Author Note: Don’t read unless you’ve already read through Wake the Dead.
“Where is everyone this morning?”
Drayce’s voice rang out loudly through their suite of rooms, echoing down the halls and bouncing off the furniture.
“Breakfast is ready. Someone has a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, and someone has a field trip to the museum today. I’m not getting blamed for people being late,” he continued, each word twisted with both irritation and amusement.
“If I make it to the kitchen first, I’m claiming the museum trip,” Caelan called.
“Daaaad!” a younger voice immediately rang out, moaning in mock annoyance. “I am not meeting with Minister Blevins for you. He’s sooooo boring.”
Smiling to himself while selecting a tie from the rack in the closet, he carefully slid it around his neck and worked on the intricate knot. Through the open bedroom door, he could smell hints of pancakes and coffee. That was a little heavy for him to start the day, but pancakes were Lu’s favorite.
His fingers stumbled over that thought, and the tie fell limp against his chest.
Lu?
As in the High Luminance of Zastrad?
But weren’t they…
A steady click-click-click on the wood floor had him turning toward the door to see a pale, slender figure with a bald head dressed in flowing white robes. His heart stopped. It was like looking at a ghost.
But that wasn’t right.…Wasn’t that his child? They were just talking about the museum, and they called him “Dad.”
Yes, Lu was the child he’d adopted with Drayce.
Shoving aside his cluttered thoughts, Caelan untied the knot he’d begun and tried again, succeeding in not making a mess this time.
“Ha!” Lu’s voice drifted to him, this time from the opposite side of the suite. “I made it to the kitchen first. I’m going to the museum.”
Chuckling, Caelan snagged his suit jacket and draped it over his arm as he left the bedroom. He tossed the jacket over the back of the sofa before turning to the kitchen.
His eyes fell on the long, white cane first and then the pile of white robes pooled on the floor next to the chair at the little eat-in kitchen table. Lu was seated at the table, shoveling syrup-soaked pancakes into their mouth. A tall glass of orange juice sat in front of them.
“Really, Lu? Did you get any pancake with all the syrup?” Drayce said as he placed a napkin under their empty left hand.
“Pancakes are just a syrup delivery system.” Lu’s words were muffled around a mouthful of food.
Caelan halted on the threshold of the kitchen, his legs unwilling or unable to carry him another step. His brain was screaming that this was a normal day. The sun was shining through the windows. Drayce was wearing a pair of jeans and a comfortable heather-gray sweater under the modest tan apron he always wore on the mornings he made breakfast for them. Lu was seated in their usual spot for breakfast—the same place they always sat in before they headed off to their classes. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
Except Caelan’s heart was screaming that it was wrong. All wrong. But wrong in the most beautiful, wonderful way.
“Cael? What’s wrong, babe?” Drayce demanded, cutting through the violent battle happening within him.
He blinked back a burn of unshed tears and forced a trembling smile on his lips. There was absolutely no need to worry his lover—no, husband. Drayce was his husband. Lu was their child. Everything was fine. Exactly as it should be.
“Nothing.” He stopped and cleared his throat when any further words were in danger of being completely blocked. “Nothing. Everything is fine.”
Drayce crossed the kitchen and came to stand directly in front of him. One hand cupped Caelan’s cheek, forcing him to stare directly into familiar emerald-green eyes. Everything about him looked right. Normal. Exactly as he remembered.
Except for the simple gold band that flashed on his ring finger.
“Are you sure? You look a little pale,” Drayce murmured.
“I’m fine, I promise.” Caelan turned his head and pressed a kiss to the center of Drayce’s palm, breathing in the scent of wood smoke and cinnamon. One was built in Drayce, while the other seemed to cling to him anytime the man dared to cook.
“Dad?” Lu’s voice carried a note of worry, and they instantly broke apart.
Caelan looked up to see that Lu had partially turned toward them, their white eyes blindly staring in their general direction while their fist tightly clenched the fork holding the last bite of pancake. He moved to where Lu sat, the hard soles of his dress shoes clacking across the tile floor.
Gently, he placed his hands on their slender shoulders and bent to press a kiss to their cheek. “Everything is fine. I promise. Finish your breakfast.”
“I see you’re wearing my favorite tie today,” Drayce announced as he walked around the center island to grab Cael’s coffee from the coffeemaker.
“The one with the flying toasters?” Lu chimed in before shoving the last bite into their mouth.
Caelan laughed and Drayce sighed. “Okay, my second favorite tie. This is the one with the green diamonds. Very classy for his meeting with the Minister of Agriculture.”
“Yes, I don’t think Minister Blevins would appreciate the flying-toaster tie as much as we do.”
“I think that just means you need to get a new Minister of Agriculture,” Lu muttered. They carefully grabbed their orange juice for a drink.
“Yes, well, unfortunately, most of the ministers are not selected for their fashion sense or their entertainment value,” Caelan countered.
“That’s for darn sure,” Drayce mumbled under his breath as he handed over Caelan’s coffee.
Caelan threw his husband a repressive look that rolled right off his back. “Why are you up and dressed so fancy this morning?”
Drayce huffed at him. “You completely forgot. I’m chaperoning Lu’s field trip today.”
A sigh slipped free from Caelan’s lips. “I wish I was going on this field trip.”
Lu bounced to their feet and deftly grabbed their cane in their right hand. “You promised to chaperone the field trip to the art museum at the end of the year. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“Definitely not. The entire day has been cleared on my calendar,” Caelan promised.
Caelan sipped his coffee, still struggling to shake off the nagging weight on his heart. How could he possibly be sad on such a perfect morning? His family was healthy, happy, and about to start an average school day. What more could he ask for?
“I just need to grab my wallet and phone off the charger; then I’ll be ready to go.” Drayce leaned forward and snagged a quick kiss. “I’m also going to text Rayne and tell him that you skipped breakfast again.”
“Rayne is not my keeper!” Caelan shouted at Drayce’s back as he crossed through their apartment to get the items he needed. Rayne had his own duties and didn’t need to worry about Caelan’s eating habits.
But he knew without a doubt that in a few hours, a bagel, cream cheese, and fruit would magically appear at his elbow regardless of whether he was in the middle of a meeting.
Rayne would be the first to point out that Erya ran more smoothly when the king wasn’t a grumpy, hungry asshole.
Lu walked over, and Caelan smiled as he took their outstretched hand. “Do me a favor. Keep your papa out of trouble today. You know how good he is at finding it,” he said softly as he squeezed their hand.
“Don’t worry. No scandals or international incidents today. You know that’s weekend work,” they teased.
Caelan couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to their forehead.
When he pulled back, Lu was watching him with wide, white sightless eyes. There was something about their expression that looked so familiar, as if it called to an old memory. They couldn’t see him, but their eyes stared into the vastness of all existence, as if they were suddenly pinching and counting the stars.
Lu’s cool, dry fingers squeezed his. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m happy. So very happy.”
Those simple words reached into his chest, forcing the tightness that wrapped his heart to loosen. He could breathe again even as a lump formed in his throat.
“Are you?”
“Very happy.” Lu blinked and their smile widened, their expression shifting to childlike mischief. “No classes today and a field trip with papa. It’s going to be the best day.”
The brief moment was shattered, and Caelan couldn’t recall it. There wasn’t even time to react.
Drayce returned, carrying a sunny yellow backpack in one hand. “I’m ready. I’ve got your bag, Lu. Do you need anything else?”
“Nope! Let’s go!”
Caelan blinked, and his little family was crossing the apartment and heading along the foyer. He blinked a second time, and the door was closing behind them. The coffee mug slipped from his fingers, and he lunged forward to grab the door, to stop them, to stop this moment.
“Wait!” he shouted. He jerked upright, blinking his eyes wildly to find that he wasn’t standing in the bright morning sunlight of his kitchen; he was lying in his dark bedroom.
Warm arms instantly wrapped around him, cradling him close. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you,” Drayce murmured lovingly into his neck.
Caelan squeezed his eyes shut, sending a streak of tears down his cheeks. The images in his mind were starting to fog and fade, but Lu’s shining smile and tinkling laughter clung like sticky taffy.
“What’s wrong? Nightmare?” Drayce’s voice was rough with sleep, but his arms tightened, promising to protect his lover even from the dark corners of his mind.
“No. Everything is fine. I had a dream.” Caelan stopped and swallowed hard, his lips trembling slightly as they lifted into a grin. “I had a very good dream.”
Author Note: We miss you, Lu.