Page 54 of Mated in the Stars

“They’ve always been like that. Sometimes they just think silence is more dramatic than making a scene,” he rolled onto his back, burritoing himself up in the blanket. “They thought being composed made them better than anyone else. Dad, I’d kill for them. I’d die for them but they’re snobs. They’re our snobs, but still.”

I laughed. The last time we’d all been on Earthside Teddy would’ve taken up for both of his siblings. Sure, in a real altercation he still would but it was refreshing to hear him mutter about how uptight they were sometimes.

“But Nelum wants to have this party thing your mom wanted, and I think it’s probably a good idea. I’ve gotten Medwin and Aunt Zoey to help plan things too. Elio and Nelum have ideas but no clue who to call. Hell, I feel like I’m out of the loop too. Dal says they’ll put the wedding off until after the party since they haven’t even chosen a venue. I’m trying to get them to go for Glitter Bomb. I think I might’ve convinced Rosemary with the whole glitter aspect of things.”

“How is Rosemary in person? Is she as bad as Seq thinks?”

“I don’t think Seq hates her, kiddo. I think he wants his space back and that he’s lonely.”

“I should bring him to the purple district. He keeps saying how he made people meet their true-mates. Maybe he’d work like that here too,” Teddy said, his eyes drifting closed.

“I have food from Mama Dragon’s in my backpack. In a pinch, I could grab coffee from Bad Wolf Cakes 2.0 but it would all melt by the time I got it back here,” I said, unshouldering the bag.

Teddy sat up and I handed him the bag of take out. He ate with his eyes closed, gradually coming out of his sleep.

“I got a few things to grab from the house. If you’re able to stay awake on your own for a bit.”

“Yeah. I need a shower. I need to let Selt know I’m not dead.”

“He knows,” Sunny laughed. “He keeps coming by to check on you. Brings the baby too.”

“Sorry, I think I left a lasting impression on your sofa,” Teddy frowned.

“It’ll fluff out,” Laken shrugged.

“Get ready while I’m gone. Do you need anything from your house for a few days over on Earthside?” I asked Teddy. “I don’t like being away from the babies and them long while Nelum’s with egg.”

“Eh, get me some clothes. I don’t want to have to go shopping over there. I’ll meet you there after I’m ready. That way, if I think of anything else I need I can grab it then. Besides, the door’s on 1.”

“Thank you for waking up, kiddo,” I said and kissed his forehead.

“Anything for mama,” Teddy shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Nelum

Everyone had outdone themselves getting ready for the party. The house was decorated with tons of memories and snack tables everywhere. Medwin and Zoey really did know everyone in London, but it was Daliah who’d come up with the idea for what I’d wear. It was a ‘suit robe’ meant for such occasions once worn by Lotus’s father. She was right. It fit me to a T, and I loved how soft the material was. The bottom floated around my feet, making me wonder if dress wearers always felt this free. Who knows? Maybe their bits got cold sometimes.

I stood front and center of the open doors of the house, with Fred and Elio on either side of me. I’d never been the life of any party but man, did it feel good, to see everyone celebrating Lotus. They came from everywhere near and far on Earthside. Laken had even managed to get a letter to my parents who showed up for the event. Remembering how everyone joked that Fred didn’t get along with Lotus’s dad, I worried for a moment, but apparently, Fred knew agriculture too and had a few funny farm animal stories to entertain my parents with.

I flitted from conversation to conversation, nearly being squeezed to death in hugs meant for the person I used to be. Maybe if reincarnation became more transparent, there would be more parties like this. We could all welcome each other back time and time again. Maybe we could outsmart whatever system and learn lessons quicker that way. Minter stayed glued to my leg as if he needed to protect me from all the strangers. Teddy watched me more than the others. He’d been polite upon his arrival and helpful as always, but he was distant tonight, and I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t know how to befriend themanymore than they knew how to befriend me. Daliah and me only hit it off during the little time we had to work on decorating her and Rosemary’s new home. I wasn’t Lotus. Our styles weren’t the same, but I’d seen enough of her stuff that I could give suggestions and offer an ear for frustrations.

When the time came for Lotus’s last gift to them, I herded everyone into the very room where her last will and testament had been screened. This time she was on the screen again – laughing and narrating old home videos of her, Fred, and the kids. Her parents and her friends were there too. I sat on Fred’s lap with Elio holding onto the kids next to us. The woman on the screen wasn’t well but she was happy. Heavy bags hung under her eyes and her skin was grey, almost translucent. Still, she laughed as she narrated through the kids’ firsts and all the concerts where she might or might not have tossed her bra at the Grim Howlers before she knew two of them were going to be true-mates to her friends. There were snatches of her and Freddie’s wedding and of her father’s retirement party. Old Man Cromwell had moved on since she died but he gave a pretty memorial speech about overcoming adversity by searching for the tiny things that made us happy. If my life was half as happy as Lotus’s had been, I’d be set forever.

Freddie kissed my temple as the screen faded to black. The others stood up, clapping for the movie Lotus had made on her laptop. If anyone deserved a standing ovation it was her. I breathed a sigh of relief. Her life had been honored and her final wish fulfilled. I was her and wasn’t all at the same time.

As the guests slowly wandered home, Zoey talked about starting up a marathon for Vulpine Degenerative Disease research. A lot of ground had been covered while Freddie and Old Man Cromwell searched for a cure or at least a treatment to ease the symptoms and slow down the disease’s progression.

We all talked about hanging out again sometime after we relocated to the house Freddie bought in the Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory. I left them all to ramble about the details and the weather and ducked out the back door to find myself some fresh air. Much to my surprise Teddy followed me. Part of me felt like I should apologize for not being Lotus but that was beyond my control.

“Just wanted to check on you. I’ll go back inside if you need space,” he said from the doorway.

“I don’t mind the company,” I said, sitting down on the steps and motioning for him to join me.

“Sorry I’ve made things so weird for you guys,” Teddy said, avoiding my gaze.

“We’re okay. The most awkward thing you’ve done to me is send my dinner back through the door,” I chuckled trying to ease the tension. “Really, I understand. If my carrier died, I’d be Daliah trying to jump on the funeral pyre. They’d have to bury me too. I’m sorry that happened to you and to her. I’m sorry that everything got cut so short for all of you but she was happy. She was so happy while she was alive. None of us know when our doors will show up. Anything can happen. ‘Anything’ happens every day to someone. So, all we can do is try to be happy and try to help those we love be happy. I think that’s all she wanted. She wanted to leave behind a way for all of you to be happy. I think she did pretty bloody well on that account.”

---