Page 29 of Possessive Mechanic

Extended Epilogue

Astrid

Ten years later

“Is that what I was named after?” Andromeda asks, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she looks through the giant telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatories on the Big Island of Hawaii.

“That’s it,” I confirm.

“Wow,” she says. “I love it. It’s so beautiful. Thank you.”

“You’re so beautiful, pumpkin,” I say, sliding my hands up and under her armpits and helping her down from the little stand she had to stand on to look out through the giant telescope.

“Me next. Me next,” Atlas, our oldest, says, jumping up and down and waving his hand in the air like he’s waiting for a teacher to call on him.

“Me, mom. Me,” Aurora says, bending at the waist and putting her tiny hands in prayer in front of her chest.

“It’s Archer’s birthday,” I whisper loudly, to all our kids. “We should probably let him go first.

Archer, our seven-year-old, pumps his fist and steps up to the telescope. Axel waits for him to line up his eye and then starts explaining the origin of the archer constellation.

I wrap up the rest of our kids in a hug and contemplate what a wild ride these last ten years have been.

We’re at five children now…Atlas, Andromeda, August, Archer, Aurora. Axel was fixated on sticking with astronomical names in honor of the woman who brought them all to life. Me.

He’s not a hippie or a free-spirit per se, but he is most definitely into tradition and loyalty, and he thought the naming thing was the best way to keep our family even more cohesive. I loved the idea, how couldn’t I, and haven’t looked back.

After Archer takes his turn, Axel picks up Aurora and walks her through a mini astronomy class as well. I tap him on the shoulder and let him know I have to excuse myself to the bathroom.

A few minutes later I’m wrapping things up in the ladies’ room when I step out and hear a whistle over my shoulder. Laughing at the catcall I’m thinking is coming from Axel, I say, “Surely you can’t be into this mom bod,” I joke

“Oh, I am,” the voice comes back but it’s not Axel.

I turn to see a man standing there just kinda loitering.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought you were somebody else,” I say, trying to reorient myself as to where I am so I can get back to my family.

“I’m right where I’m supposed to be, next to you sexy momma,” the man says, and although I’m not worried, yet, I don’t like this and want to get out of here.

“I’m married,” I reply flatly. “But thank you.”

My head spins as I realize getting to the bathroom was more like walking through a maze than I thought it was, trying to find a way out of this labyrinth of walls in the dark.

“Never stopped me before. Come on. Whaddya say?”

“She said…she was married,” a familiar growl cuts through the darkness. “And she asked you to stop because she belongs to me.”

Suddenly the sound of a man’s back being plastered to the wall goes off like a cannon shot.

I watch as the man’s eyes bulge as he reaches for Axel’s single hand, which is wrapped around the man’s throat and has him pinned in place.

“What the fuck part of married, don’t you understand?”

“I…I’m sorry,” he gurgles, his face turning shades of red, purple, and white as he chokes on his spit while trying his hardest to get air. And failing.

“Axel. Let’s just go, get back to the kids.”

“Our oldest son has everything under control,” he says, never taking his eyes off the man as he refers to Atlas. “He knows when the king isn’t around the prince moves up to take that role, one I’ve been training him for his whole life as our firstborn child and oldest son.”

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