Page 48 of The Dragon's Captured Heart
A large crowd milled around the back, where three barbecues were being tended to by some of the men, and a handful of children ran laughing, ducking in and through legs in their race to finish an imaginary obstacle course.
“Callum!” a woman exclaimed as I slid from his back and landed on the soft, freshly cut grass. “My boy!”
The woman who detached herself from the crowd had to be his mother. Although he looked almost nothing like her, I could see it clearly in one spot. The eyes. He’d inherited her eyes, the softness around the corners, and the wrinkled lines of the brow.
And then he smiled, and I saw it even more.
“Hey, Mom,” he said, wrapping the shorter woman up in a fierce hug.
Short was relative, though, because she was about my height, and I wasn’t tiny at five-foot-seven either.
“Are you doing okay?” Cal asked as they kissed cheeks.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Now, introduce me.”
I hid a smile at the interaction. His mother clearly loved him, but seeing Cal unafraid to show emotion in return was the best part. He was a good family man.
A new part of me tingled at seeing that, but I shut it down immediately. That was made easier as introductions began, starting with Miriam, his mother, and Asa, his father, who made his way over from the barbecues, handing us both a fresh burger.
“Thank you,” I said, digging in.
Other relatives and friends came over, and Callum was dragged away. Leaving me with his mother.
“It’s good to meet you at last,” Miriam said with a knowing smile. “Callum has said next to nothing about you.”
I laughed at the blunt invitation to spill the beans about myself.
“That’s because we’ve only known one another for a couple of weeks now,” I said, thinking that it was more like ten days. Which was incredible when I stepped back and actually took note.
Time was flying past.
Belly laughter erupted from the group that had waylaid Callum. I found him in the middle and watched as he grinned from ear to ear, laughing heartily at a joke told by a younger version of Asa, who I assumed to be Baz, Callum’s brother. He’d given me a roster rundown of expected guests, but we’d focused mostly on his immediate family.
“I haven’t seen him this happy in quite some time,” Miriam said as we chatted idly about everything except me. “He’s a good boy, you know.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” I bit back a smile.
Miriam and I chatted about more nonsense for a bit, then Asa and Baz came over, and they began to grill me. I sidestepped many of the questions, but bit by bit, they managed to tease out enough information to form a picture of who I was. It was hard to be distant with them. They were all friendly and welcoming and just wanted to get to know me.
Before I knew it, I was laughing and telling jokes, including ones at their expense. They gave it right back, and time passed.
“I’m glad you came,” Baz said at one point. “You’re a good person.”
“Thank you,” I said awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
I was saved by Callum returning. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I didn’t mean to just leave you at the mercy of these people like that.”
“It’s fine. I can handle myself,” I said. “But I am hungry.”
“Come on, then,” he said, walking me over to where the food was piled high on tables. “Take your pick. What do you want?”
I paused, looking up at him, catching his eye and holding it. “I want to apologize,” I said, trying to hold back unfamiliar emotions.
Cal looked around. “Why? Did you piss someone off? Am I going to get yelled at?”
“No, no, not that,” I said, putting a hand on his forearm. “I wanted to apologize for something I said. Back when we first met, I called your family dysfunctional. And I want you to know I was wrong. Your family is lovely.”
Cal’s cheeks turned a little rosy with color. “Umm, thank you, I guess? It’s fine. I’d forgotten, to be honest with you.”
