Page 30 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

In a giant rush of air and magic, our things vanished from Kermit's inter-dimensional space and appeared inside the cabin. Weld arranged them in much the same way as his cozy cabin in The Meadows, with the couch separating the kitchen area from the living room.

Our cabin was larger than the old one, especially the bedroom. I had ideas, but they could wait. A talk with my mate was long overdue.

Unfortunately, it would have to wait. Familiar voices carried on the wind from the direction of my parents' cabin.

"Why do I have to come?" Clementine whined.

"Remember the last time we left you home alone?" Dad asked.

Papa popped around the corner of the porch, glaring back over his shoulder. "You're lucky Axel knows how to fix scorch marks."

"I know what I did wrong," Clementine insisted, following behind with Dad in tow. "The pilot light went out, and I let the gas run too long before I relit it. It won't happen again."

"I did promise I would fix the scorch marks." Axel pulled me to him for a quick hug. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely."

He ruffled my hair for old time's sake, and then he followed the squabbling to the edge of the porch and excused himself to their cabin.

"Look who's back," Clementine said, turning our parents' spotlight off her for the moment. "Hey, Weld!"

I appreciated her goodwill gesture toward my mate. He raised his hand in a cautious wave, but it was too late. My family descended upon him like a swarm, drawing him into hugs. Even Ernie and Grover made it, teleporting into the yard and then piling on.

"What about me?" I asked.

Clementine broke away from the group hug and rolled her eyes as she stomped over to me. "We hug you all the time."

I pretended to push her away, but I'd been homesick over the last couple of weeks. I crushed her to my chest and rubbed my chin on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"We're all happy for you." She sniffed my neck and pulled back with a frown. "I thought you would be pregnant by now. And where's your mark?"

I scooped her in close while the rest of the family was still catching up with Weld. "Please don't tell Papa and Dad. I don't want them to worry."

"Can I use your backyard for an experiment tomorrow?"

I rolled my eyes. "A quid pro quo, seriously?"

She sighed. "It was worth a shot. I won't tell them, I promise. If you wait too long, they'll notice on their own."

She had a point.

"Weld and I need to talk some things through first, that's all."

The rest of my family descended on me for welcome hugs, and then, as quickly as they arrived, they said their farewells and returned to their homes across the field to give us "some space."

From our front porch, I could still see my childhood home, but we were far enough away and angled so that we couldn't see into each other's windows.

The cabins on either side of ours were brand new and appeared vacant. Neither had a case of water next to the front door, unlike ours. We also had a porch swing. I wondered if Axel had conjured it with magic before welcoming us home.

Weld stumbled up the stairs and leaned hard on the railing beside me.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"It's weird to be back here. It's better than I thought it would be, and somehow worse."

"Worse?"

"Tuft hates me so much he doesn't want to see me."

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