Page 25 of The Satyr Next Door
“What? I’m curious!” He pointed at Cal’s empty plate. “He ate everything. So… omnivore? But like, do you have allergies? Can you get sick from human food?”
Cal’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “I can eat what humans eat, plus a few things you’d find questionable. Certain mushrooms that would put you in the hospital.”
“Cool,” Luca said, like they were discussing Pokémon stats.
The tension bled away after that. Dinner wasn’t perfect. Aria decided the potatoes were “too garlicky.” Luca tried to dodge cleanup duty, but it wasn’t a disaster either.
When Cal rose to leave, both kids mumbled goodnights without prompting.
“It was nice meeting you,” Aria said quietly.
“Yeah. You should come back,” Luca added, already drifting toward his game. “Mom’s a good cook when she tries.”
High praise, by his standards.
I walked Cal to the door, reluctant to let him go. He cupped my face with one warm palm, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “For them. For this.”
“Thank you for being… you.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.
His smile was radiant. “Later, Bella. When they’re asleep.”
And for the first time, I wasn’t drowning in guilt. I was buoyed by something else entirely.
Happiness. Pure and simple.
