Jamie sat in the living room, enjoying a cup of coffee with Emily. It had become a little ritual for the women, and Jamie looked forward to their chats now that all her not-so-secret feelings about Corrus had come to light. She also enjoyed hearing a little more about Emily's work as an interplanetary diplomat.

"I can't believe you're going to be on another planet in a couple of days."

Emily shrugged. "It's pretty normal for me now, but there are two things I hate, taking the portal to get there and leaving Cimmeris behind."

"Aww. You two are so sweet. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I know we will be. I'm just used to spending practically every minute with him. I know that need will fade with time, but I'm enjoying it while I can."

Jamie smiled. "You’d better. I know it's not the same, but I miss the days when Ethan wanted to be wherever I was. Now, he's off exploring the joys of science, technology, and military stories with the team."

Emily chuckled. "He is an inquisitive child. I think it's a wonderful trait."

"Me, too. Although I worry that he'll find me boring now."

Emily shook her head. "You'll always be his mom. It's the same with my mother. It doesn't matter how old I get, or how annoying she is by consistently meddling in my life. We have a bond that can't be broken."

"I'm glad you had great parents. Mine weren't good role models, but at least they taught me what not to do."

Emily patted Jamie's hand. "That's a good way to look at things. Now, I've been more than patient in waiting for an update on the Corrus situation. Tell me. How are things going? Any changes?"

"You mean since last night?" Jamie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! You two are living in a house all alone whenever Ethan goes to bed. There's plenty of time for developments."

Jamie smiled. "Well, unfortunately, there's not much to report. Corrus is still his usual sweet self, and he keeps getting even more thoughtful. He's been cooking breakfast these last few days, you know. He calls himself the breakfast king."

"Aww," Emily gushed. "I never thought Corrus was like that. He really must feel comfortable around you ’cause he's mostly quiet around the team."

"Really?"

"Yup. He gives his opinion once in a while, but he's always been happy to let others dominate the conversation."

"Huh." Jamie tilted her head. "Perhaps he really is a lot more comfortable with me. You know, he asks me about my day whenever he comes back, and even though all I talk about is chores and what Ethan did, he always listens and asks follow-up questions."

"I think that's amazing. I wish you two would hurry up and get together already!"

Jamie chuckled. "Me, too! But he's not ready to be with me. Do you have any idea why?"

"I wish I did." Emily took a sip of her coffee. "No one knows anything about the cousins’ secret past. All we know is that they grew up together and joined the army at eighteen."

Jamie nodded. "I thought that might be the case. He mentioned that he had a difficult childhood, but he wouldn't budge about not discussing it. Sometimes, I feel like cornering him and forcing him to open up, but I know that will scare him off."

"It really will. Corrus is human, for all intents and purposes, but he has an animal side to him. The last thing you want to do is trigger his flight response."

"You're right. I'm always so patient with Ethan that I sometimes don't have enough left over for other things in my life. To be honest, I didn't need extra patience. Ethan was my whole world, but now I have you guys."

"And I'm glad to have you, too, even though the circumstances that brought you here were less than ideal."

"Same here." Jamie sighed. "While I love being on break, I'm starting to get cabin fever."

"I know the feeling, but, then again, I get to go out all the time. Why don't you go out for dinner?"

"Alone?" Jamie asked, cocking her head.

Emily smiled slyly. "With Corrus."

Jamie thought about it for a second, then smiled. "Good thinking. Perhaps a different environment, with nothing to do but talk, will get him to open up."

Emily chuckled. "Now you're thinking like a diplomat!"

"I learned from the best. Besides, I'd hope three years of International Relations wasn't a complete waste."

Emily put her cup down and stared off into the distance. When Jamie tried to ask her if she was okay, Emily waved her away and folded her arms, muttering to herself. Jamie drained her cup of the remaining coffee, got up, and placed it in the sink. Emily sometimes got like that when she had a good idea. Jamie had learned to give the older woman a few minutes to herself, knowing how important her job was.

Emily jumped up and ran to the kitchen"I've got a great idea."

"Okaaay."

"How would you feel about putting your degree to use by working for me? Well, Brevia. But still with me."

"I didn't finish." Jamie looked away. "I got pregnant and had to drop out in my third year."

"So? You have three years of education and an incredible work ethic. That's the reason I want to work with you!"

Warmth spread throughout Jamie's body as her heart drummed in her chest. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am." Emily moved toward Jamie. "I see how organized and disciplined you are when it comes to keeping the house in shape. And you're really smart. I know that because we've spent hours talking." Emily winked. "I think you'd do great."

Jamie folded her arms. "Don't you have a team?"

"I do, but they're all the way in Brevia. Not having someone to bounce ideas off is hard, though. What are you worried about? Do you think it would affect our friendship?"

Jamie shook her head. "You'd make a great boss. I don't know that I'd be much help."

"You poor thing. You don't know how great you are, do you? Don't worry. Time with me, and a few independent projects of your own, and we'll have your confidence back up." Emily pulled out her phone and started typing furiously.

"Wait," Jamie said. "What are you doing?"

"Making notes on all the work laws I need to check and possible loopholes to get you hired."

"You'd do that for me?" Jamie whispered.

"Of course I would. I hope I didn't overstep by getting so excited and thinking it was a done deal. I've been putting off getting help because I didn't want to go back to Brevia or have someone from there come here and interrupt the little bubble I have with the team. You are not only capable of doing the work, but you fit in well with everyone. I just can't believe it took me this long to figure it out."

Jamie pulled Emily toward her and held her for a good minute, letting all her heightened emotions wash over her. It had been years since someone told her she was capable of doing something more. The last person had been her college roommate, but they’d lost touch after she dropped out.

Hearing someone state that they saw the effort and diligence she put into her everyday life, and that they thought those skills were useful, warmed her up, because it meant that someone saw her. They didn't see a pretty face, or what she did to take care of Ethan. They saw Jamie as a woman capable of more than she had achieved.

Emily pulled away and wiped the tears pouring down Jamie's face. "You're a great person, Jamie, and I'd love to work with you. Let me know when you're ready."

Jamie grinned. "I'm ready."

Emily laughed. "Great! After my trip, I'll have a chat with my boss. Hopefully, the success of it will put him in less of a shitty mood so that he won't get in my way."

"What if he doesn't let you hire me?"

Emily patted Jamie's shoulder. "He's only my boss in name. I've got so much dirt on him, he'll have to do what I say. Don't worry."

"Wow. You really are a powerhouse."

"Only when it comes to the things and people I care about. And I care a lot about you, Jamie."

"I care about you, too. Can we keep this a secret until things get confirmed, and I prove I can do the work?"

Emily nodded. "Of course I will. I don't want you to feel any pressure."

How did I get this lucky? Jamie wondered as she hugged Emily once more.

* * *

Two hours later, Corrus walked in with a smile on his face. "Hi."

"Hi," Jamie responded, getting up from the couch where she was reading a book on Brevian history that Emily kept on her iPad. "You're home early."

"Cimmeris wanted to spend some time with Emily before she left. I don't get why, considering they're always glued at the hip."

Jamie chuckled. "They're in that honeymoon phase."

"That's great and all, but I don't like hearing about it."

"Why? Are you jealous?"

Corrus shook his head as he took a large gulp of cold water. "I don't like details. Emily's like a sister to me."

"I get that. So, what do you want to do for lunch?"

Corrus opened the fridge and looked through everything. "We could have leftovers."

"Or, we could go to a restaurant."

Corrus straightened and looked at Jamie with his brows furrowed. "You know that leaving the house is not a good idea right now."

"I do, but we wouldn't be going into town. There's a nice restaurant not too far from here that's pretty secluded. I doubt the dragon would even know about it."

Corrus folded his arms. "I don't know, Jamie. Keeping a low profile is the best thing for you and Ethan. Where is he anyway?"

"Out in the garden with Veilios." Jamie took a step forward. "Look, I'm getting cabin fever, and I need a change of scenery. My job and my apartment are all in town. The dragon won't look for us this far out. Please come to lunch with me."

Corrus turned around and lowered his head, deep in thought. Jamie watched him cock his head left and right, seemingly weighing things out in his mind. He took a deep breath, nodded to himself, then turned around.

"Okay. I don't agree with this plan, but you need to stay sane for this to work until we catch the dragon. I'll have to carry a couple of daggers, but we can go."

Jamie jumped up with a squeal, then restrained herself from pecking Corrus on the cheek. She was finally getting out of the house and spending time alone with Corrus, where he'd have no choice but to open up. Oh, and Emily had just offered her a job. Life was looking up.

* * *

"And then what happened?" Jamie asked, leaning forward on the restaurant table. She and Corrus had finished their meals half an hour ago, and now they were finally chatting about something in Corrus' life: his time at the academy with Penum.

"Penum challenged the Sergeant to hand-to-hand combat to prove his dirty-handed tactics worked better."

Jamie gasped. "In front of your entire platoon?"

"Yup."

"You must have been worried."

Corrus grinned. "Not in the slightest. I'd watched Penum fight mammoth sized guys by that point. We used to sneak out and attend street fights every once in a while. I never got involved because I had no interest in it, but Penum is one of the few people I've met who genuinely loves a good fight. Broken bones, blood, and all."

Jamie winced. "Well, he's definitely in the right line of work."

"That he is. Anyway, Penum knocked the sergeant flat on his back with two simple moves, a kick to the groin and a jab to the throat."

Corrus chuckled and shook his head. "He almost got kicked out, but, lucky for him, several of us had already complained about the sergeant's heavy hand. We managed to stay in, and graduated two years later."

"Wow," Jamie said. "You and Penum have lived far more exciting lives than most people. It sounds like you've always stuck together, even in picking assignments. Why is that?"

"It's always been him and me. No one knows me like he does, and now we're all the family the other has."

Jamie's eyes widened. Corrus was too young to have lost both his parents. But, then again, she had lost hers by the age of twenty-one, albeit not through death.

"I'm sorry to hear that. When did you lose your parents?"

"At seventeen. Penum lost his parents at twelve."

"That must have been hard on you." Jamie wanted to dig a little deeper to find out what made Corrus so afraid of relationships.

"Penum had it worse. He was a kid."

Jamie smiled. Corrus was always looking out for his cousin, and she admired his loyalty. "He did, but you lost your parents, as well. I'm sure you were in a lot of pain."

"Only over my mother." Corrus looked into the distance. He was quiet for a few seconds before he refocused on Jamie.

"My father was a horrible man. To be honest, I don't think he ever wanted a child. So, when Penum came to live with us, he had double the trouble, and let's just say he responded horribly."

Jamie had never heard Corrus' voice sound so cold. Whatever his dad did must have affected him in a major way. "Maybe he was too young to have had you."

"He was forty," Corrus spat. "The way I see it, if a man knows he's not interested in raising a child, then it's best he step away."

Corrus shoved away from the table and stood. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to pay, and then we can leave."

Jamie nodded with a fake smile, but, on the inside, she was crushed. Firstly, because this was the first time Corrus had decided for her, without even consulting her. Secondly, because Corrus had admitted that the reason he was holding back was that he wasn't sure he wanted kids.

Her stomach tightened as nausea threatened to take over. Ethan was non-negotiable, and the best part of her life. If Corrus didn't want kids, then they really couldn't be together. Jamie had let herself hope that, with time, he would open up and they could work through whatever hang-ups he may have had together.

But how could they work through one person having a child and the other not wanting anything to do with it?

He's so good with Ethan, Jamie thought. Did I paint a false picture in my mind or is there more to this story?