serious Rowan had come back with the glitteriest, covered with cute figures, phone case. She had seriously handed it over, and Mell had to use it for a solid two weeks until she got paid again. Rowan had been remorseful and given her a plain case, but it was obvious that she thought the sparkly case was far better.

Ted’s shoulders were shaking when Rowan lifted the plain case and tapped Mell’s shoulder. “Here you go.”

Mell took the plain case and laughed. “I am keeping the sparkly one.”

Lucia smiled. “Rowan, you have a day job?”

“Yes. I am a paralegal and am working for a firm downtown. I am off for a few days because I just had a friend released from hospital.” She looked at Mell. “I have been warning them that it could happen, and they had no problem with it, but dark elves run the place, and they are very understanding if you give them warning.”

Ted asked, “What do you do?”

“I am in the estate planning department. I write wills and structure trusts.” Rowan smiled.

Mell smiled. “Will you help me set something up for the baby?”

“Already done.”

Mell chuckled. “When did you do that?”

“When you first got pregnant.”

Mell put her hand over her belly. “It was just a few months ago, right?”

Rowan was quiet.

“Right?”

“You are ten months pregnant. When your energy fully settles inside you, the baby is going to start growing rapidly. You are going to be a mom really fast.”

Mell wavered. “What?”

Lucia smiled and said, “I am calling Norecayet and Dr. Arthros.”

Rowan tilted her head. “Dr. Arthros?”

“The healer who worked on you. His name is Sam Arthros. We got his card.”

Mell smiled weakly. “He’s an OBGYN.”

“Yeah, that’s just his surname.” Rowan sighed. “Come on; let’s get you into a maternity dress before you get bigger. It’s going to happen fast, but if your guy gets here, you can pull energy out of him to support you.”

Mell teared up. “I’m scared.”

“Good. You fucked an orc-goblin hybrid with a dark elf chaser. If you weren’t scared then, this should be a piece of cake.” Rowan smiled and took her hand. “Come on. I have rifled through all your stuff. Ted, Lucia, you can come if you want.”

Lucia smiled. “I am bringing the muffins.”

They got up, and Ted smiled. “The guys are arriving. I will let them in.”

Rowan waved her hand, and a curl of red power ran from her fingertips to the door. “Now they can come in. Anyone else would have to wait at the gate.” She smiled and snapped her fingers. Grocery bags stacked up on the counter. “Food’s here.” Another snap, and it was all put away.

Lucia asked, “Can you show me that?”