Page 78 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Aiden groaned, falling onto his back. All he wanted to do was spend all day in bed with her, but she was right. They did need to go.
“Fine,” he sighed, getting up.
“You can shower first,” she said.
“I need it.”
Her cheeks went pink, and she looked away from him. Fondness spread across his chest. She was so cute. Aiden kissed her cheek, then went to get ready.
After he was done, she got ready, and together, they met Mireya and Sparky at the highest level of the Mount Echo compound.
The baby dragon looked irritated at first, his little face scowling, but then he must have noticed something was different between Aiden and Saphira because he immediately cheered up.
“How is my little baby?” Saphira asked, giving Sparky lots of kisses. “You’re going to do so great! You’re going to be wonderful.”
She stepped back and Aiden went to pet Sparky, giving the baby dragon a smile. Then, a novice came and took Sparky from them.
Mireya stood back with Aiden and Saphira, watching as the novice took Sparky and started walking toward the mountain’s edge, where Sparky would be thrown off.
Just the idea made Aiden’s stomach churn with anxiety. He watched as Saphira took measured breaths, trying to relax.
“We need to be brave,” she reminded him, “or Sparky will be afraid.”
“Mhm.” He couldn’t speak, he was so stressed.
Sparky looked back at them, and Saphira gave him an encouraging smile. Even so, Sparky looked unsettled, and Aiden couldn’t blame him. He himself was grimacing, until Saphira turned to him and widened her eyes.
She elbowed him in the gut. “Aiden!” she admonished. “We need to be strong!”
“God, I can’t do it,” he replied, feeling nauseous. He had been good about being composed during the rituals yesterday, but today he felt as though he was going to fall apart.
“Just pretend,” Saphira ordered, and he saw her force a smile.
He attempted one as well, but it must have been more of a scowl, for Saphira laughed.
“You’re gonna be okay,” she said, taking his hand. She put it around her shoulder, then entwined their fingers. He squeezed her hand, relaxing, and this time when he tried to smile, it was easy.
They both waved at Sparky, and Sparky bounced forward.
“I’m going to throw up,” Aiden said, when Sparky’s back was to them.
Saphira laughed. “I’m worried, too,” she said, holding tight to his hand.
They were both stressed-out parents, and it was lovely to share this moment with her, to know she felt exactly the same way he did.
As Sparky got closer to the edge of the cliff, Saphira caught her breath.
“I can’t watch,” she said. “But I have to! Oh, this is terrible.”
“Baby dragons are stressful creatures, but just wait until you have children of your own,” Mireya said, tone teasing. “Human babies are much more helpless.”
Her comment only succeeded in making Aiden more worried, until Saphira smiled. “Oh, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about then,” she told Mireya. “Aiden would be such a great father.”
A lump rose in his throat at her words. He knew they just kissed for the first time only an hour ago, but it was so impossibly easy to imagine having a family with her. He pulled her into him, kissing her temple.
They held onto each other tight as the novice reached the mountain’s edge. He lifted Sparky up into the air and, without further ado, threw Sparky off and into the air.
Sparky disappeared, and Saphira made a noise as if she had been struck. Aiden felt exactly the same way, like he had been punched in the stomach.
