Page 124 of Torin and the Two Crowns

I chuckled. “That is the truth. How long have you been back?”

“I arrived yesterday. I was napping and didn’t know you’d arrived yet but then Dude meowed outside my door. Man, I missed that cat.”

I chuckled.

He said, “It’s good to be back with the family.”

Then I asked, “Can I introduce you to my husband?”

I introduced Torin to Dylan and heard about what Dylan had been up to since I saw him last. His wife and son were still in Texas, and his stories were very ordinary, especially after being so furious with him and learning that my whole life had been a lie. I had thought that seeing him would be enraging, but then that didn’t happen at all. Instead of anger it was a relief to see him and a lot of melancholy for what we had lost. My Uncle Dylan was the only person here who had known Cynthia and Gary, the people who had been my true mom and dad. And sure, I felt some sadness over the lies, but also an acceptance that my life had been the culmination of many people doing the best they could to keep me safe. Because they owed it to Livvy and Nor, the King and Queen of Riaghalbane.

And even though everyone had really screwed up, and our adversary had sucked, and the decision to lie to me had been idiotic, Max and I had survived, so far, against time travelers who could have killed us at any moment if they had known where we were.

I hated having been lied to, but no one had ever figured out where I was, not until Torin, and then thankfully, he had been there to protect me.

So introducing my Uncle Dylan to my husband Torin was ultimately wonderful: I didn’t feel so all alone in the world. I felt found.

Claray said, “We must sleep, who wants tae go first?”

Dylan said, “I will take the night shift here in the waiting room.”

Ryan said, “Good, I’m exhausted, if the physician tells us anything, or if Max wakes, call us. The rest of us can go sleep if we can.”

We slowly left the waiting room, stopping briefly to say good night, or to embrace, then quietly walked toward our assigned quarters within the castle. I was thoroughly exhausted, and worried that I would even make it to my room.

Our extravagant apartment was warm and inviting, the bed looked so comfortable. I took off my shoes, Torin kicked off his boots, and we fell into bed. I was on my stomach, he was on his back. I said, my face kinda pressed into the pillow. “We just naturally picked our sides of the bed without mentioning it.”

He fluffed the pillow. “Aye, this is my side. Tis mine, ye ken it.”

“True.” I put my hand out toward him on the mattress. “The bed is too big, you’re too far away…”

He chuckled. “Ye feelin’ friendly, Princess?”

“It’s just that in our last few beds I had to hold on or fall off.” I patted my hand on the mattress, my fingertips an inch away from his shoulder. “You’re all the way over there. I could fall off and you wouldn’t even notice.”

“Ye winna fall off, ye canna, tis too comfortable.”

I said, “Even though, I’m going to get closer.” I rolled, slowly, with groans, pretending like it took all my effort, and snuggled up to him, throwing my arm across his chest.