A part of me marvels at the sight of her. Without my father, she had shriveled with grief. Just as I had shriveled without family. Love changes people. Children. Brothers. Fathers. Mates.
Wren peeks out from behind Melisa, and my father notices. He crouches.
"My name is Ra'Tirsa," he starts in the common tongue.
Thea appears.
Then my mother kneels at his side, making herself less tall for the little ones, and says, "And I am Mer'Leuel."
The girls stare, unmoving.
"We are... Ra'Sa's parents," my father continues. "We would be your grandparents."
Wren looks up at her mother, confused by the word.
"Granparnt?" she says, tripping over the word.
My heart squeezes. Humans are pouring all around us, people getting to work, shouting for food, for houses, but I wouldn't move from this spot for the whole world.
"Abuelos,"?1Melisa clarifies in her tongue."Es tu abuelo, y ahí está tu nueva abuelita."?2
Thea and Wren grin like I've never seen them smile before.
Wren squeals,"Lita!"
She throws her hands around my mother’s neck, and my father laughs as Thea hugs him, too.
My parents stand, holding the little ones, and I wrap Melisa in my arms.
"Come," my father says. "Let's find you a new home."
A part of me relaxes. Leaving my mother alone in her home no longer worries me. "One near yours."
"Obviously," my mother starts. Then makes a funny noise. "We'll need all the time we can with these little ones."
Wren giggles, and they join the sea of humans and Enduares.
Melisa hangs back. I turn to look at her.
“What is it, my love?” I ask.
“You have… parents,” she breathes.
I nod, a smile playing on my lips.
“Will they like me?” she asks. “I don’t know how to act around them.”
A grin spreads over my face. “I will tell you what you know about my customs until I have no breath left in my body, but perhaps I should consult with the king and queen."
She tilts her head to the side. "Oh? Why?"
I smirk. "We could have classes on each other's culture."
For some reason, this makes her grin. "Do you fancy yourself a professor?"
I raise one eyebrow. "Would you like that?"
"I find your intelligence quite attractive. So yes."