After freshening up aing dressed in a simple board shorts and t shirt bination as my pns today were to hang around the house and do a few chores I head bato main room where I am sat down and served a suct smelling breakfast fit for a king.

  “Is this all for me?” I say, staring down at the heaping pte of food in front of me.

  From behind me Heather leans down to kiss my cheek as she hugs me around the chest. “All for you.”

  She’d mentiohat I’d worked up a ‘man’s appetite’ st night, and she wasn’t wrong, but yeesh! This was enough for two of me.

  “Yonna make me fat feeding me like this.” I say, digging in. “Not that I’m pining.”

  “We’ll just have to keep you busy to burn off the calories.” She chuckles. With a rustle of my hair she returns to the kit ter to eh her baking. As she works the dough for the ses she keeps gng my way and fshitle smiles.

  Sipping on OJ and coffee and tug into my breakfast feast I chat with Heather as she prepares the ses. We talked mostly about the night before as both of us were still ing to terms with the sudden and major, though wele and mueeded, ge in our lives. I am just finishing the mountain of a meal, a surprise to myself that I was able to get to the bottom of it, when I finally broaething that had been pying at the bay mind si night.

  She was faced away from me f the ses and ying them out on the sheet when I say. “Heather?”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I, um, I came inside of you st night.”

  For a long moment she goes still and silent. Without even a gnce my way she carries on with what she was doing and says. “I know.”

  “Um…are you on…some kind of…?”

  “Prote?”

  “Yeah.”

  Another long pause follows until she says softly. “No.”

  “Oh.” I say. “Uh, is there like something about not getting pregnant until you’ve cimed a boy for real or…?”

  “No, my pet. We’re the same as other women in that way.”

  “Oh.”

  “I shouldn’t have…” She sighs. “You just felt so good. I needed…I o feel you.” At st she turns to face me, her expression guilty. “A woman my age…has…urges. My clock is tig and I feel it more with each passing month. What I did st night was what my body wanted, but it was very irresponsible. I’m sorry, Elliot.”

  “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with what we did, but…”

  “You’re not ready to be a daddy yet. I uand.”

  “I just hought about it before.” That was an uatement. In my loser existence of wallowing in self-pity and coasting by issues surrounding fatherhood had been the FURTHEST thing from my mind. Me? A dad? Yeah right! I couldn’t even look after myself, never mind a baby! But thing were different now. So very different.

  She looks down then back up into my eyes. “I’ll be more careful but…no s!”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” She holds her hands out to me. Rising I swiftly move to take them in mine. “I wanna feel you, baby. Really feel you. I’ll be careful, okay?”

  “Um…”

  For a moment I am toied and before I settle on what to say the chime of the doorbell rings out.

  “That’ll be Mia.” She smiles. “She’s early.” Raising her voice she calls out. “e on in, sweetie. The door’s open.”

  Still holding hands we turn our heads to watch Heather’s adoptive er the house. She was looking very fetg today in a sleeveless gray and white pid dress under which she wore a bck turtleneck sweater. She had on a headband just like the first time I’d met her which helped to hold back her mass of curly bck locks. Her huge eyes sparkled like emeralds behihick round gsses. Little studs of gold shone from her earlobes and around her slender neck hung a gold neckce. All together she looked prim, proper, and oh so pretty. Though she shoh a natural youthful vivacity the dark circles beh her eyes was evidence of the lousy night’s sleep I knew she’d had. She carried with her a back pad a violin case.

  When she sees Heather and I standihe stove fag each other and holding hands she slowly cocks her head to the left and raises a curious brow.

  Heather breaks from me to go and hug her special here she is.”

  “Thank you for letting me e.” Mia hugs her auntie back like she more than anything in the world right now, though I could tell she was holding back so as not to embarrass herself in front of me. Her voice a whisper she says. “I’m sorry Auntie.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize. You are always wele here. Your visits brighten this house more than sunshine.” Heather smooches Mia’s cheek. “e on in, darlin. Make yourself at home.”

  For the first time Mia dares to gnce directly at me before looking quickly away again with a blush. “Good m, Mister Everly.”

  “Mister Everly?” I chuckle. “Please, just Elliot.”

  With a bashful smile she says. “Good m, Elliot.”

  “Good m, Mia.”

  “You’ve e on a very special m.” Heather says as she slips in to hug me from behind.

  “Mmm.” I wriggle back against her soft body.

  Mia’s eyes grow wider. “You mean…?”

  “I couldn’t resist him.” Heather says with a warm ugh. “I’m g him.”

  “Oh!” The loud BANG of her violin case hitting the floor startles Heather and I.

  “Careful sweetie! You don’t want to break your violin.”

  Wide-eyed and mouth agape Mia doesn’t even notice the drop as she points at me. “He…!”

  “That’s right, sweetie.” Heather says, her tone celebratory. “Elliot’s one of us now. My forever boy.”

  “He…!”

  “It’s not quite perma yet.” She nuzzles my ned kisses it. “But we’re w on that. Aren’t we, handsome?”

  “We sure are.”

  “He’s mine and I’m his.”

  “That means…?”

  “That’s right, sweetie. He’s safe now. A safe man.” Heather says. “He’s bonded enough with me that you get close to him all you want. You hang out with him, hug him, almost anything. As long as you like. You rex with him, you be his friend, and there’s no risk of bonding.”

  “I look forward to getting to know you, Mia.” I say. “I’ve heard you’re a really special woman.”

  So flummoxed was she by the news she just stands and stares at me. Slipping around me Heather approaches her niece more to take her hand. Reag for me she takes mine and pulls me closer.

  “You’re the first person we’ve told, Mia.” Heather grins. “I know your mom won’t be happy, probably not Liam and Lily either, but this was between Elliot and I. I’m allowed to y own man and I want him. Only him. I think…” She looks at me lovingly. “I think I was meant to find him.”

  “And I was meant to find you.” I echo.

  She looks back to her overwhelmed niece just in time to see tears welling up in the girl’s big green eyes. “Oh! What’s wrong, Mia?”

  As the tears roll down her cheeks Mia gasps. “Our very own Angel?”

  Realizing that they were tears of joy Heather smiles and says softly. “Yes, sweetie. We’ve got our own Angel.”

  With a sniffle she wipes her wet cheeks. “I hought…”

  “It’s okay.” Heather rubs her back. “This is a big day for all of us.” She looks at me the baia and very gently pulls us together. “Go on, Mia. He won’t bite.”

  Nervously she gnces up into my eyes, pauses…then unches herself forward to hug me around the chest! “Ooof!” I stagger back a step then my arms around her lithe figure. Patting her back I say. “I just hope I live up to expectations. Ahat seems like some big shoes to fill.”

  “You’ll be wonderful!” Mia whispers, her eyes closed tight as she gs to me. “You are wonderful! I’m so happy!”

  “Oh! Uh. Yeah. Yeah. I’m…happy too, Mia.” I khe news was going to make an impact but I didn’t expect this!

  Standing back Heather is absolutely beaming as she watches her nied I share this joyous embrace.