Page 61 of Artemis

EPILOGUE

A couple months later...

Artemis was running lateto pick up Alexander at daycare. She hurried up the front walk and rang the bell.

“It’s Mom!” Alexander’s voice could be heard through the thick door.

Maddie opened it with a smile of greeting, her eyes tired, her baby sleeping in a sling on her chest. Artemis took all that in at a glance before Alexander crashed into her knees.

“Hello, my wonderful boy,” Artemis cooed, bending to hug her son tightly. Then she straightened. To Maddie, she said, “Honey, you need a break. You’re exhausted.”

“Yes, well, Shayla doesn’t like to sleep unless she’s on me, so...” Maddie let the sentence hang in the air between them. She rubbed the baby’s back through the sling and sighed heavily.

“So you do what you need to do,” Artemis said knowingly. “But remember that if you get sick from lack of sleep, she will be the one who suffers.”

Maddie gulped. “That wouldn’t be good.”

“Precisely. Have you tried a bassinet attached to the side of the bed? There’s a lip so that the baby can’t roll toward you, and you’d be blocked by the bars on top and bottom,” Artemis suggested. “But you’d still be right beside her, so she can feel your presence.”

“That might work,” Maddie said. “I’m willing to try anything at this point.”

Artemis smiled and gave the other woman a hug, careful not to crush the baby. “You’ll figure out what works for you, both of you, eventually.” She stroked the baby’s soft cheek with a gentle finger.

“What worked for you?”

“Oh, I just put him in a moonbeam and he was happy,” Artemis said, adding with a wince, “Sorry.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Goddesses.” Then she chuckled. “Well, it could be worse, right?”

Artemis nodded vehemently. “For sure. Good luck with Shayla. Come on, Alexander, we’re going to Finley’s for dinner.”

“Lee?” Alexander grinned up at her. “I miss him. Why can’t he live with us?”

“Good luck to you too!” Maddie said with a wink, closing the door behind them.

While Finley had become somewhat of a fixture at their house, he hadn’t yet moved in. Artemis wasn’t sure how to go about that conversation. After all, his brother Augustine hadn’t moved in with his mate, Hera. Jaden was living with Maddie, but they had a newborn.

Is Finley waiting for me to extend the invitation, or are we still in the “getting to know each other” phase of our relationship?

She felt a little silly thinking like that, since Finley had assured her that his bite marked her as his mate for life, but the truth was, they were only a few months into their relationship.

What happens if we move in together too soon and something I do bugs him?

Or the other way around?

“Mom?” Alexander asked, tugging on her hand.

“Yes, darling?” Artemis replied absentmindedly.

“I asked you a question, Mom,” Alexander reminded her, pouting a bit.

Artemis bit her lip. “Sorry. I was thinking. Don’t you think it’s a little soon? We’ve only known Finley for a few months. If things were different, if you hadn’t already known him, I wouldn’t even have introduced the two of you yet.”

“Why?” Alexander frowned. “I love him.”

Is it really that simple?

“I do too, baby.”

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