Chapter 11
Sammy
Iwoke to Gavrel’s side of the bed still warm. The indent of his head remained on the pillow, and when I turned my face into it, his scent wrapped around me.
Voices drifted up from downstairs. Corey’s bright chatter, punctuated by Gavrel’s deeper rumble.
I lay on the soft mattress for a moment, letting the sound wash over me. My body felt different, rested in a way I couldn’t remember feeling in years, despite the emotional upheaval of last night. The comforter he’d draped over me had been tucked carefully around my shoulders.
He’d stayed. He was still here.
I’d slept through the entire night. When was the last time that had happened? No waking at two AM to worry about bills or Corey’s school or whether I’d locked the restaurant’s back door. No three AM panic about whether I was doing enough, being enough.
Just sleep, deep and dreamless and safe.
Because Gavrel had been here.
I’d come to care for him. More than care, actually. The depth of what I felt scared me almost as much as Virginia’s threats.
But I couldn’t let him fight all my battles. Virginia was my problem to handle. I needed to be strong for Corey, not collapse and let others take over.
I sat up, pushing hair out of my face, realizing I didn’t have to be strong alone. That’s what Gavrel had tried to tell me last night. There was a difference between being strong and being isolated.
The shower felt amazing. Hot water washed away yesterday’s tears and some of the uncertainty clinging to my bones. I promised myself I’d handle this with grace and strength. But I’d also let myself lean on Gavrel’s support, because that didn’t make me weak.
I brushed my teeth, got dressed in jeans and a soft green sweater that made me feel confident instead of frumpy. The mirror showed a woman who looked determined.
Corey’s laughter rang out from downstairs, a sound worth fighting for.
I headed down, the voices growing clearer with each step.
“These came out absolutely perfect,” Corey was saying. “Too much milk and they’re flat. Not enough and they’re too thick.”
“Ah, I see.” Gavrel’s voice held amusement. “How do you know when the ratio is perfect?”
“Mom taught me. You can tell by how it pours off the spoon. See?”
I reached the kitchen doorway and stopped.
Gavrel stood at the stove, his wings spread for balance, his tail making small, contented swishes. Corey perched on his step stool beside him, wielding a spatula over a pan of sizzling pancakes.
Warmth flooded through me, so intense it stole my breath. This wasn’t Gavrel taking over or replacing me. This was him fitting into our lives, slotting into the spaces we’d left open without realizing it.
Corey turned and spotted me. His whole face lit up. “Mom. We’re making pancakes. Gavrel’s teaching me the French way.”
Gavrel’s eyes met mine across the kitchen, concern and tenderness and a question all rolled into one look.
His tail curved toward me.
I was learning his tells. The way his wings spread when he was happy, how his tail lashed when he was upset, the soft swish it did when he was content.
Right now, that tail was asking if I was alright while simultaneously telling me how glad he was I was here.
“They smell amazing,” I said.
They needed me. But I also needed him. And he needed us just as much. That’s what family was. Not blood or obligation, but the daily choice to show up and stay.
Gavrel hurried over and pulled out my chair at the table. The small gesture made my heart skip. “Please sit.”
When he placed a cup of coffee in front of me, I groaned and took a sip. Then I watched as the two males in my life finished making and serving breakfast.
Corey dominated the conversation while we ate, talking about his science project on ecosystems and whether gargoyles counted as part of the food chain and what they ate besides regular food.
“Do you think I could do my project on gargoyles?” Corey asked between big bites of pancake. “Because that would be so sick. I could interview you and everything.”
Gavrel looked to me, asking permission with his eyes.
“If Gavrel doesn’t mind being a test subject,” I said.
“I’d be honored.” Gavrel’s wings did a pleased rustle. “We could visit the library, find books on gargoyle history and physiology.”
His tail brushed my ankle under the table, checking in.
I pressed my foot against his in response.
It felt amazing to sit here eating pancakes like we’d done it a thousand times. Like we’d do it a thousand more.
We were building something real here. Whatever it was terrified and thrilled me at the same time, but that was alright. If you didn’t take little steps outside your comfort zone, you didn’t grow.
After breakfast, Gavrel offered to fly Corey to school while I cleaned up. When I said yes, Corey bolted upstairs to get his backpack, leaving us alone in the kitchen.
Gavrel moved closer. “Are you really okay?”
I touched his arm, feeling the warm, stone texture of his skin. “I will be. Thank you for last night.”
He covered my hand with his, careful of his claws. The size difference between us stood out starkly.
“Always,” he said, and it sounded like a vow.
Corey thundered back down the stairs, already chattering about show-and-tell.
I watched them go from the window, my son secure in Gavrel’s arms, both of them rising into the morning sky. A strange ache settled in my chest, trust and longing and hope all tangled together.
The staff meeting helped ground me. As always, the crew gathered on the porch, and I went through the daily tasks, visitor schedule, and maintenance needs. This kept my mind focused on work.
I was capable. I could do this.
“I saw Gavrel working on that garden gnome sculpture yesterday,” Jim said. “He’s got real talent.” He gave me a knowing look. “And he’s good for you and the boy.”
I didn’t deny it.
Back inside the house, I called Laney.
She answered on the second ring. “Sammy. How are you?”
“I need a lawyer,” I said, explaining after asking how she was as well. “Do you know any good lawyers other than Feydin? He’s out of town.”
“Nancy Whitmore would be my first pick,” she said. “She’s tough but fair. She handles family law, plus she knows the whole monsters-and-humans integration legal landscape. She’ll fight for you.”
I hung up, took a deep breath, and made the call.
The office answered promptly.
I explained the situation, my voice shaking at first but growing steadier as I spoke. When I was put through to Nancy, she listened without interrupting, making small noises of acknowledgment that told me she was tracking every detail.
Through the window, I saw Gavrel land out front. He came inside, but seeing me on the phone, he went back out into the sunshine and strode around to the rear of the building.
I appreciated that he respected my independence even as he made sure I knew he was there if I needed him.
“You have more rights than you think,” Nancy said when I’d finished. “You’re the custodial parent. You’ve been the sole provider for eight years. Virginia has grandparent visitation rights in this state, but they’re limited. Courts favor the parent’s judgment unless there’s cause to question it.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re in control here, Sammy. We can negotiate supervised visits if you’re willing to allow any relationship at all. But first, we meet with Virginia and her lawyer. Set some rules. And we show them you’re not going to be bullied.”
The cost she named made me wince, but Nancy offered payment plan options without me having to ask.
“I believe in protecting good mothers,” she said. “We’ll work it out.”
We set the meeting for four days from now. Two PM at Nancy’s office. She’d contact Virginia’s lawyer today to arrange it.
When I hung up, I felt empowered. Not fixed or solved, but like I had a plan. People in my corner.
I could handle this.
I went outside to tell Gavrel, finding him by the garden gnome, chainsaw set aside, adding fine details with hand tools. He looked up when I approached, reading my expression.
“The lawyer?” he asked.
“I decided it was time I stood up for myself. I appreciate your offer to call Feydin, however. But he’s on his honeymoon. We can handle it.”
His smile flashed much too briefly. “Yes, we can handle it.”
I told him what Nancy had said and how I felt hopeful for the first time since Virginia had shown up.
His wings spread with relief, and his tail did a happy swish.
“I have news too.” He set down his tools. “I’m considering making an offer on the second house.”
Happiness hit first. That house was perfect for him—the workshop, the space, and the lake view.
Wistfulness followed. I’d imagined myself in every room. Pictured Corey running through the yard, me cooking in the kitchen, and having morning coffee on the porch.
Lastly, worry settled in my belly. What happened when he moved out? Where did that leave us?
I tried to keep my voice steady. “That’s wonderful. It’s a beautiful property.”
He stepped closer. “If my offer is accepted, I’m not leaving you. The house is ten minutes away.”
His tail curved toward me without touching.
“You’re right.” I managed a smile. “I’m happy for you.”
Inside, I was already bracing for loss.
But I’d survived worse than wanting something I couldn’t have.
Silence stretched between us. He looked like he wanted to say something more. I wanted to ask if he’d still be part of our lives. If Corey could still see him. If I would.
But I didn’t ask.
He broke the silence. “Have dinner with me tonight in the next town. Please. Just us.”
My brain short-circuited. “Dinner? Like…a date?”
His wings made this nervous flutter. “If you want it to be.”
My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it. “I’d need someone to watch Corey.”
His face lit up like I’d said yes. Which I basically had.
“What about Laney?” I said. “She might know someone.”
“I’ll call her.”
I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and stepped away to let him get back to work.
Laney answered on the second ring, and I told her about my conversation with the lawyer before explaining what else I needed. “A date with Gavrel?”
I sputtered, keeping my voice low. “It’s not—I mean, maybe it’s not a date. I don’t know—”
“It’s a date. And I’ll be happy to sit with Corey. It’ll be good to get away from being a milk machine, and Dorvak can take care of Mai for a few hours. Seven, you said? Wear something pretty.”
She hung up before I could reply.
Gavrel watched me with this small smile on his face.
“Seven o’clock,” I said, my voice shaky. “She’ll watch Corey.”
“Perfect. We can leave after she arrives.”
My stomach did a flip.
I threw myself into work for the rest of the morning, but I couldn’t focus. I kept catching myself daydreaming. And checking the time on my phone.
Eleven AM. Eight hours to go.
Jim caught me staring into space twice while we reviewed the irrigation schedule.
“You’ve got that look,” he said.
“What kind of look is that?”
“The one folks get when they’re falling for someone.”
I didn’t deny it.
While helping Emma and Flint plant azaleas, my mind kept wandering. What should I wear? Was this really a date? What did it mean?
I caught sight of Gavrel in his clearing, shirtless again, working on the gnome, and I had to force myself not to stare.
He looked up, caught me watching, and smiled again.
My face burned. I turned back to the azaleas with shaking hands.
I was genuinely excited. Not too scared, though I was a little. But I was eager to spend time with him, just the two of us. No crisis, no Corey, no responsibilities.
Just Sammy and Gavrel.
My last true date had been nine years ago, and look how that had ended.
But this felt different. He felt different.
At the café, Claire noticed that I was distracted.
“You okay, boss?” she asked.
“I have a date tonight.”
Both Claire and Beth stopped working and turned to stare at me.
“With Gavrel?” Beth asked.
My face answered.
They both grinned. “It’s about time,” they said at the same time.
I did final garden rounds in the afternoon. Visitor numbers were up again, which was good. I made notes for tomorrow’s tasks. Then I took a stroll around the grounds, finding Gavrel packing up his tools.
Our eyes met.
He mouthed, “Tonight.”
I nodded, bees exploding in my belly.
Was this a date? I didn’t know for sure. But I knew I couldn’t wait to find out.
I checked the time when I headed inside. Four PM.
Three hours to get ready, and I had no idea what to wear.
To say I felt like a giddy, nervous teenager was an understatement, but I was also a grown woman choosing to take a chance. I was choosing to trust and see where this could go.
Soon enough, I’d face Virginia with Nancy at my side. But tonight, I’d have dinner with a male who made me laugh. Who held me when I cried. Who loved my son like he was already his.
Gavrel looked at me like I was worth fighting for.
And maybe it was time I believed I should also fight for myself.