Page 121 of Memories Like Fangs
“You didn’tnotsay it.”
“I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Quinn January Garcia, you need to stop playing with me.”
“I don’t have the ring,mi tesoro. I promise.”
“Iknowyou are fucking lying.”
“You’ll just have to see then.” Quinn shrugged.
“I can’t fucking stand you.”
“I love you back, Sweetness,” Quinn cackled, my heart fluttering at the noise despite her antics.
At the end of the night, Everett and Teddy teleported back home to the condo to celebrate their engagement, leaving the rest of us behind in a happy haze of champagne bubbles. Still buzzing, Ayrie mentioned that the ice rink we used to visit every year would be closing soon for the season, so we should go and fly afterward, just like old times. I leapt at the chance, my heart lifting instantly at the idea. I hadn’t skated since Quinn and I’s second date. Reliving my first memory on the ice and reminiscing about skating every year made me miss it more than I could express. But, the thought of skating again with Ayrie like we used to, where we would laugh until we cried? That was holiday magic in its own right. Quinn eagerly agreed to go with me. The others playfully grumbled about not wanting to fall on their asses again, so they planned to hit up the Navy Pier instead. Once we made it home and told Auntie Titi our plans, it only took one text in a group chat to turn the casual outing into a whole, full-blown family reunion.
Now, as we—me, Ayrie, Xander, Bryson, Auntie Titi, and Quinn—stepped out the next morning, the sidewalks were already alive with a party. A crowd waited out front or trickled in from around the neighborhood. Cousins closer to my age waved at me and Ayrie. Someone across the street yelled, “Y’all better not have started without me!” as they jogged up carrying a thermos, wristlet, and a big grin. A speaker blasted Jill Scott, and many shouted her lyrics from porches and the sidewalk in full harmony. The moment vibrated with unconditional love and connection. I felt it all at once: the warmth of the sun in the cold through all my layers of warmth, the hum of anticipation in the air, the press of bodies close to me in the best way as we made our way down the stairs. There were so many dragon-shifters all gathered here, and even in the distance at the rink already.
My heart soared in my chest like it wanted to break free and join the clouds above us. I clutched my new skate bag tighter against my side to anchor myself. Yesterday, we went shopping for new skates since Bryson needed them. Xander found him a magical pair that would grow with his feet, and they could change out the shoes for a discounted rate if he decided he didn’t like them as he got older. Meanwhile, Quinn had pointed out a pair for me that sparkled under the shop lights: icy blue with pastel laces and glitter embedded along the blades. They were stunning, even fitting like a glove, and it took very little convincing from Quinn for me to buy them, well, for Quinn to buy them for me since she never let me purchase anything on my own dime when she was around. With my new pastel unicorn bag to match, I felt like a little girl all over again, and I couldn’t wait to get back out on the ice. The joy blooming in my chest like spring flowers after the first winter’s melt almost made me skip.
We all set off down the block toward the rink, a mismatched but perfect parade of laughter and chatter. I felt like Lorelai Gilmore as I took in as much of the scent of fresh snow asI could. Quinn held my hand tightly, her warmth something I could feel even through the leather glove around my hand. She hadn’t stopped smiling from the moment we left the house as Bryson held her other hand. His cheeks were pink from the cold, and his breath came out in happy puffs of steam while he babbled about ice, snacks, and playing. Quinn hung on his every word, giving him every bit of her attention. It was too precious.
Giggles and screams of glee echoed from somewhere up ahead before I spotted a new playground. Ayrie had mentioned it was specially enchanted for young shifters, making it a safe place for them to play and tumble while shifted or using their other abilities. As soon as Bryson saw it, he let out a gleeful yell that would’ve made a banshee weep with pride. He tugged on Quinn’s hoodie sleeve, his little boots crunching against the sidewalk as he tried to use his supernatural strength to pull Quinn with him.
“Plane Lady! Let’s go! Play! Play!”
“Okay, okay, let’s go, Bry-Bry!” Quinn picked him up and raised him high above her head like an airplane. He threw his arms out, flying just like he likely would later on in his life. His giggles carried long after they had reached the playground. It was too cute, and I couldn’t stop smiling at the sight. Of course, I don’t think I had stopped smiling since we had left the house. It was just so real, effortless, and easy.
Ayrie playfully nudged me as we continued toward the rink. “You might have to move here, girl, because that mate of yours is amiracle workerwith kids. Xander and I haven’t gotten to relax like this since before Bryson was born.”
I laughed. “Yeah, Quinn is really great. I don’t ever get tired of seeing it.”
“Did you know that Bryson is named after you?”
My jaw fell. “Ayrie! Are you fucking serious?”
“She absolutely is. I wanted to name him after me, but she was pretty adamant—” Xander started.
“Shh, men should be seen, not heard, when grown women are talking, babe.” Ayrie patted his shoulder. Chuckling, he rolled his eyes and walked ahead toward his friends, who had called out to him. “When I got pregnant with Bry-Bry, I knew I wanted to name him after you. After you and your parents went missing for so long, we just feared for the worst. For dragons, it’s hard for us to mourn our dead and gain closure without having a body to do so. It’s against most of our traditions, and our dragons even recoil at the thought.”
I nodded, thinking about how hard it’s been to cope with the loss of my mother and not being able to give her the service she deserved and always would have wanted. Ayrie continued, “But, I wanted to dosomethingto honor you. I wanted Bryson to be just as happy as I always remembered you being as a kid. I figured if I gave him something like your name, he would have some trace of that.”
“Oh, Ayrie. That’s so insanely fucking sweet,” I said, my tears cooling immediately as they overflowed from my eyes.
“Of course, Byrdie-Bee! You know, I always knew you survived. I have no idea how, but I did. I think that’s why I never wrote down anyone else to be his godparents and guardians, if anything happened to me and Xander. Now that I know you are alive, obviously, I was hoping…”
“Ayrie. Are you about to ask me to be Bryson’s godparent?”
“I was actually going to ask if youandQuinn were okay with that.”
“Oh, my gods, Ayrie! Yes! Yes, of course! Quinn is going to be so fucking happy! Thank you!” I pulled her into a hug. Despite her several inches of height on top of my own—honestly, it would be easier to find someone in my life who didn’t have that advantage—I was able to pull her close to me. We jumped up anddown like little girls as everyone else kept going toward the rink. Everything was better than what we had always talked about underneath sheets with stolen cookies and late-night whispers.
Suddenly, a new sound caught our attention. It was a chorus of high-pitched squeals and scampering feet in the snow. Ayrie and I turned toward the playground just in time to see what could only be described as a wild stampede of supernatural children pursuing a giggling Quinn.
A flash of fur zipped past as a tiny tiger-shifter tumbled across the ground with their tail snapping behind them. Then, a flurry of sparkles followed, likely a baby witch with a poor grip on her magic. A preteen fae with faintly glowing eyes and translucent wings fluttered overhead after her. Bryson’s small but fast coyote-shifter legs were right on Quinn’s heels, too. And, even more kids were joining in the chase with each passing moment. It was chaos. Beautiful, loud, cute, unhinged chaos.
Quinn was quickly swarmed and overtaken.
