Page 15 of Curvy Girl and the Single Dad Dragon
"Does it happen often?"
"Less than it used to," he says, pride evident in his voice. "She's learning control. Aren't you, princess?"
Ember nods solemnly. "I'm getting better every day. Today was an accident because I saw Mommy's picture and got sad."
My heart aches for her. "That's understandable. Everyone has accidents when they're learning something new."
"Even Daddy?" she asks, looking at her father with wide eyes.
Damon chuckles. "Even Daddy. When I was about your age, I got so excited about a new toy that I set fire to my father's favorite chair. He was not pleased."
I try to picture Damon as a small boy with the same golden eyes and dark hair, accidentally breathing fire in excitement. The image is both adorable and surreal.
"Where did you grow up?" I ask, then immediately worry it's too personal. "If you don't mind my asking."
"Originally in what's now Romania," he answers after a brief hesitation. "In the Carpathian Mountains. My family moved around Europe quite a bit during my childhood, staying in remote areas where we could shift forms without being observed."
"Shift forms," I repeat, the reality of what that means hitting me anew. "Into actual dragons. With wings and scales and everything."
"And tails," Ember adds helpfully. "Dragon tails are the best part."
Damon smiles at his daughter's enthusiasm. "Yes, with all the traditional dragon features. Though we're not as large as some legends would have you believe. My full dragon form is about the size of a small bus, not a cathedral."
"Only a bus?" I tease. "How disappointing."
He looks surprised at my humor, then pleased. "Ember is considerably smaller, of course. About the size of a horse right now. She'll grow as she ages."
"Can I see?" The question slips out before I can stop myself. "I mean, not now, obviously. But sometime?"
Damon and Ember exchange a look I can't quite interpret.
"It's a significant step," Damon says. "Showing our true form to a human."
"I understand," I say quickly. "It was presumptuous of me to ask."
"No," he counters, surprising me. "It's a natural question. And given that you know what we are, it makes sense that you'd want to see. It's just... not something to be taken lightly."
"When the time is right," I suggest, not wanting to push boundaries that clearly matter to them.
"Yes," he agrees, looking relieved. "When the time is right."
Ember yawns widely, revealing teeth that look just slightly sharper than normal.
"Someone's ready for bed," I observe.
"But it's movie night," she protests weakly, even as her eyelids droop. "You promised, Daddy."
"How about a short movie?" Damon suggests, checking his watch. "It's already past your usual bedtime, and you've had quite an exciting day."
She considers this, then nods. "Can we watch 'How to Train Your Dragon'?"
Damon and I both laugh at the irony. "Sure, princess. Go get ready for bed first, and we'll set it up."
As Ember scampers off to change into pajamas and brush her teeth, I begin clearing the pizza boxes. Four large pizzas, and there's barely one slice left. Dragon appetites are no joke.
"Thank you," Damon says as he helps me clean up. "For how you've handled all of this."
"I'm still not entirely convinced I'm not dreaming," I admit. "But if I am, it's certainly the most interesting dream I've ever had."
