Piper

 

“You’re sure, Kai?” I asked my younger brother, who was lounging in the window-seat like a cat. “You honestly don’t mind?”

“Nah,” Kai responded, staring outside. “Me and Isla will be here for another week or so.” He grinned over at me. “Don’t worry, we’ll take our time getting there.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Oh boy. Well, thank you.”

“About time you took a real vacation, Piper,” Kai said.

Walking over, I nodded and sat on the end of the window-seat. “I know.”

“What’s with the serious look?” Kai asked.

“I wanted to tell you and Dad this first, before Balt,” I said slowly. “And I told Dad last night. He didn’t say much.” I paused and let out a breath. “The other night, when I healed Balt – I thought I heard or sensed Mom.” Kai went still, staring at me. “Like she was there.”

“So, did I,” he said after a moment and my heart ached at the note in his voice. “I miss her.” Kai gave me a gentle smile. “You know, I think she’d be really happy about you and Balt. She always adored him. I think she came up with Balty as a nickname, too.”

“Well, I think it’d be the same with you and Isla,” I teased, even as my voice wavered.

Kai sat up and pulled me in for a hug. “She’d also be really happy that we’re finally getting along.” After Kai let me go, I wiped at my face and he gave me a funny look. “You know I hate to agree with Roy the Abominable Snowman, but it is weird how much you’re crying lately.”

“Oh, be quiet,” I said, swatting him. “And don’t call him that.”

“Roy the Iceman? Roy the Sourpuss?” Kai asked. “That work? Roy the–”

At that moment, there was a knock on my door and I hopped up, ignoring the rest of Kai’s suggestions. Kesari was waiting on the other side, bouncing from foot to foot and looking agitated.

“Kesari?” I asked and suppressed a smile. “Come in.”

“Oh, I thought I missed you,” she said in a rush, looking distracted and then stopping short when she saw Kai. “Uh, I needed to talk to you.”

“I’m sure whatever it is, you can tell me and my brother,” I said vaguely, staring around and trying to remember what else I needed to do before we left. “Go ahead.”

Kesari twisted her hands and nodded. “Um, okay.” Pause. “Piper, I think you’re pregnant.”

I dropped the book I was holding and stared at Kesari. Air moved in and out of my lungs. Seconds passed. The world turned. And I still couldn’t form a coherent thought.

Kai was also staring and Kesari began to flush. “I could be wrong, but I thought – the other night when I was checking on you – you know shifter healers can sense it immediately. You’re maybe two weeks along – I mean I could be wrong, but if you want, I could try to confirm it…”

Still standing rooted in place, I let out a sound and Kai jumped to his feet, guiding me to the bed and sitting me down. “Do you need some water, sis?”

“Kesari, come here right now,” I barked, waving a hand at her as my heart took off. “Oh god, I had wine the other night. I never drink that much–”

“Piper, you’re perfectly healthy. It’s fine,” Kesari said in a reassuring tone. “It’s only with repeated use during pregnancy, and heavily at that, you need to worry. Here.” She took my hand and Kai took the other, giving it a squeeze. After a moment, she looked up and nodded, giving me an excited smile. “Yup. There’s a little spark in there.”

“Oh my god,” I breathed. We’re having a baby…

“Damn, you two work fast,” Kai muttered and I punched him on reflex. “Sorry.” A wide grin was spreading across his face. “Piper. This is amazing.” He grabbed my face and planted a kiss on my forehead. “I’m gonna be an uncle? Oh man, this kid is gonna be good-looking.”

Placing a hand on my stomach, I listened to Kai and Kesari banter. Then there was another knock and Isla poked her head in. “Kai, there you are – your Dad is… What’s wrong?”

Looking up, I saw Kai was rubbing his eyes and giving me a soppy grin. “Can I tell her?” When I nodded, Isla came over and sat down next to me, looking bewildered. “She’s knocked up.”

“Kai!” I yelled.

“So, gonna name after me or…?” he asked, grinning now. “Oh, man – want me to go get Dad? And Isla can go find Balt?”

Isla was pink-faced, her lips parted and then she gave me a wild hug. “Oh, Piper!”

“Well,” Kesari interrupted timidly and we looked at her. “You know that sometimes you want to wait till about a month in. Some shifters are even waiting longer – using the 10-12 week rule that the inanis do.”

“Right,” I breathed. “Um, yeah, I need to tell Balt first. Then, we’ll tell Dad – together. Probably in a few weeks.”

“Please, please let me be there,” Kai begged.

“How about in Maui? Bring him with you,” I said vaguely.

As there were more hugs and congratulations, I sat there, smiling and trying to take it all in. I knew one thing for certain – I wanted to tell Balt this in the most special way I could think of.

 

“You’re quiet,” Balt said, reaching over and squeezing my shoulder as we drove along the sun-drenched coast of Maui to my family, well, Kai and Isla’s house. It was a place we’d spent our summers as kids, going less and less as we got older. “Jet lag?”

“Something like that,” I murmured, watching the breathtaking beauty of the ocean and lush mountains flash by. “You know, sometimes I think Kai is right and we should just run away to Maui.”

“You wouldn’t be able to rest knowing the TLO is still out there,” Balt responded with a laugh. “Nor can I picture you not working. Though I’m looking forward to it.”

With a shaky breath, I nodded, pressing a hand against my stomach. How was it going to work in my position being pregnant? And then after, when the baby comes? What if…?

I hadn’t planned for this – neither of us had. I planned for everything. Well, mostly everything. Would this work?

What if Balt didn’t want kids? Why the hell wasn’t I on the pill?

“Why do you keep doing that?” Balt asked.

“Huh?” I asked, looking over at him.

We were pulling into the drive that led down to the house and Balt parked the car, giving me a funny look. “You keep touching your belly. Stomach-ache?”

Eyes wide, I shook my head. “I didn’t even realize I was. Sorry.”

“Sorry?” Balt sat back and eyed me. “Alright, out with it.”

“Out with what?” I asked.

“Something is up with you,” he said. “It has been since we left Greece. You’re acting all squirrelly and vague. If you’re sick, just say so.”

“I think it’s just nerves about the vacation,” I lied lamely. “You know I’m not used to relaxing.”

He snorted and swung out of the car, grabbing our bags from the back by the time I got out and around. My hands were fastened at my sides and Balt snorted again, muttering ridiculous in Greek. Face flushing, I glanced down, following him quietly to the house. I still hadn’t figured out how to tell him. And with each passing moment, I found myself growing more anxious about it.

I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

A few days later and I had not.

Taking advantage of a quiet moment – Balt half-asleep on the couch next to me, I mused on it – but still, nothing. Soon it was nearing midnight and I knew he was going to suggest going to bed any minute. But I had the panicked feeling I had to figure this out tonight.

Tonight.

An umber, leggy cat named Bonsi and an orange cat named Nacho were napping on his stomach, while a beautiful tawny cat named Lulu was in my lap.

For a long time, I’d avoided cats and it was nice to feel at ease with them again. Kai had always been so frustrated with me about that, though he’d attempted to hide it as I knew he’d suspected why. I’d never truly dealt with the loss of my healing gift. Yet now that it had returned, so had an easiness with the other supernatural aspects of shifting that I’d avoided for so long.

Balt stirred and sat up with a yawn. “The Perseids meteor shower is tonight. Wanna go?”

“Go?” I asked, my heart leaping. “You mean up Haleakala? I mean, we could watch it here.”

"Nah, I think it's worth the trip. And besides, I made a reservation for sunrise," he said with a sly grin. "So, it's less a question than a statement."

Lulu and I looked at each other. It sounds nice. Wear something warm.

“Alright,” I said with a laugh. “When do you wanna leave?”

“Now,” he urged, pulling me to my feet.

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Let me just run upstairs and change.” I grinned at him. “You get points for planning this Kazan – you know I can never say no to Haleakala.”

As I was changing, my eyes fell on a box of trinkets from my childhood and an idea struck me. Walking over, I flipped it open, wondering when the last time I’d looked in here was.

Sifting through it, my fingers closed over a well-worn toy lion. It had been Balt’s and after he’d moved to my house, he’d given it to me, asking me to hold onto it. I couldn’t even remember how it ended up here, but I smiled. Oh, it was perfect.

“Piper, let’s go! It’s like a two and half hour drive!” Balt bellowed up the stairs. Jumping and grinning to myself, I stashed it in my pocket and ran downstairs. He gave me a cocked eyebrow. “Why do you look like you’re up to something?”

“Is this suspicious thing part of us dating or–?” I teased.

“Oh, come on,” Balt said, pulling me out the front door.

Three hours later, we were on top of the world. Cold air blew across the peak, while a ring of clouds covered the world below. In a way, Haleakala Peak, jutting over 10,000 feet into the air, felt like leaving Earth for the moon. And the winding, slow drive only added to that. By the time you got to the top, you were both dizzy and dazzled.

And then you looked up.

There lay a sea of stars that went on forever. It had been one of mine and my mother’s  favorite places. I'd beg as a kid to drive up here, all to examine the stars through my binoculars.

Thinking back, I remembered how Balt would patiently listen to me gab on about star names and constellations while my parents tried to prevent Kai from falling off the mountain.

Here, it seemed like the past met the future.

Balt had thoughtfully brought a blanket to sit on, as well as one to wrap ourselves in. No one else was there, though I knew that might change as sunrise got closer. The peak was so popular for sunrise viewings you had to make a reservation in order to be up there.

As he spread out the blanket and sat, I went to sit next to him when Balt pulled me onto his lap. Settling me against his chest, he wrapped the blanket around us and set his chin on my shoulder. He’d always loved the stars as much as I had – especially the constellations and Grecian myths surrounding them.

Right on cue, he whispered in my ear, “Tell me about the stars, Pipla.”

Sitting there, I pointed out constellations and stars, even though I knew Balt knew them as well as I did. From there, we talked about the past, reminiscing about trips to Maui and old, funny stories from our childhood. Wondering about the future and making plans. Promises.

All too soon, the sky began to lighten.

I stood up, a little stiff from sitting and staring too long. Pulling in a breath, I stared around at the fading stars, the interplay of blues across the sky and the promise of a gorgeous sunrise. Color was dancing across the ring of clouds, which had shifted and offered a tantalizing glimpse of the ocean and towns far below.

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” I asked with a happy sigh.

Balt was standing next to me and he murmured, “It takes my breath away every time.” Turning to me, he smiled and brushed my hair back. The look in his eyes matched the intensity of the light hovering at the edge of the horizon and I shivered. “But even this pales in comparison to you, Piper Weslark. You are the light, the center… the everything of my life. It doesn’t matter that we’ve known each other almost our entire lives – I love you more every day.”

“Balty,” I whispered, touching his face. “I love you, too.”

He nodded, swallowing hard and fumbling at his pockets. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes recently. But the biggest one I ever made was not telling you how I felt right away.”

“Hey, big guy,” I said with a smile. “That makes two of us.”

“But it was worth it – you’re always worth it, Piper. A million times over.” He paused. “I know everything has been a whirlwind, but I don’t want to wait another second.” Suddenly Balt sank to one knee and something was glimmering in the first rays of the day. “Piper, will you marry me? Make me, somehow, impossibly, even happier than I already am?”

A squeak escaped me as I stared at the ring, then at him and my arms were around his neck as I threw myself at him, nearly knocking him over.

Sitting back, I gasped out, “Yes. Yes.”

Grabbing his hoodie, I pulled him forward for a kiss and he laughed against my lips. When we broke apart, the sun was breaking over the world and lit up the diamonds as he slid the ring onto my finger. It was a perfect fit and the fesootai hummed with warmth on my wrist.

Standing up together, Balt let out a shaky breath as he said, “Oh, I asked your father, of course. He gave his blessing. Actually…” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck. “Both of your parents did.”

“What?” I asked, startled.

“Guess your mom always knew,” Balt said with a rueful smile. “Saw right through me.”

“Saw right through us,” I said, hugging him and laying my head on his heart. Biting my lip, I looked up at him and stepped back. “I have something for you, too.”

Balt looked amused as I pulled out the toy lion and handed it to him. “Wow, I haven’t seen this in a long, long time.” Shaking his head, he asked, “Why are you giving this back to me?”

Nerves pounded through me and I let out a long breath before I said, “I’m pregnant.”

The look on Balt’s face made a laugh pop out. “You-you’re… How?” He gasped.

“Balt,” I said, with a roll of my eyes.

“We’re having a baby?” he asked slowly, as though we were the first people on earth to do so. “That’s why you kept touching… Oh, wow.”

"Balt," I said since he looked dazed and I had to stop myself from laughing. "Um, is this okay?" Biting my lip, I went to step back when I was crushed against him and my lips were captured by his. When we broke apart, I was a little breathless. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

There was a hitch in his voice and a wetness to his eyes as Balt suddenly knelt and pressed his face into my stomach. “Piper, I couldn’t be happier. Hi, little one. You’ve got the best mom in the world, you know that?”

“And the best dad,” I said, ruffling his hair. He stood up and shook his head at me. “What?”

“You just had to upstage me, didn’t you Weslark?” Balt asked.

Mortification rose in a wave and I pressed my hands to my heart. “Oh my god, I didn’t even think. I’m so, so sorry Balt…”

He gave me a grin and a wink. “Nah, I was messing you, Pipla.”

“You jerk!” I said, going to punch his arm and he caught my fist.

“You love me,” he murmured, brushing his lips against mine.

Before I could say a word, Balt was kissing me and the rest of my thoughts were lost.

As we broke apart, I gripped his shoulders. “I know I’ve been acting a little weird – it’s just – how are we going to do this, Balt? How will this work? The new positions, the new team–?”

“Stop,” Balt ordered with a laugh. “We’ll figure it out. All that matters is that we’re here. Together.”

“Together,” I agreed.

Standing there, we watched the sun rise higher in the sky and light streamed across the world as we looked into a future no longer chained by the past, but blessed by it. One where every moment, but especially this one, would be treasured to the fullest.

Together.