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“You’re absolutely sure?” I asked, breaking the connection between us, pressing my forehead to hers.
“Edrich, when he asked me that, I thought… I thought I would never see you again. I thought you would be okay with that, and that you were happy to be rid of me. And even then, I couldn’t quite bring myself to say yes. Not when I knew that I had already given away the part of me that could love someone like that.”
I started to talk, but she held a hand up.
“But, I also know that I can’t ask you to stay this size, to give up your future for me. If we have to make it work, both of us our normal sizes, I would still rather be with you. Forever. In whatever way that has to be.” Her breath caught, but she forced herself to continue. “You are my best friend, and that can be enough. Tell me that can be enough.”
“No, Lina. It’s not enough,” I began, stunned. “I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I spent half my life wishing for a way for us to be together, and there is no part of me willing to give it up now that it’s here.” I stepped closer, my voice lowering as my heart hammered within my chest. “Youaremy future, the only one I care about.”
Lina’s eyes widened, her mouth parting slightly as she took a step closer, as well.
“I walked away from you once and it almost killed me,” I said, closing the distance between us. “I’m not going anywhere this time, not unless you want me to.”
“I don’t want you to,” she said breathlessly, looking up at me, her hands resting on my chest. “But what about your family?”
“We can still go back and see them.”
“What about your job?” Her face darkened on that one. “What about—”
I cut off her question with another kiss.
“All that matters right now, is this.” I added after a moment.
She smiled and leaned forward again, brushing her lips against mine before I stopped her.
“There is one condition, however…”
Her brow raised in question.
“Promise me that I don’t have to call Rumplestiltskin ‘Uncle’.”
Lina’s soft laugh was intoxicating.
“I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t appreciate that.” She smiled, before closing the distance between us once again.
Our first kisses had been tinged with regret for the time we had lost, and all of our uncertainty about the future. This one, though—it was full of hope and life and endless possibilities.
It was everything.
Epilogue
Lina
It had been three months since we had walked through the doors of The Poisoned Apple. Three months of me getting to know my new family and kingdom while Edrich learned everything he could about animal medicine.
In spite of the letters we had sent back here, though, nothing had been able to prepare our friends for the sight of Edrich and I walking through the tavern doors.
Piper laughed outright, and Neira launched into asking me a million questions about my wings, and about Ellaria, and about my stunning golden wedding band with diamond dust in the center.
Vale was the only one who didn’t seem to skip a beat, sliding two apple ales across the bar before we even made our way up there. Atesh poked and prodded Edrich like he was making sure what he saw was real, while Edrich swatted his hand away.
Only half an hour later, myhusbandwas already tipsy from trying to match me, ale for ale, but I was clear as the afternoon sun while I came to the end of our tale.
“Cassia and Aster created the world’s most beautiful ceremony for us that week,” I heard the words floating from my lips, barely able to believe the truth of them. That this was my life now, with Edrich and a family and a world that was my size.That I have everything I’ve ever wanted.
The only thing missing was Mama, but at least I could take comfort in the years I had spent being raised by the kindest, most nurturing woman even Uncle Stiltskin had ever met.
“I’m so happy for you, Lina—err—Ixia,” Piper said, raising her glass to me.
It felt good to see my friends again, to be with them back in our tavern.
While I was in Ellaria, learning about my history and helping to bridge the gap in the kingdom, Piper and Neira had their own adventures and heartache, too.
I could see it in their eyes. The way these months had changed them—changed all of us.
But those are stories for a different time.
