Chapter 18
18
T oday was everything she thought it would be and more.
Eira took a moment to herself, tucked away next to one of the reception hall's gleaming support pillars as she sipped at a glass of champagne. She'd never have thought the Lathar, with all their warrior culture and militaristic bearing, would have anything like this aboard. The hall was huge, high-vaulted like pictures of cathedrals she'd seen. It was lit up by bioluminescent flowers woven through what Maax had told her were traditional Latharian victory garlands, while Earth roses filled crystal vases on the tables that bordered the room. The merged decorations should have clashed, but somehow they didn't. They worked, blending perfectly together. She smiled as she lifted her glass to her lips again, letting the bubbles fizz on her tongue. The decorations worked, just like their little blended family.
The skirts of her wedding dress swished around her ankles as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking down at the beautiful dress. She hadn't had a proper wedding dress the first time around when she'd married James... the colony had never been a prosperous one, and they hadn't had the funds to import anything that wasn't necessary for survival.
But she had to admit, it felt nice to be dressed like a princess for the day, even if the delicate fabric felt strange after years of practical colony wear. The designs embroidered around the edges of the sleeves as she lifted her glass matched the mating marks wrapped around Maax's wrists.
The sound of children's laughter cut through the air and she looked over to the dance floor. Her smile widened as Maax spun in careful circles, Emily perched on one arm while Grace clung to the other. Their matching dresses, white with the blue sashes that Emily had insisted on, flared out as he turned. Their giggles echoed off the high ceiling, punctuated by calls for him to go faster.
"Again, Papa!" Emily's voice carried clearly over the music. "Again!"
Maax obliged, adjusting his grip to lift them both safely off the ground, his warrior's strength making it look effortless. Grace squealed in delight as they spun, her hair flying out behind her. The sight squeezed something in Eira's chest, her daughter had laughed more in the past few days than in all the years since James died.
The memory of Tisshel arriving this morning before the bonding ceremony filled Eira's mind. The advocate had worn her formal robes despite the early hour, her eyes bright with victory as she presented Emily's completed adoption documents. Tears had gathered in Emily's eyes when she realized she had a forever family... that she would never be parted from them again. Eira took a quick sip of her drink, blinking back fresh tears of her own.
"Your mate cuts quite the figure on the dance floor."
Eira turned to find Kirr beside her, his massive frame somehow managing to look elegant in what she assumed was formal warrior's garb... new leathers and a heavily embroidered sash. His eyes crinkled with amusement as he watched Maax navigate another spin.
"He's had practice," she said, unable to keep the smile from her voice. "Emily insists on dancing every night before bed now. Says it's tradition."
Kirr's rumbling laugh filled the air. "They have him wrapped around their fingers already."
"As if you're any better." She nodded toward where Kyle raced past, leading a pack of children in some complicated game. "I saw you teaching him combat forms yesterday."
"The boy has natural talent." Kirr grinned. "And a warrior's spirit, even if he chooses engineering as his path."
She watched Kyle dart between groups of guests, his breathing clear and strong. The last treatment session had gone without a hitch... and soon he wouldn't need them at all. She sent a silent thank you up to whatever gods might be listening, Latharian or human, for bringing them here where he could get proper care.
Movement on the dance floor caught her eye. Leo guided Sheena through a formal Tavkronian pattern. They'd practiced for hours last night, and Leo had kept stumbling, but he'd been determined to get it right. And it had paid off.
Pride swelled in her chest as she watched him lead with quiet confidence. He'd grown so much in the last few months. The way Sheena looked at him, like he'd hung the stars in the sky... that was familiar too.
"Did you ever imagine this?" Kirr asked in a low voice. "When you first arrived?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly? I was just hoping for basic medical care and enough food. All of this..." She gestured at the celebration around them. "This is beyond anything I could have dreamed."
She caught glimpses of them as the crowd shifted, at ease between various species and social groups in the room.
"Excuse me," she said, needing a moment alone.
She found a quiet corner near the viewport, the star field stretching endlessly beyond the transparent barrier. Her reflection wavered in the surface, her hair swept up in elaborate braids Maax had insisted on doing himself, the new bonding necklace he'd given her gleaming with subtle patterns that marked her as his mate and, now, part of the imperial house.
"You'd hardly recognize me now, would you, James?" The words emerged soft but steady as she lifted her glass in a silent toast. "But you'd recognize the kids. Leo has your quiet strength... you should see him with Sheena, so careful and sure. And Grace..." She had to pause, swallowing past the thickness in her throat. "Grace laughs again. Really laughs, like she used to when you were here."
The stars blurred slightly as tears threatened, but she blinked them back. "Kyle's almost finished with his treatments. He can run and play like any other child now. And Emily... she completes us in ways I never expected. The way she and Grace took to each other, like they were always meant to be sisters..."
She took a slow breath, steadying herself. "I want you to know... loving Maax doesn't change what we had. What you gave us. The kids still talk about you, still keep your memory alive. But they're healing. We all are."
Movement reflected in the viewport, Maax approaching behind her, his warrior's grace not altered one iota by his formal uniform. She smiled.
"You'd like him," she continued softly. "He protects them like they're the most precious things in the universe. Because to him, they are." She touched the cool surface of the viewport. "They're going to be okay, James. More than okay. They're going to thrive."
Strong arms slid around her waist, and she leaned back against her new mate's solid chest. He didn't speak, just held her while she had this moment with James's memory. His presence anchored her, reminding her that grief and joy could coexist in the same heart.
When she was ready, she turned in his arms. The love in his eyes stole her breath... how had she gotten so lucky? How had her desperate plan to save her children led to this?
"Our daughters are requesting another dance," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "But I think their mother deserves a turn first."
She let him draw her back toward the dance floor. Emily and Grace's faces lit up as they approached, while Kyle paused his game long enough to wave. Leo caught her eye from where he stood with Sheena, his smile bright with approval.
She smiled through her tears. This was her family... not just as she'd imagined on her darkest days in the colony, but better. Stronger. Complete in ways she'd never dared to dream of.
Maax's arms tightened around her as they began to move with the music. She caught glimpses of their children as they turned; all of them happy, safe, loved. The future stretched bright before them, full of possibilities she once thought lost forever.
She was home.