Page 217 of Nine-Tenths

Katiya and her fiancé came back from their backpacking trip to find our shared apartment spotless, and me totally moved out. As well as a brand new sofa in the living room and their rent paid for the next year, because Dav is a goddamned romantic like that. Mauli seems to have no clue that Anwaatin has started to sniff around them, and I've tried to drop info about what being a Favorite means as often as I can without being obvious. Dikembe thinks it's hilarious, and Min-soo won't stop batting her eyelashes at me and sighing, absolutely enchanted with k-drama and the romance of it all.

And Hadi.

Well.

Hadi now had not only the permission to sell dragon-roasted coffee again, but a royal seal of approval. Dav handed the reins over to Anwaatin, who actuallyisa morning person, so you know, good for her but also, ugh, morning people. What started as roasting lessons every day slowly petered off to once a week, until Dav bowed out, leaving Anwaatin to labor in service of her new hoard without him.

The return of The Coffee Of The Summer heralded a return of the insane line-ups, and Hadi ended up needing to hire not just a social media manager, but a security gal on weekends who made sure the queue stayed orderly. Last I heard, the run-off business had boosted the downtown core so much that the BIA had given her an award. A few corporate folks offered franchise opportunities, but Hadi, the grumpy thing she is, said no.

"The whole point of this 'serving the people' thing," Hadi had said over drinks at the Brass Monkey, "Is that weservethem." She sent a glance toward Anwaatin as she said it that made methink that Mauli wasn't the only one being courted. "Not some McCorporation. This shit's gotta come from the heart, right?"

"Hear hear," Dav had said, and raised a toast to the coffee shop that had brought us all to this point, right here, right now.

And Dav.

My beautiful, selfless, generous Dav.

I'm not going to lie, leaving Beanevolence, and the sense of purpose that he had there, left him bereft in a way he'll never admit to. With me overseeing the farm upgrade and liaising with the courts, and with Sarah taking over most of the wedding planning, Dav was at loose ends.

"Hey, babe," I'd said one morning, shortly after he'd completely given way to Anwaatin. It was just past dawn and he was already dressed and sitting on the end of the bed looking like an abandoned puppy.

"Colin." He'd planted a kiss on me, despite the stale morning breath. "Morning."

"Been up long?"

He'd made a nondescript gesture.

"Sulky pants," I'd said, nudging him with my foot from under the sheets.

"I'm not sulking."

"You're sulking. Go cook me breakfast."

Dav had raised an eyebrow at me. "You know I will be smacked with a spoon if I meddle."

"I didn't saymakebreakfast. I saidcookit."

Dav's eyes had gone wide, and then narrow. "I'll burn your bacon."

"As long as you don't burn the coffee."

Dav had furrowed his eyebrows. "We don't have any green beans."

"Yeah we do." I'd hid my face in the pillow. "I ordered them Saturday. They’re in the pantry. Shoo."

Dav shooed.

It became a habit. Dav now gets up early every morning and roasts coffee and cooks everyone breakfast. It's a start. Of course the farm renovations aren't going to keep him busy forever. I'm going to have to find him some charity committees and boards to sit on soon, for his own damn good. Maybe get him started in local politics, if it's something he's interested in. He has no desire to be Governor, but 'Lord Mayor of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Alva Tudor' has a nice ring to it. If he wants it.

I'll help him get it.

I'll help him geteverythinghe wants.

Because he's already given me everything I never knew I did.

But that'smyjob, isn't it? To keep my dragon—my fiancé—my husband—Mine Own grounded. To make sure he has the ability to do what he needs to, to the best ofhisability.

His job is to serve everyone.

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