Page 264 of Gift from the Source
And I’ll be at her side.
A small knock at the door, followed by a quiet creak, has a shiver racing down my back.
My thoughts of her spoke her into existence.
Her hands run down my arms as she smooths my suit jacket out. The image of the two of us in my mirror slows my racing heart and I fill my lungs with the smell of her sweet coffee scent.
“I know you wanted a moment alone, but we all feel you out there. I needed to check on you.”
My shoulders deflate. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to my chest. Her head instinctively tilts up so her eyes can meet mine and I run my thumb across her bottom lip.
“I’m fine, princess. Just preparing to close this chapter.”
“You know you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
My heart skips a beat and a little bit of hope rises in me. Although it isn’t true hope. It’s an excuse to hide what I’m really feeling.
I want to mask the fear I have of the biggest change I’m going to have to face thus far.
“You don’t think I should?”
She giggles as she sees right through me. “I believe you’re ready, but that doesn’t mean you have to.”
“Do you think Layton’s ready?”
“Yes, I do. I think he’s going to make a very fine Headmaster.”
I exhale harshly as I meet my own gaze in the mirror.
Time hasn’t aged us much, but I see the noticeable difference in myself.
I have more laugh lines, which makes it harder to always look like a closed off asshole.
My eyes won’t hold a blankness anymore. It’s impossible to shut them down completely. Anytime I’ve tried, the thought of her, my brothers, and not being here with them anymore forces me to add light back to them.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that I missed out on far too much by closing myself off. I have too much to live for now.
I live for them to the fullest extent.
I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to plus more at the academy.
Equality was so incredibly important to me and for the longest time, it felt like it was going to be an uphill battle to achieve.
The five families that were eventually appointed to the council, though, held the same values as we do. That made the changes so much easier for the entire realm.
The families that now sit in those roles are really good people. We’ve all met their children, who will one day serve with us, and we all get along surprisingly well.
We, as in my Nexus and my parents, tossed around the idea to the realm about having an election and switching council members every hundred years or so just to see how they felt about it.
That was not of interest to them at all.
The overwhelming majority of people liked the structure where there was a single family in each territory that looked over them, got to know them, and do what’s right by them.
We accepted that response and promised to make sure the families were always upholding their responsibilities to them, and we would do the same.
That’s the next chapter of life I get to look forward to.
“You’re right, princess. He will make a fine Headmaster. It’s time.”
