Page 51 of The Minotaur's Nanny Bride

"It's okay," I tell him.

He pushes the door open. The familiar scent of herbs and spices washes over me—my own additions to the house that somehow lingered despite my absence. But it's what I see that makes my heart leap in my chest.

Lyra sits in the rocking chair by the window, her copper-red braid falling over one shoulder as she holds Ellis. The baby's eyes—those beautiful gold eyes just like his uncle's—widen as he spots me. He makes a soft cooing sound that seems to bubble up from his tiny chest.

"Look who's here," Lyra says softly to Ellis, her green eyes meeting mine with understanding.

I cross the room in quick strides, bending down toward them. Ellis's little arms wave excitedly, his gold eyes never leaving my face. When I scoop him up, the familiar weight of him settles against me, and a wave of warmth I've desperately missed washes over me. His fur is soft against my skin, and he smells of milk and the herbal soap I'd made for him weeks ago.

"Hello, little one," I whisper, pressing my face into his neck. "I missed you so much."

Ellis makes another happy sound, his tiny fingers finding my short silver-blonde hair as they always do. The tug is gentle, familiar, like he's making sure I'm really here.

Behind me, I sense Dex watching. I turn to find him wearing a soft smile, his massive frame somehow looking vulnerable in the doorway. The sight of us together seems to have struck him speechless—Dex Ironhoof, momentarily without words.

"Come here," I tell him, my voice warm. "He wants his family together."

Dex walks over slowly, crouching beside us. His size makes the movement deliberate, careful. Ellis immediately spots him and reaches out with tiny arms, making urgent little noises.

For a moment, Dex hesitates, glancing between Ellis and me with an expression of wonder, like he can't quite believe this is real. Then he picks up his son, cradling the small body against his massive chest. Ellis looks even tinier against Dex's broad form, but the sight seems right somehow—complete, whole.

"There now," Dex murmurs, his usual boisterous tone replaced with something softer. "That's better, isn't it, little one? We're all home."

I notice Lyra quietly slipping out of the room, giving us this moment together. Before she goes, our eyes meet, and she gives me a knowing smile—the smile of someone who understands exactly what's happening here, what's being built.

I step back, watching them. For a moment, the world feels perfectly still, as if time has slowed just for this. The sunlight streaming through the windows catches on Ellis's tawny fur, highlighting the tiny nubs of horns just beginning to peek through. My chest tightens with an emotion so powerful it's almost painful.

Ellis snuggles against Dex, his head resting against his father's chest. The contrast between them—Ellis so small and fragile, Dex so massive and strong—creates a tableau that steals my breath. Ellis's tiny fingers grip the fabric of Dex's shirt, and his eyes begin to droop, content in the security of his father's arms.

My heart swells as I watch them, the family I've always wanted finally coming together. It's strange how clear everything becomes in this moment—how all my doubts seem to dissolve like morning mist. I've spent years building walls around myself after my family disowned me, convinced that independence meant isolation. I created my herb shop, my small farm, my ordered life, keeping everyone at arm's length.

But standing here now, I understand that true independence isn't about standing alone—it's about choosing who to stand with.

"Look at him," I whisper, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. "He's falling asleep."

Ellis's eyelids flutter, fighting the drowsiness that's claiming him. His little chest rises and falls in a rhythm that's becoming more even, more peaceful. I've never seen him settle so quickly.

"He knows he's home," Dex replies, his voice uncharacteristically soft. The usually boisterous minotaur is gentle now, one massive finger carefully stroking Ellis's cheek.

I want to memorize every detail of this moment: the warm, honey-golden quality of the afternoon light, the faint scent of the herbs hanging from the kitchen rafters, the way Dex's massive form seems to soften as he cradles his nephew. No—his son. That's what Ellis is now, what he's always been meant to be.

My practical nature typically keeps my emotions in check, but right now, I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I've spent so long convinced that family wasn't in the cards for me. After being cast out by the prestigious Silverleaf healers for treating a minotaur child—the very act that gave me the distinctive scar on my right hand—I'd closed that door in my heart.

Dex looks up at me, his gaze soft. The green of his eyes reminds me of fresh herbs in spring, vibrant with life and possibility. Behind that jovial exterior he shows the world, there's such depth, such capacity for tenderness.

"We're a family, Maya." His voice catches slightly on my name. "I love you both and I won't ever let you go."

The words wrap around me like a warm blanket on a cold night. How different they sound from just days ago when he'd told me I was "just the nanny." I can see in his eyes that he regrets those words as much as I'd been hurt by them.

My smile feels radiant as I step forward, wrapping my arms around both of them. My practical, shorter haircut brushes against Dex's arm as I lean in. My arms can't fully encircle Dex's massive frame, but it doesn't matter—what matters is that we're connected, the three of us, in this perfect moment.

"And I love you," I say, my voice steady despite the emotion behind it. My gray eyes meet his green ones, no walls between us now. "Both of you."

Ellis stirs slightly between us, making a contented little noise before settling deeper into sleep. His tiny hand uncurls from Dex's shirt and reaches outward, finding my finger and grasping it in his sleep. The connection—small but perfect—brings fresh tears to my eyes.

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