Page 52 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

"Ix-nay on the ove-may." Lark extended his claws and slashed them inches from his throat and then pointed to Galen.

"We already have an agreement," Galen said. "If she can't come to us, we will go to her at least once a week."

"I like that plan," Robin said, and sighed. "Except I'll miss you while our eggs gestate."

Lark was close enough to hear Robin's statement and whooped with joy. After he and Punky hugged their son, my former rival slapped me on the back. "Congratulations!"

"We were going to tell you first." I'd forgotten about Galen's sensitive nose. It was impossible to keep our pregnancy a secret from a dragon.

"Robin texted us that first morning." Punky grinned. "Something about wanting to sleep in as much as he could before morning sickness set in."

"Hearing him say it out loud …" Lark beamed at me. "We're so happy for you both!"

I'd figured we weren't eating breakfast at Punky and Lark's because everyone overslept during the reunion. Our mornings had been lazy, uneventful, and truly glorious. I loved waking up beside Robin. Even though I still woke with the sun, we rarely made it out of bed before noon.

"When are you going to pay up?" Robin asked.

"We stopped taking money," Clementine said. "You heard Papa."

"I paid Ernie twenty dollars last Thursday," I said. I'd found the crisp American bill in a pair of pants I'd packed in a tote before I left.

"You bet on yourself?"

"Didn't you?"

Her frustrated sigh ended on a laugh. "I'll find Ernie."

"Later," Robin said. "Let him and Lemon enjoy the reunion."

"Burt," Clementine whispered. "We should call him Burt."

"We should not!" Robin looked scandalized, a regular occurrence when he and Clementine joked with each other.

"Burt and Ernie! He even looks like Burt now that his stripes are darker!" Clementine's gestures were so big, she knocked into the beta kobolds to either side of her, though they didn't seem to mind.

"I … need to go home." Robin looked a little green between his stripes, which was definitely not normal.

"See you all later. Congrats, Mac!" I waved to the victor, and then I teleported Robin back to our cabin.

He made a beeline for the bathroom. I started the tea kettle and dug around in the cabinet until I found the lemon and ginger tea his parents had given us as part of our housewarming gift. At the time, I'd thought it presumptuous, but now, they were a godsend.

A few minutes later, Robin returned to sprawl on the couch with an arm over his eyes. "I thought morning sickness was supposed to hit in the morning."

"Everyone's different."

When his tea finished steeping, I dropped an ice cube in it and brought it to him. "This should help."

He squinted up at me. "When did you become the nurturing type?"

He sat up, and I sank down onto my knees between his legs. "We're a team," I said. "It's only fair. When you're hurting, I want to be here to help."

He took a sip, and then a longer drink when it wasn't too hot. "It's perfect, thanks."

He bent over the cup clasped in both his hands. I stretched to kiss his forehead, and then I got up to fix us both dinner.

"You don't have to baby me," he complained when I dished the mixture of beans and rice onto his plate.

I placed the serving bowl on the hot plate in the middle of the table and sank into my chair. I took a deep breath, thinking through what I wanted to say.

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