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Sophie, Three Years Later
“I was crazy to think this place was small with us two in it before,” I moaned as we finally closed Hallowed be thy Bean’s window for the day. “But that was nothing. That was paradise compared to this.”
I groaned, leaning back against the counter, trying to get comfortable as my eight-months-pregnant belly pressed outwards. The extra weight was doing a number on my back muscles, and between my rounded stomach and X’s hulking frame, there was less space in here than ever.
“You can stop work anytime, you know,” X chided, easing me out from against the counter and turning me around, beginning to knead my back. I moaned, rolling my neck from side to side as some of the tension eased.
“I feel bad leaving you to work alone right now. The holiday season is always the busiest.” It was the beginning of December, now, and the season was really ramping up. I’d been more exhausted than ever by the end of my shifts with X lately, even though my shifts were only four hours long these days.
“I keep telling you I can take it. I’ll be working alone for a couple of weeks before the new trainee shows up anyway,” X said.
“Hey, what’s the new person’s name, by the way? They’d better not be a cute human girl who’s intent on making you fall in love with them. Because that role has already been filled,” I said with a slightly dramatic pout. But hey, I was pregnant and hormonal and figured I could get away with a little pouting after a long day. X chuckled, bending and drawing his snout up and down my neck, making me sigh and shiver.
“I’m pretty sure his name is David. And even if it were a Davina instead of a David, you’d still have no reason to worry. So you don’t need to be anxious. You need to rest,” his voice grew more stern on those last words. I smiled, half-touched and half-annoyed at his concern. He’d been the picture of a devoted husband throughout this pregnancy, but his usual stoic demeanour had been shaken with new anxiety every step of the way. So far, nobody had ever heard of a human-chimera pregnancy, and he was constantly worried that something could go wrong. So if anyone needed to be told not to worry, it was actually X. I reached up, drawing X’s hands from my back, around to my front, laying them on my belly.
“I’m fine. And so is he. You saw him on the scan just like I did.”
Joy swelled in my chest as I remembered the scan’s images from my most recent checkup on the medical level of Elora Station a few weeks ago. Slightly greyish skin, but tinged pink at the cheeks. A soft, chubby human face with eyes scrunched shut. Nubby little horns and a tail like his father’s. The picture of perfection, in my opinion. He obviously agreed, as an enthusiastic kick hit up somewhere near my ribs, making me jump then laugh.
“Go sit down. I’ll finish everything up.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully. I snagged a doucefeuille from the shelf then plopped into a chair, biting into the pastry. It tasted like pure heaven, and I was so glad I was able to eat them again. I’d gone through a phase where my morning sickness made me crave sweets, but most of the usual ones I loved, including the doucefeuilles, turned my stomach. It had driven X to the brink of madness, baking and cooking every spare moment to try to find things to tempt me. Half the time I immediately barfed up whatever he made me, but that had never deterred him. As I finished my snack, I watched him complete the shop’s closing duties. Love pounded through me, and I smiled dreamily as he worked so seriously and meticulously, making sure everything was just right for the next day. I had the day off tomorrow, but like always, I was sure I’d end up here at some point. Even after three years, I still couldn’t stand to be away from him for long.
“I’m all done,” X said a few minutes later, moving to stand in front of me. He grasped my hands then pulled me to my feet. I smiled gratefully at him.
“Come on, let’s go home,” he said, opening the door for me. The movement echoed with the memory of how he’d opened that very same door for me the first night we’d met.
“Sounds good,” I replied, taking his hand.
It was time to go home. Home with X.
The only place I ever wanted to be.
