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Her smile lights up her whole face. “In that case, I have something else to show you. After I talked to the realtor yesterday, I made one more stop. At the jewelry store.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out two simple gold rings, one small and the other impossibly large.
“In human tradition, when two people get married, they exchange rings. The circle represents the eternity of the bond. Since we followed your rituals for the ceremony, I thought you might indulge me and let me have a ritual of my own.” She raises the larger ring. “Will you wear it? And signify to all that you are mine?”
I’m touched that she would share this tradition with me. “Of course. It would be my honor.” I hold out my hand and she slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly.
She slips the smaller ring onto her own finger and then holds it up to show me. “I think they look pretty good,” she says.
Six Months Later
Oaklyn
The cottage is exactlyas perfect as I’d dreamed it would be. Cozy and quaint, with the most glorious yard, full of rioting flowers and herbs competing to be the biggest and best.
I watch from the front window as the dogs chase each other and wrestle, yipping happily. I found them at the shelter; at age four, they had been consistently overlooked in favor of puppies.
A pair of Australian shepherds, brother and sister, they were so grateful to be given a home and a yard that they have turned into the sweetest, most loving dogs I’ve ever seen.
And though they are happy to spend time with me, trailing at my feet and fervently hoping for peanut butter, it’s Bradoc they adore. And, cutest thing ever, the feeling is mutual. He loves to roll around in the grass with them, tossing sticks and rubbing their bellies.
I rest my hand on my own belly, which is still flat. It won’t be long before it rounds out, though. I just found out this morning that I’m expecting; apparently that plug of Bradoc’s really does the trick. I haven’t told him yet, and the idea of doing it makes nerves flutter through me.
I think he’ll be happy, but it’s so soon. Sure, we’re married and things have been going well, but we’ve only known each other a few months. Not really my ideal timeline for starting a family.
I made a doctor’s appointment as soon as two lines showed up on the at-home test, but I’m fairly sure I’m about nine weeks along. Of course, I had to call Haven Bishop first. Not only is she a good friend, she’s also the mayor’s cousin and basically knows anything and everything there is to know about the town—including which doctors might have a little something extra running through their veins, the same way she and I do.
I don’t need an OB/GYN who will pass out at the sight of tusks on a sonogram, so it was important to find someone who accepts the magical.
Of course, there are plenty of regular humans in town, too, so I have my work cut out for me. People in Haven’s Hollow have certainly noticed the gold band on my finger, and there’s no way they’ll miss my pregnancy once I start to show.
I can’t exactly broadcast my troll marriage or halfling child to the whole town, so I’m going to have to come up with a story. Maybe a military husband, constantly deployed?
Oh, well. At least I have some time to think about it before I start to show.
As I watch, Bradoc comes strolling into view, home at last. Between his utter dedication and my supplies and spell, the search for his people has been going well. Most have been found by now, and as each one returns and provides extra hands to search, the remaining stragglers should be rounded up soon.
Repairs to the village have also been successful; all the damaged homes are back to normal now. And while Bradoc does sometimes still stay in his old cabin, most of the time he makes the two-hour hike down to our cottage, which warms my heart. He really is dedicated to making our marriage work.
Sure, our relationship has had its growing pains, just like any other, but once we leaned into compromising on the hard things, it blossomed. Now I can’t imagine my life any other way. Standing here, waiting for him to come home and share our life? It’s bliss.
I open the door and call out to him. “Hello, my husband!”
He grins at the sight of me. “Greetings, my wife!”
I throw my arms around him when he reaches me, and he lifts me up for a twirl.
“Bradoc, I have something to show you,” I say. Best to just jump in and get it over with. “Something important.”
“All right. What is it?”
I pull the pregnancy test out of my pocket and show it to him. Naturally, he’s confused. “What is it?” he asks.
“A handy piece of human medical technology,” I say. “A pregnancy test. This confirms that you and I are going to have a baby.”
He gapes at me.
I wait a minute, but he doesn’t speak. “Bradoc? Are you okay?”
“We are going to have a child?” he finally says.
