Price
NINETEEN
Opening my eyes, I wondered why the house was so quiet.
But after checking the time, I lay back and listened.
During the day, it was a loud house, and even now in the early morning, the baby monitor on the nightstand carried the sniffle of our five-month-old, Finn.
Like me and the rest of our children, his internal temperature was hotter than a human’s.
The pregnancy had left some dragon in my mate’s blood and his skin was now dragon-level heat.
Beside me, Cam slept diagonally as usual, and I’d learned to adjust my sleeping position to his. He’d stopped stealing the covers, and I no longer complained about his cold feet on my back.
Finn woke, not with a cry but a gurgle. He’d be holding his hands up, before putting them in his mouth, amazed that they belonged to him.
I raced to the nursery and stood in the doorway as Finn grabbed a foot and brought his toes to his mouth.
I wish I could do that, my dragon sighed. I must be getting old.
Picking up my youngest son, I sniffed his perfect baby smell as he gummed my shoulder. We stood in the dawn light, and I studied the wall with the two dragons, me and my brother, and Cam in the corner.
“Morning.” I greeted my brother. It had stopped being sad a while back and now it was part of my early-morning ritual.
The sun came up and peeked into the room. It caught the suncatcher and it lit up, scattering the family’s dragon colors and Cam’s favorite over the ceiling. The clear section was the same as when I’d made it and would stay like that until Finn revealed the color of his flame.
“That one’s yours.” I tipped it so Finn could see it. "It might be years before you show us, but that doesn’t matter.” He watched it turn and reached out one hand. “You have your place.”
By seven, the kids were up and dressed and Cam and I were making breakfast. I took every opportunity to kiss my mate when he came close, and he pretended I was distracting him and the kids would be late for school.
The baby was in his highchair, though he hadn’t started solid food yet. His attention was on the colored blocks on the tray. And when he got bored, he tossed them on the floor and expected his siblings to pick them up.
Jack was wearing a cape because he’s retired his wings. They sat in his drawer, waiting until Finn was old enough for them. Our older son was still obsessed with flying, though it’d be a while before he met his dragon and got his own wings.
When everyone was eating, I thought back to the day I’d buried my brother and become what I assumed was a placeholder dad. I thought I’d never be enough for these three kids, but I was wrong.
“Anyone interested in seeing the studio’s new logo?” Cam was holding his tablet close to his chest.
Finn banged a block on the highchair tray.
“That’s one yes.” My mate kissed the top of the baby’s head. “Do we have another?”
Jack put up his hand, Bea looked up from cereal and nodded, and Isla said, ”I want to see what Dad Two has designed.”
I’d already seen a rough draft and my first reaction that day was, “You can’t do that. Not on my studio sign.” But Cam had convinced me it was okay, so I added my name to the chorus of yeses this morning.
My mate flipped the tablet around and placed it on the island.
“It’s okay,” Jack said.
“Is it just a flame?” Isla shrugged. “I was expecting something more original.”
Bea glanced at it and went back to her breakfast.
“Wow.” Cam put his hands on his hips. “I’ve got some harsh critics.”
“It’s pretty, C.” Bea smiled. “Humans will love how elegant it is.”
My darling girl was trying to be supportive.
“Hey, family, look closely.” I pointed to the curve of the flame.
Three heads moved closer to the tablet and even Finn leaned over his tray.
“Is it a—?”
“Dragon.” Jack finished Isla’s sentence.
Finn squealed, and Cam high-fived him.
It was a coiled dragon with the lick of the flame being the arch of his neck and the base curled into a tail.
“Awww, it’s us, we’re all there.” Bea got up and hugged my mate.
“No human will ever see the dragon,” Cam explained. “It’s just for our family, and our secret is safe.”
But then the morning collapsed into turmoil. Isla insisted the dragon’s tail needed more curve, and Finn decided it looked delicious enough to lick.
“Ewww.” Cam removed the tablet and cleaned the screen.
But Finn was soon bored and he wailed, and I picked him up.
“The smallest member is crying.” Bea held an imaginary microphone to her lips and I ruffled her hair.
There was a dragon hidden in plain sight where only we could find him. With a mate and four children, it was more than enough.
THANK YOU FOR READING.