CHAPTER NINETEEN
Edriq put his hand gently on the small of Nora's back and whispered, “Meet my family.”
“H-hi,” she croaked. “I'm Nora.”
She was greeted with big, welcoming smiles and everyone started talking at once.
Edriq made the introductions quickly, and hurried to the stove. Amelia, his queen, was wearing a frilly, pink apron and stirring a big pot of soup.
“Let me do it,” he said, trying to take the ladle from her but she swatted him away.
“Go take care of our guest,” she said.
Edriq turned and saw that Zul was already doing that. With a courtly bow, Zul pulled out a chair for Nora and asked if she would like something to drink. It seemed that Zul was on his best behavior tonight, but it was still early. Once he got to know Nora better, Zul would launch into his repertoire of dirty jokes and torture them with a song or two.
Nora wasn't one to just sit down. She wanted to be part of the action. Jumping up, she insisted on helping with the dinner preparations.
Nora glanced at Edriq and they exchanged a smile. Edriq stood in the middle of the busy kitchen and was momentarily speechless with emotion as he watched his family.
Rohan and Amelia were his king and queen, but they had both rolled up their sleeves and were bustling around trying to prepare a special dinner for their special guest. Even Zul was on his best behavior. He didn't make any risque, rude jokes and was meekly obeying Princess Tessa when she bossed him around and told him how to set the elegant silverware.
And little Tessa was glowing with excitement and importance. She chatted with Nora and rattled off one question after another. She looked highly impressed when Nora told her that she was a paramedic.
“I want to be a paramedic when I grow up,” Tessa promptly declared.
“I thought you wanted to be a teacher,” Amelia said over her shoulder.
“Hmm, can I be both?” Tessa asked.
“You can be anything you want to be, sweetheart,” Rohan said.
Tessa grinned and clambered up onto a chair to watch Nora take the potato wedges out of the oven. A flustered Mrs Vomae had tried to stop Nora. “You're the guest,” Mrs Vomae protested. “Please, please take a seat. You...”
“I'd like to help,” Nora had answered and grabbed the oven gloves before Mrs Vomae could stop her.
Edriq and his brothers knew better than to try and stop Nora. They'd had enough experience dealing with two strong-willed females in the house.
“I made something for you,” Tessa whispered to Nora. “It's a surprise. But I want you to have it now.”
“What is it?” Nora whispered back.
Tessa giggled and raced out of the kitchen. Everyone could hear her running up the stairs and yelling, “Don't tell her what it is!”
In less than a minute, Tessa was back. Panting, she ran up to Nora and thrust a handmade bookmark into her hand. “We just learned how to make bookmarks in school. I drew the dragon myself,” Tessa said proudly. “Mom helped me write your name and I colored all the letters!”
Nora held the pretty bookmark in both hands and looked up at them. Edriq saw her blink rapidly.
“It's beautiful,” she whispered. “I love it, so much!”
Edriq went over to look at the bookmark. Tessa had drawn a fierce-looking, fire-spitting dragon soaring above Nora's name. “That's Uncle Edriq,” Tessa said, pointing at the dragon.
“I know,” Nora said. “I saw his dragon. Once.”
“His dragon is awesome,” Tessa crowed. “Can I go flying with you tonight, Uncle Edriq?”
Edriq glanced at Rohan and Amelia. “Not tonight. You have school tomorrow,” Amelia answered.
“Aww, Mom! But you're my teacher. I can be a little late for school, can't I?”
“No you can't,” Amelia said firmly.
“I'll take you flying this weekend,” Edriq said. “Promise.”
The girl stuck out her little finger. “Pinky promise? Promise she'll be my Aunt Nora?” she added quickly.
“Pinky promise,” Edriq said automatically before realizing that the cheeky, clever little princess had slipped in another promise at the last minute.
The princess was young but she was quick, observant and considerate. She'd made a beautiful little present for Nora to show Nora how much the family loved her already, and she had even read her Uncle Edriq's mind and heart like a book.
She had made Edriq promise to put his wants and desires into action and claim Nora as his. So she would be Tessa's Aunt Nora.
She was looking out for him, for his happiness.
They all were.
The whole family had come together and put in so much effort to welcome Nora into their home. It was just a dinner and just a bookmark. Yet it was so much more.
Edriq chuckled when Tessa winked at him.
It was at this very moment that he realized his Princess Tessa would make a great queen one day.