Epilogue
Three Months Later
Liam
“And that, my friends, is how you extract the venom from one of the most disgusting insects in all the jungle. Make sure to wear gloves, because their feet are terribly sticky.”
I smiled to myself, recalling the time Cerise and I had shouted at each other above the noise of the rain, trying to wrangle the icdicae.
My students gathered their bags and rose from their seats, my classes for the day finished.
“Don’t forget, next week we’ll be meeting at Silverwood Forest to practice our observation skills and record what we find in the ponds!” I called after them.
Students murmured their excitement as they filtered out of the classroom. I plopped in my chair, breathing a contented sigh as I scanned the room. It was Cerise’s old lecture hall. The one with the attached aviary.
I had been thoroughly enjoying my job at Silverleaf Institute of Magic. The staff were welcoming and I often had lunch with Emberly, who was now the department dean.
I had moved in with Cerise fairly quickly after she asked me, easily selling my old home.
Living together had been a challenge at first, both of us trying to manage with our quirks and hang-ups.
I was messy, she was almost obsessively clean.
But we found a rhythm and it was working surprisingly well.
I had to get rid of a lot of my things (honestly, I had too many) but we cleared out an extra room in her home for my collections and turned it into a reading room of sorts.
We often spent time there in the evenings, just enjoying each other’s presence, surrounded by my feathers and seashells and other knick knacks, all carefully arranged by Cerise so it would ‘look less cluttered.’
Smiling at the memory of the day she spent hours delightedly sorting my feathers by color, I shoved my papers into my overstuffed bag and stood.
I needed to call Coen soon and check in with him.
He was the only thing I missed about my old life, and I felt a small tinge of guilt at leaving him behind.
He didn’t really have friends besides me, but we made sure to keep in touch through phone calls and letters and had plans to meet for dinner in a couple of weeks.
The position of his department’s dean still hadn’t been filled, but Rosenshield’s retirement was just around the corner and I was curious about who would fill that role.
Making my way down the warm wooden halls, I headed outside to meet Cerise at her clinic. Her business was flourishing, clients scrambling to bring their pets to the well-known and supremely talented beastologist-turned-animal-healer.
She was brilliant. Her knowledge and experience in academia rendered her an excellent healer. And I’d never seen her so peppy before, almost a complete one-eighty from the woman I had met that first day of our expedition.
I had changed too. I was more relaxed, calmer. Because I’d found my place in the world just like her. I had a job I loved, a woman I loved, and a life I could have only dreamed of.
Cerise
I scratched behind the ears of the tabby cat sitting before me on the exam table.
“Mix this tincture in with her food once a day in the evenings and it should help with her pain,” I explained to the owner, an elderly woman with big brown eyes full of concern.
“So Tilly is going to be okay?” she asked, her voice frail.
I squeezed the woman’s hand. “Yes, Mrs. Aberforth. It’s some mild arthritis, not unexpected as cats age, but she’s still got many more years in her as long as we stay on top of it and keep her comfortable.”
“Oh thank you, Doctor Thornheart. May the gods bless you.”
I gave her a smile as she picked up Tilly the cat and walked her to the front of the clinic. “Aaric here can check you out. Please stop by or call if you have any questions or concerns.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. Thank you again.”
I smiled at Aaric, my former student turned part-time receptionist, before heading to my office to finish my paperwork for the day.
The second Aaric had learned of my plans, he’d begged me to let him work at the clinic. Of course, I’d immediately accepted. And now, two afternoons a week, he manned the front desk.
In fact, my entire front desk staff was comprised of a rotating group of students from Silverleaf.
Students who missed my classes and still wanted to learn from me, albeit in a different way.
It was unexpected, but nonetheless welcomed.
I still got to teach, showing them how to treat various conditions and encouraging them to study the anatomy of the creatures we treated.
Several of them had even mentioned wanting to follow in my footsteps and changed their studies to healing.
I entered my office, taking a seat behind the desk.
Scanning the space, I couldn’t help but let out a relaxed breath.
It was perfect. The rose colored walls, the ivory velvet curtains framing the stained glass window.
Arthur slept on the plush floral chair in the corner, perfectly content to spend his days at the clinic and then follow me home each night.
Opening Tilly’s chart, I prepared to document our appointment when I was distracted by a voice in the lobby.
“Good afternoon, Aaric,” Liam said. “How is everything?”
“Afternoon, Doctor Pendragon. It’s been a very busy day, but we just finished our last appointment.”
“Excellent. Is Doctor Thornheart in the back?”
“Yes. Probably in her office.”
I stood, making my way around the desk as Liam opened the door and strode in. “Hello, darling,” I said, meeting him in the middle of the room.
He closed the door, yanked me close and spun me around, shoving me against the wall and claiming my lips with his. I gasped into his mouth and he gripped my waist, pressing against me.
We pulled apart. “What was that for?” I panted.
“I just missed you today, that’s all.”
“I saw you this morning,” I teased.
“Yes, well a full day is much too long to be away from you.”
I threw my head back and laughed.
Liam kissed my neck. “My favorite sound in the world,” he murmured.
I giggled again, then looked at him, pushing an unruly strand of hair out of his eyes and adjusting his glasses as I studied the man who had changed my life.
Little had I known on that fateful day we met—the day I chastised him for arriving late—that I would find my true happiness.
Find your joy and chase it.
And I had. I had found my joy in green eyes and spontaneity. In laughter and jokes. In healing and teaching. And in accepting myself for who I was, routines and schedules and all.