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“Don’t worry, I can get it all fixed up in no time. It’ll be worth it. Trust, brotha!”
Using the strength of my half-dragon form, I corralled the bamboo thicket surrounding the house by slicing down the thick stalks and putting the underground root system into dormancy with a nudge of my elemental powers. As more and more light filled the house, its hidden qualities became apparent, such as the swirling, beautiful grain pattern of the wood that had been tastefully chosen for its walls and floors.
“Everyone, close your eyes!” I warned. “I’m bringing the wind through.”
I circled my hand in the air, and a gentle breeze whistled through the doorway and open windows. Leaves that had blown inside danced lazily through the room and whipped around faster and faster as I guided the currents through the house. Dust and dirt pulled from all the surfaces and formed a spinning vortex that I pushed out the front door.
Tears streamed from Makoa’s wide, bloodshot eyes.
“Makoa!” I said. “Are you alright? Didn’t you hear me?”
“I did, but I really wanted to watch,” he said painfully.
Ari groaned. “Come with me, you big fool.”
“You better not spit in my eyes, brotha.”
“Perhaps I ought to…”
Later in the day, Kai and Visir showed up to offer help. Makoa whipped up a special varnish for us to use that would keep the wood healthy and protected, and Visir and I went around with boar hair brushes and painted the place up until everything was smooth and gleaming in the afternoon light. One of the uncles living nearby came by with half a dozen plucked wild chickens strung up on a bamboo pole, and before long the whole thing had turned into an ahevamai party. Makeshift tables were thrown together using the scraps from the bamboo thicket and whatever had been pulled off the house, and even the clan members who said they were too busy to lend a hand sheepishly appeared when the smell of roasted chicken began to drift across the plateau.
“Ari,” an omega uncle said. “What’s the news here? How come we didn’t know you had a mate?”
“Istil isn’t my mate,” Ari said.
“He’s not? But you two are moving here together? And he’s pregnant?”
“Exactly,” Ari answered.
“Your grandmother knows about this?”
“Of course.”
The uncle shrugged. “Your generation has never made much sense to me, but if someone like you is doing it, well, I guess times truly are changing, eh? I wonder what your father would think. I guess what matters is that you’re happy.”
He patted Ari on the shoulder and shuffled off to the food table.
While I was still anxious over what was to come, the terror I’d felt before was largely gone now. I was happy to be pregnant. Even through all the crests and troughs of my emotions, the maddening urge to nest, and the question of what I was going to do when I finally had to share the news with Thran and the Othos, I was happy. Or at least mostly at peace with the way things were.
With everyone’s help, we had the house cleaned out by the end of the day. There was still work to be done, repairs mostly, but it was clean and it was ready for us. Ari loaded up a cart with furniture from the main house, beds, a table, and my belongings, and when night fell, the family started a celebratory bonfire.
“Didn’t think this was going to become a party,” Ari muttered as the drums were set up.
“What did you expect?” said Kai. “By all rights, this should be a bigger celebration than me and Visir getting mated. You just never told anyone.”
“Because you don’t like being the center of attention, do you, Ari?” I said.
“Are you fucking kidding?” said Makoa. “Ari loves the attention. He just wants to seem modest!”
Ari adjusted his glasses. “That is not true.”
“You know, I always hear about your dancing skills,” I said to Ari. “Why have I still not seen them? I bet you’re just dying to show off, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely not. I’m not prepared to heal everyone’s eyes after subjecting them to my dancing.”
“How very dramatic,” I said. I grabbed his hand. “Come on. I’m going to dance, and I’m not doing it alone. I need a partner. We’re partners, right?”
“You really enjoy watching me squirm, don’t you?” he asked.
