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Dusk falls over the area after 10 long hours in the summer Kaleidian day. When the sun finally sets in the hills beyond and the priestess rings the gong, it feels like it's been an eternity. And yet, it also feels like I could have stayed there all my life long. Standing feels surreal after sitting for so long.
I feel hazy, and almost dizzy until a steadying hand grabs mine and pulls me into him at last. He grips me in a kiss so deep I can hardly catch my breath.
“I've been wanting that for ages,” he says like he’s gulping for breath.
“Is that right?” I ask, smiling up at him. Twilight shines around us, yet I can hardly focus on anything. Hours of staring still there’s only one thing I want to see.
“I felt you, you know,” I say, feeling pleased that our bond proved worthy of the task. “I felt you build me up. I felt you sustain me.”
“I felt you too,” he smiles a sinister sneer. “I felt all those dirty thoughts rolling through your brain.”
“You didn't?!” I can feel my cheeks flooding with embarrassment.
“Fuck, yes. You made it unbearable. I could take you right here.” From behind me, he pulls me into his grip again, this time sliding his hand between the back panel of my floral gown and pinching my bottom.
“Garet!” I slide away, smiling at his cheek. “There’s plenty of time for that later. For now, let’s party!”
Our mating party flies like the time we stood in a sacred bond. It feels so good to be able to celebrate with friends and family after everything we went through just to be together. Weparty into the night until the dawn of light begins to peak in the sky.
Alice takes center stage and announces, “We’ve got one more little feature to tonight’s celebration. A special treat from Tania to Garet, an Earth tradition, the throwing of the garter!”
“The what?” Danel and Garet speak at the same time. After a bit of explaining to the confused Kaleidians in the crowd, our guests eventually warm up to the idea.
“I use my teeth?” Garet asks, looking at me like I’m crazy.
“Yes, silly,” I smile, pulling one leg gracefully free from the petals of my floral gown. Garet bends down, gripping the lace with his teeth until he yanks it free.
Kaleidians who didn’t quite get the game suddenly find it fascinating and began whooping in approval.
“Get it, Garet!” Danel teases. The smile slides off his face when the garter comes slinging in his direction and lands perfectly on one of his horns.
Garet swoops me into his arms when the applause dies down. His kiss starts at my neck and finds my arms, before swinging me into him for a waltz.
“So how do we feel now?” he asks me, swinging me around and back into his arms.
“Like everything is perfect.”
CHAPTER 30
GARET
“Are we going to see Mommy today?” Armani asks as I pack her emergency bag. She’s just finished potty training, so we don’t have to pack as much for every outing, but it’s still a good idea to carry a change of clothes in case accidents happen.
Along with Armani’s supplies, I also grab Tania’s sketchpad. She had forgotten it in the rush for work, and even though it’s not strictly necessary at this stage in the new clothing line, I know she likes to have it with her in case she has a sudden inspiration. Besides, it’s an excuse to see her at work.
Armani bounds over to the stroller and gets in, eager to go. Now that she’s two and a half, we don’t worry about buckling her in, but it’s still easier for her to ride in it than trying to walk for fifteen minutes on a busy street. I do a final scan to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything and then begin pushing her out of the apartment building.
As always, Patchworks is bustling with activity. The main floor is full of humans milling about and trying on outfits. Tania and Alice make every effort to have their clothes be affordable and fashionable, and the human community really seems toappreciate it. It turns out that fashion designed to fit human bodies in addition to other species is an untapped market.
The smell of Petra’s Pizzeria wafts in from next door. Like clothing, traditional human food is also a largely untapped market. Humans flock to her restaurant to get in touch with their cultural roots, and like Patchworks, it’s garnered the attention of some of Glimner’s elite.
“Daddy, can we see Auntie Petra?” Armani asks. We both know that Petra isn’t who she really wants to see, though. Although her son, Riley, is almost a year older than her, the two are as close as siblings.
“I’ll see if I can steal your mom away for some lunch there. I’m sure she and Riley would love a visit.”
The middle floors of the building are dedicated to production, and Tania and Alice make sure that all the workers are paid fairly and have the freedom to exist in a life outside of the studio. They even give their workers paid parental leave if they have children.
It will come as no surprise that a good number of Sathior’s seamstresses left her in favor of working with Tania. Apparently, being friends with skilled workers and paying them what they’re worth makes them more likely to want to work for you. Who knew?
