Page 94 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

Echo tugged his lower lip between his teeth.

“I’m assuming all those little dolphin-orca figures around them might be your babies. Eight of them, though? You’re going to be busy, buddy.”

Your babies.

Echo ran a hand over his stomach. Earlier in the week, he’d noticed his pants wouldn’t close. None of them would close. He’d eyed himself sideways in the mirror and noticed a small swell—but he could be no more than seven weeks pregnant. It was too soon for a swell to appear. He’d convinced himself he wasn’t pregnant. It wasn’t as if they were truly ready when there were so many doubts circling them.

Just to be sure, though, he’d bought some tests at the drug store on his way home one night. When all three came back positive, he made an appointment that afternoon to confirm. He wished Mael was there to go with him. A little part of him wanted to tell Tempest—to tell anyone—but he hadn’t gotten confirmation yet.

Plus, Mael deserved that news first if at all possible.

Why can’t he be here now?

“Eck—are you there?”

“I am,” he murmured. “That’s just…a lot.”

“I’m sure,” Tempest replied. “By the way, I showed these to Mom. I told her it was you who found the cave and that was how you and Mael met in the first place. I also showed her that last one and told her my suspicions that it was you and him.”

Echo winced.

“I realized as soon as the words were out of my mouth that I’d said too much. That was unfair of me. I should’ve asked you first, and I’m so sorry, Echo.

“I appreciate the apology,” Echo said. “Iwouldprefer that others didn’t know what’s inside my pants.”

“Of anyone,I should’ve been more mindful and protected you. I only told her because I thought it might help her get her head out of her ass when it came to you and Maelstrom being mated. If this muralisfrom her however-many-great-grandmother’s visions, then how could she deny you?” Tempest sighed. “I’m angry at myself. I hope you can forgive me.”

“You didn’t say it with malice,” Echo replied. It sounded as if she truly was trying to help. “I forgive you—but please don’t share this with anyone else. Hopefully your mother won’t either.”

“My mother raised six unique children and is fiercely protective of them. She never pointed out our differences.”

Were there other differences other than Tempest and Mael? “I’m not her child.”

Tempest snorted. “But you might give her grandchildren one day. Even if she’s against you and Mael being together, she’s smart enough to hedge her bets. She’d want to meet her grandchildren.”

“If we’re able to have any.”

“If that mural is you and my brother, I think we know what’s coming.”

“Do you think it helped? With your mother?”

“She didn’t look overly impressed, but then, she’s mastered the mask of indifference and shows no emotion most of the time.”

“She certainly didn’t hold back when we first met,” Echo replied.

“Yeah, well… we’ve been told all our lives that the dolphins of Dolphin Bay are the enemy. I wasn’t on board with you and Mael at first either. I only came that first boat trip because I wanted evidence to convince Mael he was making a terrible mistake. But then—” She paused and grew quiet. “I don’t know how much he’s told you about our older brother, Gale.”

Echo frowned at the switch in conversation. “He told me he accidentally killed his brother attempting to save his mother.”

Tempest inhaled deep and blew it out. “Mael was a really sweet, cheerful kid. He was light and joy, and he made everyone smile when he walked into a room. He was Gale’s shadow. He could do no wrong in Mael’s eyes… until the drugs changed everything.”

Echo could hear pain in Tempest’s voice. It sounded as deep as it had been in Mael’s. It broke Echo’s heart to hear it. Their entire family had been devastated because of addiction.

“After it all went down, it broke Mael. He wasn’t okay for a long, long time. None of us were, really, but it was, of course, worse for him. He didn’t smile. He didn’t laugh. He couldn’t feel joy. There was self-harm.A lotof self-harm.” She paused, her voice breaking a bit on the last two words. “Time passed, and he got a little better, inch by inch, but he’s never truly been able to let it go. Sure, he laughs and smiles and jokes with us now, but there’s never true joy in his eyes.” She snickered, the tone sarcastic. “It’s almost as if he’s cosplaying being a happy person. It’s all a mask. The heaviness is always there—a dark shadow lingering in his eyes. Eighteen years later, and he is still haunted.”

Echo’s heart ached for young Mael.

“Until you,” Tempest murmured.

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