Page 13 of Sealed With A Kiss
“Good. Now go to your mate.” Stacey smiled. “He has a surprise for you.”
Milo Mikolov
Willow slept in her playpen as I set up the special surprise for her and Nik. After calling my mom and speaking a bit about the situation, she was able to help me see that I could do something to help my little family remember the woman who blessed us with Willow, while still moving forward together as a new family unit. My parents had met after my dad’s first mate died and so she knew a bit about the situation I found myself in. For her, my older twin brothers were four and my sister was less than a year old. So, she had even more heart to heal. I remembered how there was always a small altar in the corner of our living room for Monroe, my dad’s first mate, and that Melody, Mark, and Malcolm were always putting special notes there when something incredible or even awful happened that they wished they could speak to their birth parent about. I decided that Willow and Nik deserved that same space to share with Stacey.
While Nik was at the training center, I took Willow on a small supply run and purchased a few things I would need to create the spaces I wanted. Like my family growing up, we now had a small cabinet altar on the wall in our living room where Stacey’s picture was kept and a couple items I found around the house that once belonged to her. When that one was complete, I turned my focus to the nursery. Willow deserved her own special space for her mom. On a shelf near her bed, I placed a shadow box that contained a few things of Stacey’s, a couple of ultrasound pics and a picture of the beautiful woman radiating with the joy she had while carrying her little girl in her womb. As my little girlgrew up, having those things of her mom’s would show her what a gift she was even before she graced this living plane.
I was just finishing the special touches I wanted to add for them when I heard my mate’s intake of air from the doorway.
“What is this?”
Turning to him, I offered a smile and shrugged. “I needed you to know that I understand. She will always be a part of our family.”
“This is beautiful.” Nik stepped fully into the room and over to the small mural I had painted of a small girl playing in a field with an angel. “They look just like Stacey and what Willow will look like in two years.”
“That was what I was going for.” I put the paintbrush down and checked my clothes for paint splatters. “I wanted something special but mobile in case we ever move, that’s why it’s on the canvas instead of on the wall like I had originally planned.”
“Thank you.” Nik came to me and pulled me into his arms. “I saw Stacey today.”
“You did?” I pulled back a bit so I could look at my mate’s face. “You okay?”
“I am.” The corners of Nik’s face lifted, and his eyes glowed a bit, the way they did when he and his beast were both content. “It was good to hear from her that she doesn’t hate me.”
“Do you think you are ready to let go of that guilt now?” I placed my palm on his cheek.
“I do. I think I may check in on her from time to time. Make sure I’m doing right by her in how I raise Willow.” Lines appeared near his brow. “Is that okay?”
“If that’s what you need. There is room in our lives for Willow’s mother.”
“Good. I think I can finally relax and embrace what we have.”
“That’s good.” I took his hand and placed it on my belly. “Because Willow’s going to be a big sister, and both your babies need a happy daddy.”
13
Nikolai Survolar
Happiness feels weird.
That was my realization this morning as I lay in the grass of the training center with Milo and Willow between us. I shifted back into my human form after taking a flight with my brother and now just wanted to take a nap, content to be with my family and surrounded by the laughter of my nieces and nephews as they took turns using the special seat we had so that our dragon form could take passengers for a quick flight around the boundary line. Willow was still a bit young, but I knew that she would love it when she got her chance. Even though she was a full dragon shifter and would eventually fly on her own, there was something about being able to also fly as a human that was exhilarating. I couldn’t wait to take both our children up one day.
I felt myself smiling at the thought of that.Both our children.Milo was pregnant. A tendril of fear crept along the edges of myexcitement. Shaking my head, I reminded myself that Milo was not Stacey. Fate wouldn’t fuck me over like that twice. Right?
“Stop worrying.” Milo shifted so he was on his side, looking at me. “Everything will be okay. We will take all precautions, and I won’t be anywhere that isn’t within a five-minute range of a doctor for the next three and a half months. Okay?”
“I’m sorry.” I moved to my side and rested my head on my bent elbow. “I’ll try to be better, but I think I will freak out every day until you deliver.”
“I understand.” Milo linked our fingers together. “I will be laying the egg instead of a live birth like Willow was. And it will be coming from the omega line instead of vaginally like Stacey.”
“I was relieved when the doctor confirmed that you were carrying an egg. Since seals don’t lay eggs, there was a chance you wouldn’t either. We didn’t even think it was possible with Stacey until she found out one of her great-grandparents was a wolf shifter. I still don’t understand why no one ever told her that before.” I shook my head thinking of her deadbeat family, thankful my clan had kicked them out after we uncovered the abuse her uncles had put her through. “But why would those things make a difference?”
“I read that some studies show a decrease in post-birth issues when going through the omega line.”
“You did?” I hadn’t seen that study and I’d been looking.
“Yeah. I’ll forward you the research journal it was in.” Milo looked over at Hendrix, the witch resting under an oak tree on the south lawn of the training center. “Hendrix told me everything will be fine. I tend to believe him.”
“I know I am most likely just being overly anxious—”
