“Look at me Grampa, I’m doing it! I’m flying the kite!” Our oldest daughter, Rosemay shouts out to Kerr’s father.

It’s her birthday today. She’s seven, and we all came out to Hexultan’s place in the Earth settlement to celebrate the day. He built her a pond with ducks and swans on it. My father sent them on the last shipment from Earth to the settlement.

Gleeu and our four-year-old son, Kerry, throw bread crumbs to them as they sit by the water’s edge. Every now and again I catch her looking at her husband.

He’s lived apart from her at her request. Hexultan has made amends for his poor behavior. His brother enjoys the bedroom at the palace where the King’s things were moved to. Hexultan left all of his belongings to his brother, Xavultan.

Hexultan started from scratch, first living in the shack Caleb had built for his wife. It was a hideous little thing, but he used his ingenuity and what he calls his Earthling spirit to make a new life for himself.

He farms the land, by himself and as a peace offering, I suppose, he sends bunches of the freshest and best looking vegetables to the palace each and every day. Along with a bouquet of wildflowers to place on the table.

The flowers never fail to bring a smile to the Queen’s face. The vegetables bring a smile to mine.

I sit on the blanket on the purple grass under a large red tree at the edge of the forest where Hexultan’s house is built. Leaning back on Kerr, as he leans on the massive tree’s trunk, he rubs my stomach swollen with our third child. Another boy for Kerry to play with as Rosemay is much too girly to play with him.

“Look,” I say as I gesture at his father walking towards Gleeu. “He’s acting as if he doesn’t even realize she’s sitting there.”

“I see that.” Kerr plays with my hair, and I look back to see him taking a sniff of it.

I giggle. “Look now. He’s saying something to Kerry.”

I hear his father say, “The black swan is a male, and the white is a female. Tell me, Kerry, what color of swans will they make for us?”

“Probably, gray ones, Grandpa. Cause when I mix white and black paints, I get gray.” Kerry tosses some more bits of bread to the birds.

Hexultan laughs, and so does Gleeu. Their eyes meet and then she looks away quickly.

Hexultan kneels down beside our three-year-old. “Do you like the vegetables Grandpa sends to you, Son?”

“I do. I like the yellow stuff the best of all,” he says and then his arms wrap around Hexultan’s neck. “Thanks for that, Grandpa.”

“You’re welcome, big boy. You about ready to become a big brother?”

Kerry’s head bobs, sending his shoulder-length blonde curls swaying over his shoulders. “I am ready to be a big brother. Did Mom and Dad tell you what they will let me name him?”

Hexultan shakes his head. “No, they have not.”

“I named him after you Grandpa. We’re calling him Hex, just like you. On account of, I love you.” Kerry spins to look at Gleeu. “Don’t worry, Grandma, I love you too, and Daddy let me get a puppy-fish yesterday and guess what I named her?”

Gleeu smiles. “Let me guess. Gleeu.”

Kerry shakes his head again. “Nope. Guess again.”

She looks confused. “I have no idea then, Kerry. You tell me.”

“I named her periwinkle. On account of Grandpa used to call you that as a nickname when you guys were young and in love cause those were your favorite flowers.” Kerry hugs her sweetly and kisses her on the tip of her nose.

Then he runs away yelling for Rosemay to let him fly her kite. It leaves Hexultan and Gleeu alone. He looks at her for a moment and then turns to leave her alone.

“The flowers you send each day are very nice, Hex.” I hear her say.

Kerr stops rubbing my stomach and looks at his parents. “Did I hear that?”

“You did,” I say.

“Well, I am very glad you like them, Your Majesty,” he says and takes another step away.

“I see no meadow of wildflowers anywhere near your home, Hex. Where do you get them?” she asks. She leans back on her hands and stretches her long legs out in front of her.

“She’s kind of flirting with him, Kerr.”

“I see that.” Kerr’s leaning up to hear better I guess. His face is next to mine. “What’s going on?”

“No,” his father says and takes a step back toward her. “The meadow is over that hill.”

Gleeu looks up at him. “You mean to tell me you walk over that hill every day and pick wildflowers to send to the palace? And you have done so for years now. Do you have any reason why you would get into so much trouble?”

He kneels and looks at her. My heart lurches at his actions. “I do have a reason, Your Majesty. I do it for you.”

She turns her head slowly to look at him. “Hex, stop calling me that. You can call me what you’ve always called me.”

“I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.” He looks away and tosses a piece of bread he found on the ground to the waiting ducks.

“I’m asking you to,” she says and moves her hand slowly over the ground and touches the tip of his fingers. “I miss you calling me that.”

“Then I shall, Gleeu.” He moves his fingers to lace with hers and sits down on the ground next to her. “The suns look so beautiful each evening as they set right over this pond. It’s why I built is here.”

“I think it’s called digging a pond, Hex. Not building it,” she says.

“You know you’re most likely right. I have no one to talk to so I tend to say things a little wrong now and then.”

“No one to talk to?” she asks as she looks at him.

He turns to look at her as their faces close together. Kerr leans his chin on my shoulder. “I hope they kiss.”

I smile at his sweet sentiment and watch as Kerry runs toward them. “Crap! Call Kerry before he ruins it, Kerr.”

Kerr makes a loud whistle, and Kerry turns his attention to us and starts running towards us.

“Kiss her,” Kerr whispers. “Do it!”

I cross my fingers and use a little of my gift to make sure things go perfectly. I make a gentle breeze blow past them. Her long blonde hair blows over one of her cheeks toward him.

Hexultan gently pushes it back behind her ear, and her hand meets his. She kisses his palm and then leans toward him.

“Oh my God,” I whisper as Kerry gets to us and nearly jumps on me.

Kerr moves me quickly and catches our son in mid-air. “Whoa, slugger. Have to watch Mommy’s tummy, remember?”

“I forgot.” Kerry squirms in his father’s grip.

He looks back to find what I have already witnessed. His mother and father kissing and holding hands.

“Now isn’t that something?” I turn to see a tear run down my husband’s cheek.

I quickly run my finger over it to get rid of it or Kerry will have to ask why his big old daddy is crying. I know why, though. And my heart swells for him.

“I wonder if things are about to change again,” I say.

Bet they are!