Kind to the point of doormat. (primlyrose) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-09-13 07:57:00 |
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Prim laughed. "Don't mention Uncle James' new mole. He's very sensitive about it," she replied, teasing. After stepping into her flats, she put the envelope with her test results back in her purse, in case it was easier to have them read the news than to say it out loud.
She wrapped her arms around Lucas, whispered, "Hold tight," and got them to her aunt and uncle's front door. She looked at her watch. "They should both be home now." Prim led Lucas into the house and, once again, removed her shoes.
"Aunt Lily? Uncle James? If you're home, will you join us in the kitchen please?" She sounded calmer than she felt, and that was mostly because she was holding Lucas' hand as they entered the kitchen and she set about making tea.
--
The sound of the door to the house opening wasn't something James questioned ever, but that was just what happened when one had three - four, really - children. He didn't even register it for the most part, since he knew Lily was already home. Except then he heard his name being called by Prim, and that made his brow furrow. Well, not so much the her calling his name but the request to come to the kitchen. That it was such a formal-ish request rather than just can you come here? or something equivalent.
So he went, setting aside the book he'd been reading and making his way down to the kitchen, his gaze flitting between the two standing there. “Hello…”
--
Lucas had followed Prim’s lead, toeing off his shoes and trialing her to the kitchen. He really wasn’t needed to make tea, but he hovered nearby, unsure of what he was supposed to do. He had only been in the Potters’ kitchen a handful of times and right now couldn’t help but feel like some kind of interloper. No doubt he would be deemed an even bigger one once Prim’s aunt and uncle heard the news.
He thought he was okay until Mr. Potter stepped into the kitchen and he could feel his heart jump into his throat. He couldn’t help it, but his eyes sought out the mole that Prim mentioned. For a moment he was confused when he didn’t see one, but then realized she was likely joking. The thought didn’t put him much at ease.
“Hello,” Lucas managed, happy when his voice didn't crack.
--
Lily had been up in her new office. Oh, she loved it up there. It was cool and quiet and had all the material things that she liked and that made her comfortable. Her books, her music, her work. It was a lovely little haven. And, thanks to magic, it wasn’t entirely cut off from the rest of the house, and she was able to hear the call to meet in the kitchen.
Curious more than concerned, she folded up her notes and slid them into her briefcase for later and then left the room, taking care to make sure it was in good order before heading downstairs and being the last to arrive in the kitchen. Her eyebrow lifted in a quizzical expression as she looked at the assembled faces.
“What’s going on?”
--
Prim always felt as if her aunt could read minds. She had a way of knowing things were afoot before she was told, and that, more than anything, made Prim nervous. This time, her hands were steady as she prepared the tea. She arranged everything on a tray and smiled at her aunt and uncle. "Please sit. We'd like to talk to you both." She was more formal than she normally was with her family, and she knew that would raise alarms with them.
Carrying the tray to the table, she set out the mugs and tea pot then returned to the cupboards and retrieve the chocolate biscuits she hid in the back so her uncle wouldn't find them. They were her favourites, but when she opened the box, the smell of them made her feel nauseous, and she thrust them into Lucas' hands quickly.
"Excuse me. I'll be right back." Without running, she hurried to the bathroom and quietly lost everything that was in her stomach.
--
“Um,” Lucas looked at the packet of biscuits in his hand and slowly put them on the table, “I should go check on her? Yeah. I should go check on her.” He turned to go in the same direction as Prim, but came quickly to the realization that he had no idea where Prim might be. He turned around, a bashful look on his face. “Can you tell me where the loo is?”
After receiving directions, Lucas stood outside the closed door, knocking lightly. “Prim? Is everything okay?” He didn’t try to open the door, waiting until he was invited in. He wanted to respect her space.
--
After rinsing her mouth and splashing cool water on her face, Prim opened the door to Lucas. She leaned against the door frame and smiled, tired. "I'm okay," she whispered, putting her hand on Lucas' worried. "Morning sickness doesn't care about the clock. I hope I don't react like that to all the foods I love."
Sighing through her nose, she slid her hand into his. An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but she bit back. She would not offend him by apologizing for getting him in this mess. She would not resent the baby or look on it with regret.
--
Lily’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Prim dash from the room. It was obvious where she was going, and Lily wondered what she needed to tell them that had her so nervous it was upsetting her stomach. After Lucas followed after, Lily considered letting him handle it so as not to crowd the poor girl, but Lily was certainly not one to let one of her children suffer without at least offering to help.
She held up her hand to her husband and then headed down the hallway towards the sound of voices. She slowed when she heard Prim talking and was about to turn around with the assumption that she was feeling better, but then she heard two words that made her stop dead.
Oh. Yes, that would be something nerve-inducing. She folded her arms loosely because she wasn’t sure what else to do with her hands and cleared her throat politely, one eyebrow slightly elevated.
--
Prim turned her gaze towards her aunt, but she did not look guilty. Her fingers tightened on Lucas' briefly before she stepped forward. "We need to talk. I know that is an obvious statement. Please. It will be easier if we were sitting. I need to tell you both at once." She took another hesitant step. "Please?"
--
“Well that’s stupid,” Lucas said when Prim explained that morning sickness was not actually limited to the morning. “They should call it pregnancy sickness or baby--” Lucas trailed off when he heard Prim’s aunt clear her throat.
His eyes widened comically as he froze, color draining from his face. He was going to get kicked out of the house, he was sure of it. They wouldn’t let him see Prim again and Lucas wouldn’t be able to support her like he promised.
Turning around, Lucas didn’t meet Mrs. Potter’s gaze as he followed Prim back out to the kitchen.
--
Lily didn’t really know what to feel in this imperfect moment. Was there a perfect moment, though? The right way to announce that they’d been careless? She sighed and let her arms relax, dropping them to her sides as her expression softened. Who was she to judge? She’d been Prim’s age, hadn’t she? Granted, she’d been married, but a ring and a signature didn’t really mean that much.
Before returning to the kitchen, she approached Prim and lifted her arms in the offer of a hug. If anyone needed one right now, it was probably Prim.
--
The gesture from her aunt nearly undid Prim, and she quickly wrapped her arms around Lily. She did not admit how scared she was, not in that moment. To do so would unleash the flood of tears that were so near the surface.
Pulling back, she took her aunt's hand and led her and Lucas into the kitchen. "I'm okay," she said, meeting Uncle James' eyes. "Please sit."
--
James had nearly been ready to go see what was going on, but thankfully he was saved from that by them all coming back. Though he was still concerned by the formality of it all, and the way Prim had run out of the room. His gaze flitted between the three of them as he pulled out his normal chair at the table, settling into it.
“So… what's going on?”
--
Prim settled in her seat, wrapping her hands around on the mugs. She needed the warmth and something to keep them from shaking that wasn't clenching them in her lap. At her uncle's question, though, she moved one to take Lucas' and hold it tightly under the table.
"I saw a healer today," she said, beginning as she had with Lucas. "I am in perfect health, and I am unhurt." She held her head high without being defiant and looked between the people who had shown her what parents should be. "I'm pregnant." Despite the deep breath she had taken before speaking, her words came out hushed, almost breathy. "About seven weeks. I'm due around my birthday." She bit her lip to stop from saying more. For the first time in her life, she felt the need to fill a silence.
--
Prim’s grip was tight, but Lucas had been bitten by plenty of animals and had been burned by dragons. Yes, he would need his hands at some point, but not right now. He would offer whatever support he could, waiting for her to get the words out and explain. Lucas only jumped in when it looked like she had stopped.
“I told Prim that I would be there for her, no matter what. I have money, some money, set aside,” Lucas nearly tripped over his words he was trying to get them out so fast, “and I make a pretty good wage at the Dragon Reserve. Prim and the baby are going to be taken care of and loved. I promise.” It was that black and white to Lucas. He said he would step up and therefore everything would be okay.
He looked at the two adults in front of them nervously. Hopefully they agreed with his sentiments and wouldn’t be kicking him out of the house.
--
James felt stunned. His mind had been racing over possible reasons for being sat down to talk, worries and concerns about what Prim was going to say, yet that had never entered his thoughts. This was his niece, the youngest of their children, sitting across from him. Pregnant. He barely registered Lucas talking, that one word echoing around in his head as he chanced a glance at his wife before looking back to the kids in front of them.
Kids. They were so young. And now this. He felt like he’d missed several steps, and that made piecing it all together hard, if not impossible. James absently reached over for Lily’s hand, like he knew she would be able to ground him and help his head wrap around it all.
“I… need a minute.”
--
Lily hadn’t spoken since she left to follow the children - because that’s still how she saw them, and likely would for a good while - and she was afraid now to try because she wasn’t sure what would come out. Would it be unwavering support? Because of course they would have it, there wasn’t a question of that, but would it be statements of disappointment? Because that was in there as well. Perhaps not in their behavior, because these things can happen, even with precautions, but disappointment that they were going to have to grow up as fast as she had. She’d never been able to be a young adult and free to be stupid and explore her world. She loved her children - all four of them - with every molecule, but she wanted them to have better.
She had sat herself behind and to the side of James. This announcement was for his benefit because she’d had about sixty extra seconds to process, though it didn’t yet feel real. Her gaze shifted to her husband as he reached for her and she curled both her hands around his, squeezing gently.
--
Prim moved closer to Lucas, giving him a gentle, silent warning to just stay quiet. They would speak when they were ready. The silence was better than shouting, not that they had ever raised their voices to her. If they weren't saying anything, they were thinking, and her logic told her that was good.
As the moments ticked by and the silence became, excuse the pun, pregnant with tension, Prim began to deflate. Her posture spoke of defeat, and she leaned against Lucas, seeking his body heat as she shivered with nerves. "Please say something." She no longer looked at them but at Lucas' hand that she held in her lap.
--
James so rarely found himself at a loss for words, but that was exactly what was happening. He couldn't stay silent, despite hoping that Lily would start talking and say the right things and save him from having to find the words instead. It was too delicate a situation to just say anything and have it work. They had to be the right words, or at the very least not the wrong ones.
“Prim, you know your mum and I love you no matter what,” he started, bringing his hand up to rub over his face before looking across at the kids on the other side of the table. “And we are here to support you, no matter what. I think we're both… surprised, to say the least.”
--
Lucas’ gaze swept between Lily and James Potter. He was trying to hold his tongue for Prim’s benefit, but he wanted to talk, to tell them that while the situation they found themselves in was an accident, the two of them weren’t going to make it a mistake. They both knew what it was like to be measured and found wanting. Neither would do that to their baby.
He looked over at Prim, unsure if he was allowed to speak or not. There was so much he wanted to say to her aunt and uncle but he didn’t know if it was his place or not.
--
Prim wasn't meeting anyone's eyes. She couldn't. Her uncle had called her aunt Prim's mum, and something in her cracked. It was the first time it had been said aloud, at least within her hearing, and if she looked at anyone, she would be a sobbing mess. She had always wanted them to be her parents. She wanted to be one of their kids and not just the niece they took in. She'd never said anything, though, for fear of alienating her cousins.
A few stray tears rolled silently down her cheeks. "You're the best parents I could have asked for. You've shown me what a mum and dad should be." She looked at Lucas briefly. "The only reason I'm not completely terrified is because I have Lucas and the two of you."
--
Lily chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment as Prim spoke, feeling her heart swell at her statement. Lily had always accepted Prim as one of her own and, in the absence of her real mother, had hoped that she would feel the same. It wasn’t something that they talked about enough, Lily thought. Maybe it needed saying more.
She ran her fingertips idly over the back of James’s hand, collecting her thoughts before speaking. “I’m not… Angry with you,” she said, watching Prim, seeking her gaze. “Surprised, absolutely, maybe a little…” She sighed a little. Might as well be honest. “Sad because you are young and have so much life in you, but I am also proud that you are facing this with maturity.”
--
James gave a hum of agreement as Lily spoke, because that was it, those were the words he hadn't quite been able to find. They'd had kids young, and he loved them, but he also knew they'd not had time to themselves because of it. Prim and Lucas… he hadn't even known they were dating, or together. Which they clearly were, right?
“No, not angry,” he agreed, giving Lily’s hand a squeeze. He glanced over to Lucas for a moment before letting his gaze shift back to Prim. “Concerned, too, I would add.”
--
Prim nodded. She could understand why they would feel what they were feeling. "We have some time to plan and prepare," she said slowly, evenly to keep her tears from overpowering her. "We can learn some of what we will need to know, though I know much of parenting is reacting rather than planning."
She bit her lower lip and finally met her aunt's gaze. "I will need your help." She looked at Uncle James. "Both of you." She looked at Lucas lovingly. "You will be our baby's only grandparents, unless Lucas' parents surprise us."
Prim looked again at her parents, for that was what they were, though it would take time for her to call them anything other than Aunt and Uncle. "It was an accident, but it is not a mistake."
--
Lucas had to look away at that. It was no secret amongst his friends that he wasn’t particularly close with his parents, but very few knew the exact extent of his estrangement. It was a hard fact that his parents weren’t the most tolerant, caring only how things looked on the surface. They would not take to the news of a pregnancy out of wedlock well. Even less when they found out about Prim’s background. The Potters were well known, certainly, but they weren’t the ‘right’ sort if you listened to Josephine and Constantine Flint.
“The baby is going to be loved.” His tone booked no room for argument or perhaps there was just a hint of bravado in the statement, daring either Potter to disagree. He raised his gaze, almost in challenge. They would quickly discover the capacity for Flint stubborn and hardheadedness. “And we will need your help, but we’re going to make it, together.”
An itch began to develop between his shoulder blades. What if they thought he wasn’t good enough for Prim? What if they tried to convince her to give the baby away? What if. What if. What if.
--
“The only mistake,” Lily said kindly, “is not loving the children you’re given.” She was deeply touched by Prim’s ‘grandparent’ comment. Sure, she didn’t think herself particularly ready to be a grandmother, but she would be happy to bear the title.
She let go of James’s hand and reach across for her niece’s. “This is, of course, your responsibility, but I trust that you know that. However, I will be here for you for whatever you ask for.” Within reason, of course.
--
James did frown at the comment about Lucas’ parents, simply because he didn’t like the thought of anyone not being involved in their childrens’ life. Then again, with some parents, maybe it was better that way. So long as there was someone there to step in - like he and Lily had with Prim.
“Of course we’ll be here,” he agreed, resting his forearms against the edge of the table and leaning against them. “Lucas, would you mind giving us a minute alone with Prim?” He offered the young man a reassuring look, to hopeful make his request seem less concerning than it might have been otherwise. “I’d appreciate it.”
--
“Yeah. Sure. Okay.” Lucas pushed back from the table and stood. He gave Prim a tight smile, not having the gentle words she deserved. He squeezed her hand one more time before exiting the kitchen through the backdoor. He found himself in a nicely appointed garden. Smaller than the grounds he’d grown up in, but it was a happy place. A good place to call home.
Doing the only thing he could when the emotions crowded his thoughts, pressing in so close he could barely breathe, Lucas transformed into his animagus form. It didn’t distract him fully, but it allowed him to enjoy the feel of the sun against his fur. When he was this way he didn’t have to think about the Potters or good Godric, his siblings.
--
After waiting for Lucas to leave, and hearing the latch click as the door closed, James turned his attention fully to his niece. He reached over, resting his hand over the one Lily was already holding. His mind was still whirring, trying to process everything, but at least cooler heads seemed to be prevailing.
“Prim, I would ask this no matter who or what or anything,” he started, his voice steady and calm. “And your aunt is right, you've shown great maturity in how you're handling this so far. I just want to make sure you're making this decision for you and not being pressured into it by anyone. Not that I'm accusing anyone of anything,” he added, squeezing their hands. “I just have to ask, to make sure.”
--
Prim watched the door for a few seconds after it closed. She was worried about Lucas. This was a lot to take in, and it had only been a couple of hours since she'd told him. They would have time to talk later. It was better to get this out sooner rather than later.
Putting her other hand over theirs, she gave them a proper yet watery smile. "He's not pressuring me. He's not the type." She paused, shaking her head slowly. "I didn't tell him I was going to the healer. I didn't tell him it was a possibility. I thought missing last month was due to the stress of meeting my sister and running in to Dudley. When I was late again."
She laughed lightly. "He didn't know until this afternoon. He was the first I told. It was only right, and I tried to let him off the hook. I'd already made my decision, and I didn't want him to feel trapped. He wouldn't hear of it." Prim bit hard on her lower lip, but it didn't keep her worry at bay.
"He will love us and do his best for us, but I'm so afraid he'll resent me." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, but she felt better for having said that out loud. "It's completely ridiculous to think that, because it's not like Lucas. But even now I can't let go of that old fear that everyone who's supposed to love me will leave because of something I've done." She shrugged helplessly and tried to stop the flow of tears by wiping at her cheeks. "He's not pressuring me, and I don't want to keep the baby because I have a need to prove something. I want this. I didn't know I did until it happened, but I do."
--
Lily sighed quietly and untangled her hand from the others. She rose from her chair and walked around to Prim to kneel on the floor beside her and put her arms around the girl’s shoulders. “There is nothing in this world that you could do to make me stop loving you,” she said in a low voice as she raised one hand to gently wipe at Prim’s tears. “Not this, not anything. I promise you.”
--
James kept his hand on Prim’s and let his thumb trace soft circles against it, watching her as she spoke. “Not a single thing,” he added to what Lily said, offering Prim a reassuring smile. “You're allowed to have worries, and I understand that fear, but I hope you also know that you're stuck with us because we’re not going anywhere. Ever.”
He got up from his seat and shifted around the table, sitting back on the edge of it beside her and brushing her hair back from her face. “And if he ever resents you for this, you come straight to me so I can remind him of everything he's said today.” Among other things, James was sure, but Prim was so steadfast in her belief that Lucas wasn't the type for any of it that he wanted to believe she was right.
--
Her lip trembled dangerously. Normally, she tried very hard not to cry this much in front of anyone, even her family. Now she couldn't seem to stop, and more tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry. I can't seem to stop crying." She looked between them, her heart full of love for everyone. "I'm scared, and I know it's a lot of work, but I'm excited and happy and so very relieved that yo--" Prim shook her head. "You're not them. You've never been them."
She looked at her aunt who was still kneeling on the floor, then at her uncle. "May I have a hug?"
--
“I’m afraid that’ll happen,” Lily said gently, reaching up to stroke her fingers through Prim’s hair. “A lot of strange, frustrating things are going to happen, actually,” she added with a little smile. She didn’t miss the aches and complaints but there were good parts, too. “I know you’ll be fine. You’re stronger than you realize and you’re not alone. Never, ever alone.”
She smiled more broadly at the request and immediately wrapped her arms around her niece. Words weren’t necessary to give a comforting hug.
--
James shifted down to kneel on the opposite side of the chair as Lily, making it easier for him to wrap his arms around Prim and hug her tightly. He let his fingers curl around Lily’s shoulder as they reached around, giving it a light squeeze as he looked over at her. It was a lot going on out of nowhere, and he was sure they would sit down to discuss after, but at least they seemed to be on the same page to start.
--
Prim relaxed into the hug. Her shoulders and neck felt tight, and she realized that she'd been holding them a little too straight. She lost track of the ticking of the clock as they sat there, but when she finally stirred, she felt calmer and no longer like she would cry.
"I should get Lucas. He's probably making himself dizzy with worry, pacing a path in the garden." She paused and smiled softly, fondly. "Or he's curled up somewhere as a corgi." She kissed her parents' cheeks before standing up and going to the door. She didn't see Lucas through the glass, but she spotted him in a patch of sun when she opened the door.
She started to call to him, but she felt weird doing so when he was on four legs. Instead, Prim walked barefoot out into the garden and kneeled next to Lucas. "Hey," she whispered, placing her hand between his ears. "You can come in again, but you have to come in as a man."
--
He was already on his back, looking for belly rubs when Prim told him that he would have to return to the kitchen as a human rather than in his animagus form. Giving her one last forlorn look, complete with real puppy eyes, Lucas got up and trotted a few feet from Prim. As he did so he transformed back into a human, looking back at Prim.
“I don’t know why I couldn’t have just stayed a dog.” He tried to keep the sourness from his voice. Prim didn’t deserve the foul mood fueled by anxiety and worry that had begun to descend upon him. “I’m much cuter that way.” Plus it would be pretty hard to yell at a puppy compared to the teenage boy that knocked up your niece.
He didn’t wait for Prim to give her argument, instead following her back into the kitchen. He looked at the two elder Potters. “Can I- May I sit?” He looked between the, suddenly very aware of needing to mind his Ps and Qs.
--
Lily had risen from the floor when Prim left and after putting a hand to her husband’s shoulder in a reassuring squeeze, she moved toward the cabinets and started peering through them for something to do. It was nearing dinner time and the four of them had been through a decent amount of emotional things in the last half hour. Something light. A brothy, vegetable soup. Yes.
Humming absently, she set to work, letting her hands and her wand do the tasks automatically as her mind slipped away, racing along the timeline toward the future and what this new development would bring. She was startled out of this by Lucas’s question, as she hadn’t even noticed him coming in.
“Of course you can,” she said kindly, turning from the cutting board and smiling at him. “You’re always welcome.”
--
Once they were back in the house, Prim had hovered near the door as Lucas moved towards the table. She hoped with all the hope she had that he believed her aunt, but she was worried about him. This was a lot. She wanted nothing more than to go up to her room and hide under her covers until things made sense again. She felt like she could cry again, but she really didn't want to. She was beginning to feel dry from crying. But she hadn't given Lucas much time to process before they left to come here.
Yes, she was blaming herself for all of this. She would never say so out loud, because she knew how the others would respond, but she was the one who had told Lucas. It was her fault. Before he could sit, Prim was at his side. She took his face between her hands and made him look her in the eyes. "It's okay," she whispered. "They aren't angry." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight. Her words failed her, so she whispered 'it's okay' over and over as she held him. She looked, almost desperately, at Uncle James. He'd been where Lucas was. He'd know what to say.
--
James didn't have the same distractions to keep him busy like Lily. She was making food - soup, his specialty! - but he couldn't exactly help when she had everything under control. So he instead leaned back against the counter near where she was, his mind still working on processing everything that had come his way. His gaze flickered over to Lucas when he spoke, then back to Lily as he summoned over a beer from the cooler and took a sip before setting it down near her so she could have some if she wanted. Some situations required alcohol.
He glanced back to the other two when he heard Prim speaking, took in the way she was looking at him, and leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek before moving toward the kids. “It's a lot, I know,” he said quietly, resting his hand on Prim’s back but speaking to them both. “It is for us and we’re just… spectators? That's not the right word. But I remember when we first found out we were going to have Harry, and it was… a lot to handle. Even if you plan and were trying, the reality of it happening is overwhelming.”
--
Lucas’ gaze rose to meet Mr. Potter’s and he held it for a few moments. He knew Prim’s uncle was her primary father figure since the early years of Hogwarts and he was glad of it. HIs own relationship with his father was anything but the warmth he found in the Potter household. It was more like a business transaction where Lucas rarely had anything worth purchasing. The interest in the Dragon Preserve had been sudden and out of the blue, but even when his gut told him otherwise, Lucas clung to it.
Because of his relationship with Constantine Flint, Lucas didn’t know what to expect from James Potter. He certainly couldn’t trust the man, but he did trust Prim. So while he couldn’t trust James Potter, he could trust the trust Prim put in her uncle. That probably should do for now.
Still wrapped in Prim’s embrace, Lucas nodded. “We have time, though. We’ll make it work.”
--
Prim smiled sadly against Lucas' neck. She had her face hidden from her aunt and uncle, because she didn't want them or Lucas to see the disappointment in her eyes. She had hoped that Lucas would take heart from Uncle James, but it was, perhaps, too soon. She would talk to him, but she wouldn't force him. She would never make him do something he didn't want to do.
Pulling back, she brushed her lips across his. "We will make it work." She searched his face, concern written on hers. In a gesture that mirrored how she played with his puppy ears, Prim cupped her fingers around his ear and caressed his cheek bone with her thumb. "Should we go to see your brother and sister now? Are they home?" For the sake of Lucas' nerves, she had on a brave face, but she was suddenly very scared that Pippa and Marcus would hate her for this.
--
Despite his apparent bravado and assuredness, Lucas was suddenly struck by nerves. “I dunno. I guess.” There was always a chance that Marcus was with Ginny at her flat. Or Pippa could still be at work or a myriad of things. He wasn't sure which he would prefer, then being there or having to wait for them to come home with Prim.
“I suppose I could owl then to see.” Lucas scratched his other ear. “But that might make them suspicious and worry.” He glanced at the Potters. “And you've never seen Marcus in full mama bear mode. He rivals a dragon with her eggs.”
--
Prim kissed him again then turned to her aunt and uncle. She gave them each a hug, holding onto them tightly for several moments before backing away. "Thank you for not yelling or being disappointed." It was, perhaps, an unusual thing to thank someone for, but she was genuinely grateful.
She turned back to Lucas and took his hand. "If they're home, then we will say we have wonderful timing. If they aren't home, we'll make ourselves comfortable and wait." She smiled, nudging him gently and giving him a knowing look. "Either way, it will be okay, Lucky." They kept saying that, and she hoped the word wouldn't lose its meaning.
--
To Be Continued…