Page 9 of Mated in the Stars

“What’s the timeline looking like?” Clarence said in my ear, and I almost swatted the earpiece like a gnat.

“It is what it is. We have timepieces but we don’t keep a political schedule. Hush isn’t here yet. The casters are still in the caster tent. I’ll let you know when.”

“I still don’t understand why they refused our request to have it broadcasted to us,” Clarence huffed.

“Because some worlds still value their privacy and the privacy of their members,” I said. “Not saying you don’t but they don’t televise everything here. Nothing really. Besides, Liatris askedfor no cameras to be out and about, and we respect the casters. Remember what we magic users did to Ginger Barrell. So, let him have his way on this. I know you’re used to calling the shots –”

“Fred, I want to see my kid and my grandkid. Teal and them want to see Sunny too. Medwin’s ready to run around the Other World shouting at everyone about a new door popping up. I—”

“I get it, Clarence or is it, Clarry now?” I laughed. “I have a pregnant mate and a toddler trying to swing from the trees. Still, I have three kids, and Frost only knows how many grandkids and great grandkids by this point over there.”

“What are you going to do about that?” Clarence asked.

“It’s undecided,” I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “We can’t really make a move while he’s pregnant. Can’t change everything up while we’re waiting for that. The nest is built here. Hell, with how everything is here---” I stopped myself from babbling on about how the egg brats would grow up safer here. Earthside was home in so many ways but I didn’t worry about someone who hated me because I did the right thing or because my parents were morons going after Minter or Teddy here and that added a lot of weight to the pro side of remaining here.”

“Is Dad bugging you?” Sunny asked, motioning for me to hand him the earpiece.

I handed it off and scooped up Minter to pull a blade of grass out of his mouth.

“Mine!” he squirmed. “I eat it!”

“No, buddy. No eating the grass. You’re not a deer. You’re a dragon.”

“It veggie!” He squirmed, flailing his arms.

“No, little man. It’s grass. Don’t eat it,” I laughed.

“It won’t hurt him,” Elio shrugged.

“Chicky?” Teddy asked, arriving at the perfect moment with a basket tucked under his arm.

“Please tell me it’s cooked,” I sighed.

“I’m not feeding the baby raw chicky—I mean chicken,” Teddy laughed, whipping out a tiny drumstick as if by magic.

“Thank you! Chicky! Chicky!” Minter cheered.

“You’d think we starved this baby to death every day,” I laughed. “He ate before we left and then he had a PBJ when we got here,” I said, catching the chicken leg he almost dropped.

“He’s a growing hatchling. Do you want some?” Teddy asked, holding out the basket.

“Never gonna turn down free food,” I said but nodded at Elio to take something first.

He hesitated and I almost started in on both of them about how they were family now and neither one of them had wronged the other. They had to get over this shit.

“Go ahead,” I said instead.

Elio shook his head and covered his mouth, turning away. I passed Minter to Teddy who pulled the basket back away from us as I followed Elio into the bushes where his pregnancy sickness finally began. I yanked on Izora’s tail over the Moonscale link. Pregnancy sickness usually came pretty early in the process of growing an egg. This late---

“Could mean he’s close to laying,” Marsin appeared on Elio’s other side. “Our carrier went through this with him. He was a rather large egg too.”

Elio flipped his brother off for calling him a fat egg while I rubbed slow little circles on his back. Marsin offered up his water bottle and Elio took a sip from it.

“I think I need to go home and lie down,” Elio said between sips.

“Marsin could you get Minter for us?” I asked him.

“No,” Elio shook his head.

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