Page 12 of Meet Me in the Stars

“About a year after you went to sleep,” Duke nodded solemnly. “Sequin thought you’d be upset if you couldn’t say goodbye, but you didn’t budge.”

“They understood,” I yawned. “I mean, at least I didn’t up and die to---” I stopped talking.

Duke may have been older but he was still my kid.

“We’re glad of that. Sequin and Daliah now run Cromwell Enterprises. They’re good at it. Profit is split five ways. Us and you. I didn’t expect to be included but Teddy suggested it and they didn’t argue. I’m mostly putting it away in case the kids want to go to a pay-to-learn university later.”

“Good idea,” I nodded. “We need to talk more, but I need to piss, kiddo, and maybe some coffee?”

“As long as you’re not pissing coffee,” Duke turned to leave, chuckling.

“I think I missed something,” I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands.

***

Twenty minutes later I stood looking out the window not quite ready to face everyone who would have something to say once they knew I was awake. I didn’t know what the world was like out there now, but I was old enough to know that almost four decades was enough to change everything. Thankfully, my kids weren’t little. I would’ve hated myself for missing that much of their lives. Still sorta did, but they were grown and my last memory from before I went out cold was them all hosting a little intervention, insisting they were okay.

“Knock, knock,” Teddy said from the other side of the bedroom door. “I got coffee and some breakfast sandwiches. I’m sure you’ll want to snatch up a deer or something once you get going, but this should get you started.”

A second later, the door opened before I even glanced away from the window. I was groggier than I wanted to admit. After thirty-six years, you’d think I wouldn’t be tired. Teddy set the coffee and food on the counter and pulled me into a bear hug. I grinned and hugged him back. Somethings never changed.

“How’s it going, kiddo?” I asked, reaching for the coffee as soon as he let go of me.

“I’m okay. I hope you still like it the same way you did,” he said.

“I don’t think a nap changed my tastebuds. Between us, it feels like I slept a couple of days, not a couple of decades.”

“Good. I was worried you’d need physical therapy or something when you woke up,” he admitted as I bit into a breakfast sandwich, scarfing it down without tasting much.

“No,” I shook my head as I chewed and swallowed. “Dragons have slept for longer than that without suffering ill effects. We’re made for it.”

“How are you feeling about everything else? I know the research says it might feel like everything was just yesterday for you.”

“Yes and no. Kiddo, I need more coffee, but it’s always going to feel like just yesterday. Any time you lose someone you care about, it’s going to seem like just yesterday.”

He hugged me again before motioning for me to follow him. Duke’s house was full of kids. Four calico kittens climbed the curtains in the hall, mewing all the way up.

“He’s letting them explore, but they’re watching on the nanny cam,” Teddy pointed up to a camera in the corner.

“Those are Blithe’s, right?” I blinked.

“Yeah. Duke and Syre have a pup, but I don’t think they have the joint genetics to have a kitten, but who knows,” Teddy shrugged. “Not all of the kids here are ours, but belong to the neighbors or cousins or whatever. I’ve lost track of who belongs to who. The one with the headphones ignoring the world like it’s wronged him twice a day since he was born is Jonah and Blake’s. He’s here a lot. Nothing really going on that I know about. Duke says it’s a phase. I hope it clears up before he damages his hearing with that music.”

Walking by the ‘headphones kid’ made me laugh aloud. He was listening to music by the Grim Howlers that was already old when I fell over.

“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on me.

“Nothing, kiddo,” I shook my head and then when he put the music back on I told Duke, “Frost be damned on his fiery balls, not even waking from the dead impresses that kid.”

“Nothing does. He’s at that age,” Teddy shrugged. “At least that’s what Duke keeps telling their parents.”

“Heartville probably doesn’t have enough to keep him occupied,” I shrugged.

“Well, not as much as London or Mage Street, but the village has grown into a town since you conked out. Mostly, because Bane, Lee, Blake, and Jonah moved here not long after you did. Mom dying changed everything. Even Micah and Cody moved here. Zoey and her polycule have a house here where they vacation a lot.”

“Polycule?” I arched a brow as we walked into the kitchen. “How many?”

“Eh, counting her and Xander there’s five of them now. All living together. I’d say that would be enough to drive anyone crazy, but,” he gestured around the house. “Maybe not.”

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