“It doesn't burnme.” He closed his fist around it and opened it again. The flame was still there. His brow furrowed. “But it can burn the curtains and other things.”
He dipped his head and closed his fist.
“Come here, sweetheart.” I hugged him and whispered that we all checked everyone’s bracelets regularly now, especially when they were playing. I didn’t want him to feel guilt over what happened. Each one of us, me in particular, had learned from that incident.
Rory stepped forward. “Mine is hotter.”
“I’m sure it is, darling, but this isn’t a competition.”
Rory held out his hand and what appeared on his palm was bigger than Fraser's and more orange. The heat was intense, even from ten feet away. He held it for about five seconds before closing his fingers, and it vanished.
“As the oldest, Rory can control it better,” Theron explained.
“Well done.” I blew Rory a kiss.
“My turn.”
Skye held both hands out and a tiny flame appeared between them. It was the smallest of the three, and it was purple.
“That’s pretty,” I told her.
“Sometimes dragons have unusual flame colors.” Theron closed his palm, and Skye did the same, extinguishing her flame.
“Daddy saysmy flame might be red when I grow up.”
“Maybe,” Theron told her. “We'll see.”
“Your turn.” Fraser was looking at me.
“Honey, I’m not a dragon.”
Skye spoke to my tummy. “Have you got fire, baby?”
“Not yet.” Theron picked up our daughter.
The kids showed me how they could heat rocks so they were warm to the touch without burning the grass, before Theron made them put their bracelets back on and take a break.
“There’s one person who hasn’t demonstrated his fire.”
“Who?” the kids said together.
“Ta-da.” I presented Theron with a flourish.
The kids jumped up and down and clapped, and Theron made them sit beside me. He strode back toward the office and pointed to a blackened stump.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
A stream of white-hot flame shot out of his mouth. I clapped a hand over my face as the flames struck the stump and it disintegrated. I pictured the kids when they were grown up, soaring overhead and searching for something to burn. I might spend my days ducking for cover.
My parents camefor lunch on Sunday because I didn’t want to tell them about the pregnancy over the phone, though I hadexplained that Theron and I were in a relationship. My dad evaluated Theron while they shook hands, something he used to do to my high school boyfriends.
The kids introduced themselves and got hugs.
Skye tugged on my dad's shirt. “Do you like dragons?”
I was ready with an excuse, as in she’d been reading about dragons or she was a dragon in a play.
