Page 50 of Midlife Forgotten Mate

“We’ll gladly come.” At least her dad was supportive, and her mom beamed at them all.

Greenacre hadn’t just started to open up to the human world. Pinefall was still cagey about allowing anyone into their clan or onto their lands, but they’d slowly started trickling over to Greenacre, on invitation, for special events. Now that she was living with Kier, her parents came over more often, and even her brothers could sometimes be convinced. Melody and Lyric often came to visit, and Taylee privately thought that Lyric had her eye on someone in Greenacre. She wasn’t saying who, but her crush on Clay really had passed.

They’d bought the telescope with plans on teaching the girls everything they knew about the stars, which she was still relearning. It wasn’t a small expense, but they all shared it. Some nights, it was Sam and Lily and their brood. Other times it was Tavish and January and their baby who would come out. Glendy and Thaddius brought their kids once every so often, and Trace, Josephine, and the twins often made time to come star gazing. When they were looking up at the night sky, it was just about the only time those boys ever settled down, and everyone thought that was a miracle, but maybe they’d just found something they loved and were so passionate about, it took up all of their focus.

“We’d be happy to have you all,” Kier responded. He meant it. Her family was his family. He loved them and he’d do anything for any one of them.

Misty nodded so hard that she had to rub her neck after.

The weeks following her accident were a bit of a dark place for her, and Taylee hadn’t foreseen herself being so happy in such a short amount of time, that she couldn’t possibly wish for anything else. But she was now. She knew true happiness and she only wished her brothers, her friends, and the rest of her clan could find love like she had, have a family to cherish like she did, and have a lifetime’s worth of good memories built in less than a year together.

Later, when she and Kier were helping with the dishes, he lumped a bunch of suds on top her head, which made a now freshly wiped down, bathed, and changed Onyx scream with delight. Misty snorted from where she was sketching at the kitchen table. Jem and Clay had gone home, and her parents were in the living room relaxing while they worked on cleaning up. It was a big job, given that a huge meal had been prepared.

“You look extra adorable like that,” Kier said. “Like a little gnome. My star loving, nighttime princes.”

“More a nighttime fairy, you mean,” Taylee corrected. “I never did like the thought of being a princess. But fairies. They’re so cool.”

“They are,” Kier agreed. “If shifters are real, who knows. Maybe they’re a thing too. Maybe they just keep themselves hidden like we do.”

Misty looked oddly amused at that idea, but she didn’t say anything.

Kier kissed her cheek. “Whatever you are, fairy or gnome, princess or just you, I love you.”

Misty’s grin grew wider, but she didn’t look up. Onyx’s laughter grew louder as Kier leaned in and kissed her other cheek for good measure. The girls were both used to seeing hugs and kisses. Tame ones. The rest they saved for private moments, but it was important to show their daughters what affection was and teach them what love was. They were their parents, and they were the ones who would prepare them for their future relationships with future mates.

There wasn’t a single man on earth who would go as far as Kier had gone for his family. At least, Taylee didn’t think so. Although, she hoped they were out there, more men like hers. More shifters like hers. More mates like hers. Men who would do anything for their daughters. Men who would change their whole life for their mate. Men who always had room in their great big hearts for everyone—clan and family and the rest of the world—if they needed to.

“I love you,” she whispered back, swiping at the bubbles running down her forehead. “I love you, procurer of telescopes, teacher of stars, attempter of art, father of the year always, and the mate of my heart forever.”

“Maybe you’re actually a wizard. You have this magic way with words.”

She shoved his shoulder, throwing a scoop of bubbles back that soaked his shirt, but she smiled so freaking wide it hurt. She might be able to put some of the things she felt into words, but it wasn’t even close to all of it. If she could do a little magic, she’d never hesitate to do so. They’d never hesitate to keep creating magic together either.

-The End-