Page 114 of Valpar

“Have you decided what you are going to do, honey?” My mom wiped away a tear. “With the whole, take it all at once or a little at a time? You know, about the memories?”

I felt Valpar’s gaze on me, and I squeezed his arm. “That’s something Valpar and I will talk about. I think we need to do that alone.”

Mom nodded.

I knew she had to feel some sort of jealousy, maybe hurt. I could see it in her body language as she curled up on the couch and her head leaning on Dad’s shoulder. She’d done everything for me since I came here. It was her time, though, her time with Birch to start her own family.

There wasn’t anything I could do to make it better for her. I couldn’t rely on them anymore. My past was mine and I knewTheresa and Birch were in it. They saved me but they didn’t have to keep saving me anymore.

Valpar was my future.

“Please don’t worry,” I whispered. “This was meant to happen.”

Why else would my fairy godmother be pushing this, especially right now? Unless it was her own agenda, which I didn’t believe.

Mom hummed. “You really fell out over the banister, did you?”

I buried my face into Valpar’s chest.

Mom rolled her eyes and smacked her head. “Calliope, I swear you are the most accident prone, little thing I have ever seen. I remember when we first brought you to the tree house, you almost fell out of the tree ten times, in ten minutes. We had to have a witch put an invisible ward up the first year.”

I giggled, but Valpar stiffened around me.

Birch huffed. “Valpar, you will do fine with Calliope. She is a lively one, but it seems you have calmed her. She appears to have slept-in this day. She is usually awake before the light sources rise, and playing with the woodland creatures on her balcony or climbing down the tree wreaking havoc through the forest before we can stop her.”

Valpar’s large hand squeezed my thigh.

“That’s because he thoroughly wore me out last night,” I chirped. “He did me dirty on the forest floor because I made him chase after me.”

Mom was halfway drinking her tea when it all came spitting out of her mouth.

Birch leaned his head back on the couch. “I see she has not gained an ounce of restraint on that mouth, yet.”

Valpar chuckled, squeezing me tight against his chest. “No, but I enjoy her this way.”

We talked for longer, and the longer we did, the more I felt myself grow anxious. I wasn’t used to sitting this long, but I was doing it for Mom’s sake. She would look at me occasionally and smile, but I could see the worry and, maybe, sadness.

I quickly realized our time was short and I would have to travel back to the Wood with Valpar.

They eventually told us of their travels. Which comprised of visiting Creed and Odessa, the dragon shifters who were relatively quiet and private, raising their two daughters. They were now pregnant again with their third, maybe fourth child. They were excited, but could only visit for a day with them, since Creed was very territorial over Odessa and their children. Birch said he felt sorry for his daughters that they may never find their mates.

Word traveled up to the mountains that an orc found a mate at the ball and that it was a fairy. The last part being it was, in fact, not a fairy but a human that dressed like them gave them pause, and they flew their butts right back down the mountains. Because there are no humans that dress like a fae, but me.

They just had horrible timing.

Birch and Valpar, then, got started on the war stories. Birch wanted to know what Valpar’s position was during the war and how he helped solidify the win. I stood up because I needed to stretch my legs. Valpar’s eyes didn’t leave my body. I felt the heat of his stare the entire time as I walked around the room, I fiddled with all the trinkets in the room to commit it to memory.

In the pit of my stomach, I felt like I wouldn’t be returning to the treehouse for a long time. This was going to be my last time staying—well, living here. I wasn’t a single lady anymore. I was going to be mated soon. There were a lot of fond memories here and I wanted to remember each one.

Birthdays, holidays, accidentally walking in on my parents in compromising positions. I giggled to myself when I reachedSimon’s bed. It was empty, and I tilted my head when I saw that one of the flowers that was braided into his hair had fallen out.

The flowers the orcs used could last weeks without water and they had done a great job weaving it into his hair. There was no way it could come out, with how tight they wove it.

The room grew quiet, and I felt Valpar’s warm body behind me. It was so weird how I could feel him, know where he was.

“What’s wrong, my miresa?” His hand touched my shoulder.

“Where is Simon?” I continued to stare down at his empty bed.

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