“But I’m gonna listen,” he said softly.
Yep, that was Pop. He’d always listen.
“Then I’ll tell you,” I said softly back.
He nodded. Then, “His name was Lahn?”
I clenched my teeth to battle the pain. When I had it in check, I nodded. “Dax Lahn, king of Korwahk and the mightiest warrior of the Korwahk Horde.”
Pop’s lips twitched. Then he noted, “Girl, you aimed high. Proud
‘a you, catchin’ the eye of a king.”
I rolled my eyes.
Pop moved to the door and I opened the drawer with my purse in it. As I was standing, I noticed he hadn’t moved through and I stopped and looked at him.
“You sure, darlin’?” he whispered.
I nodded. I was sure. Very sure. It hurt, every day, all day.
But I was sure.
He nodded back. “Pick you up in an hour,” he muttered and moved away.
I waddled out behind him.
Truth be told, I wasn’t that fat. I was doing yoga and taking walks every day and eating right because I might have a six foot seven (in future) warrior growing inside me and he needed the proper nutrients.
Just as a golden girl would need.
So I took care of myself.
I hadn’t learned the sex, I refused to know, hadn’t even glanced at the ultrasound and flatly refused to hear any news except to learn if the baby was growing healthy or not (he or she was).
I wasn’t admitting to myself why but I knew I did it because if I was still in Korwahk, Lahn and I wouldn’t know until the golden moment.
So here, I didn’t want to know either.
I moved to the door, turned out the lights in my office and met my father at the front door he was holding open for me.
Then I went home to put on my new pregnancy dress and say good-bye to the other me as she started her life in her new world.
* * * * *
I looked out the window at the rain as my best friend Marlene deep breathed in front of me.
“No kidding?” she asked.
My eyes went to her and I shook my head.
I’d just told her what I’d told Pop about loving Lahn and why I left anyway. This included the stories I’d shared with him on the ride there (and through his first three beers at the party) stories of Ghost, Diandra, Narinda, Zahnin and Sabine, challenges for the Dax and bloody fights in a tent.
Amongst other things.
She was freaking out and binge drinking.
I was deciding that my tactic of talking about it didn’t make me feel any better and also deciding I was her ride home (as well as Pop’s, I’d already confiscated his keys, they were in my purse).
“Wow,” Marlene breathed. “So… he was hot?”
I looked out the window. “Very hot.”
“And he was good in –” she started.
I cut her off not looking at her. “Very. ”
“Girl,” she drawled out so the one word syllable had seven.
I sighed.
Her hand touched my arm and I felt her get close so I looked to her to see her face had grown soft.
God, I loved Marlene.
“Honey, are you sure you don’t want to go to that witch?” she asked quietly.
Except, right then, I didn’t love her so much.
