I stood to leave. King Aiden asked, “You did this?” I chuckled, “My momma taught me you keep a pregnant Hackura female happy. Having Foxilotle’s would make Aunt Astrid happy.” He grinned at me, “I see. My daughter has talked to me about you.” That was a subject change.
I looked at Uncle Bjourn who raised an eyebrow. I said, “I don’t recall meeting your daughter. Any of them actually.” He grinned, “That you did not, young Commander.” Ok? Uncle Bjourn shrugged, and I left it at that. I heard Haley pop in through the door I’d left cracked open and faded back. She did seem off at first, then she found out what they were doing. I heard the happiness in her tone before I walked out.
I took off for a run, ending up where my house was being built. It was almost done. I called, “Boden?” Calista’s dad poked his head outside. He grinned, “Hey Cayden. Do you want to come see our progress? We are still working, but it’s almost ready.” I nodded and came inside. Everything was perfect.
I complimented him, “You guys have done a great job.” I had an apartment, but it felt like the right time to build a home that one day I’d bring my mate home to. He grinned, “I’m glad you’re happy but we are just executing your vision here. It’s a bit brighter than our other houses.” I’d sat with the architect talking through my vision who’d mentioned it was a lot of windows.
I couldn’t deny I thought of a certain partial Fairy when I’d had them put in. I said, “I like the natural light and we have those blackout curtains.” Boden hummed, “Sure. You’ve never lived anywhere with this many windows.” I replied, “Which is why I want them all.” It was not at all about a certain Duchess with an earth side. Nope. This was my dream house that just happened to include things I knew she’d like. It was all a series of coincidences that I was not focusing on internally.
He laughed, “Well, I’m glad you like it. I think we’ll be getting some more build requests similar to this. I’ve noticed women bringing their mates by to look at your picture window. They especially love the awning window in your kitchen and the bay windows on that little nook you had us do. Your house is pretty popular.” I grinned, “See? People like windows.” He replied, “It’s more expensive to cool a house with a lot of windows.”
I grumbled, “I didn’t go that extreme with the windows.” He laughed, “No, you didn’t. Are you sure about all the neutral tones you want the rooms painted?” I answered, “Yes, I don’t want my mate to feel like she can’t change anything when I find her.” He nodded, “That’s a good call. It will be easy to put her stamp on it. You’re probably my easiest client.” I snorted, “I doubt that.”
He laughed, “You don’t hover.” I pointed out, “I’m gone a lot.” He reasoned, “You wouldn’t even if it you weren’t gone.” I agreed, “Probably not since I trust you. It’s why I hired you.” My grandparents on my dad’s side had gifted me this plot of land. It had three acres and backed up to a private pond, but it was a bit of a walk to get to through a wooded area. I asked, “How’s the pathway to the pond going?” He said, “We should get that done next week.” I nodded and left him to his job.
I took the path to the pond and sat down on the dock I’d built last year. A portal opened and my Grandma Tierra came through. I waved a little surprised that she came and sat beside me. I thought she was just passing though.
She put her head on my shoulder saying, “It’s quite calming out here.” I agreed, “Yes, it is. I never asked why you guys gifted me this land when I became a man.” After my first mission they’d given it to me. I’d not known until recently what I wanted to do with it. I had been coming out to this pond since I got the land though.
She told me, “You know, it just felt right that you have it.” I chuckled, “I know that tone and I feel you in the bond.” She said, “When you were eight, I told your grandpa this would be the place for you. I think yellow Adirondack chairs out here would look nice. Don’t you?” I shrugged, “I mean, I guess.” She grinned, “I think you should get them.” I made a mental note to do that.
After a while she stood to go. I called, “Wait, why when I was eight?” She chuckled, “Here I thought you’d never ask.” I waited but she didn’t answer. I prodded, “Grandma?” She teased, “Maybe if you call me Grandma Sparkles I’ll tell you.” I laughed. Some of my cousins had thought her name was Tiara instead of Tierra. The name had somewhat stuck and that’s what most of us called her now.
I teased, “Oh great Grandma Sparkles please tell me why you knew this land was for me.” She looked around and pointed to the dock, “When you were eight years old, I found a beautiful young girl sitting here. I asked why she’d come out here since it was late and she was supposed to be sleeping.” I asked, “How old was she?” She answered, “She was five at the time.”
She waved, “Anyway, she told me that she felt the land called to her. She felt at peace here. I told her to head on home, so she started to leave. Then she asked if I was your grandma. I told her that I was. She smiled brightly at me and skipped away. I knew at that very moment this property was meant for you.”
I asked, “Who was she?” She chuckled, “You already know who it was.” She walked away and I was left imaging a young Cassie Conners out here exploring the land I now owned. I was annoyed she’d been out here alone, but happy she’d been on my land.
I laid back on the dock and complained out loud. “Having feelings are so fucking complicated.” My mom called, “Are they?” I snorted, “You reek of dad.” She laughed, “Well, I just finished having an afternoon delight with him.” I pointed out, “It’s well past afternoon.” She grinned and snapped her fingers, “Darn.” Part of why I was working so hard to be ready to take over from my dad was because of how hard he worked. I wanted my parents to have time to enjoy themselves.
She asked, “What’s this about feelings? Yours have been interesting today.” I snorted, “Well, I ran into Cora and Eagan.” Her eyes blazed. She said, “If they said something to you then I’ll kick both their asses.” I made a calm down motion with my hands. “Ease back there, killer momma. She brought me coffee and wanted to talk.”
My mom groaned, “Honestly, what is there to talk about? You don’t want her, right?” I answered, “No, I don’t. I don’t think I’ve had a more embarrassing moment than the whole capital finding out my girlfriend cheated because she chased me, NAKED, through the streets screaming about it.”
My mom sighed, “It would’ve been better if she didn’t do that.” I admitted, “I didn’t plan to advertise it. I was going to tell you and dad, but just tell everyone else we were done. Sometimes I think she did it to humiliate me.” She asked, “Why would you think that?”
I confessed, “It hit at my ego so many people knew I was cheated on. I felt…” I trailed off, “Well, we discussed all those feelings as a family.” She nodded, “I remember.” I shrugged, “I just think she knew exactly what she was doing. She clearly didn’t care for me like she claims or respect me. I would’ve been pissed she just texted me, but I wouldn’t have been as upset.”
She threw an arm around me, “I know that.” I looked out over the pond. I admitted, “I don’t know. I see plots with her everywhere in our relationship now. I’m probably just jaded and bitter.” My mom told me, “You don’t feel like either of those things.” I shrugged, “I just don’t want her around, but she’s in the Army and I’ll be her Commander. I have to get over it. I just wish she’d stop bringing me coffee I don’t drink any more. Hell, I wish she’d find her mate.”
My mom clicked her tongue, “You want to find yours.” I answered, “Yes and no.” She hummed, “You are very busy.” I didn’t reply because that wasn’t why I didn’t want to find my mate. It was because I was worried I was pinning all my hopes on Cassie Conners. I didn’t want to be disappointed in who my mate was. Now, I was planning to live on land Cassie liked to explore. That had to give me an edge on meeting her. Didn’t it?
My mom asked, “Where did you go?” I answered, “Thinking about the future.” She kissed the top of my head, “Well, you’ll always have your room in our house.” I snorted, “Dad’s joked about turning it into his lair forever.” She rolled her eyes, “He’ll never do it.” I asked, “Are you not letting him?” She gave me a maternal look.
Then said, “Cayden Crawford, you feel your dad and you know that he would never turn your room into anything else.” I reasoned, “It’s your house. I don’t always stay there, and I probably will less now that I’ll have my own house.”
She told me, “I know whose house it is, but to us it will always be your room. Your dad and I agreed a long time ago that we wanted our home to be a place all you kids could always turn and land if you needed it. Somewhere you knew was safe or just when you need family close by you. That happens more than you’d think in the position you’re stepping into.”
I knew it did. Dad often had nights where he’d come home and if we were awake, he’d bring all our mattresses down because he needed us near him. We’d have fort nights in the living room. They were some of fondest memories as a child. I said, “Dad is the best role model there is.” She smiled, “I think so, but he calls me biased.” I felt my dad was closer to us in the bond now.
I laughed loudly saying, “What does dad know?” She agreed, “Right? What does he know? Clearly, we know best.” I winked at her. My dad snorted, “I blame your partial Fairy babysitter for this streak of mischievousness you have, son.” Mom and I busted up laughing.
He came and sat down on the dock with us. I mused, “Grandma Sparkles is right, I need chairs out here.” My dad groaned, “Oh god Cayden, please don’t take her décor advise.” My mom snickered, “Her taste is eccentric.” I told them, “I think she’s spot on with this suggestion.” I could feel they were both worried about it.
My dad cleared his throat, “Well, it is your house.” My mom added, “And it’s just chairs for the dock. How bad could it be?” My dad covered her mouth, “Shhh, don’t test the universe. My mother could come up with something so out there you wouldn’t know if you should laugh or cry.” We all started laughing.
Eventually my dad said, “The house is coming along nicely.” I agreed, “Yeah, it is. Boden and his crew have done a really good job.” My mom said, “They have. We are getting new windows.” My dad shoved me into the pond. I surfaced sputtering.
