Maia stepped into the store, gazing around at all the beautiful offerings. She felt the sense of ease and luxury as she passed down the aisles of gorgeous outfits. Each fabric was softer and more luxurious than the last. She felt so blessed to be in that moment, Zephyr and Waverley and so many beautiful options and opportunities before her. As the Dragoness Prime and the Duchess of the House of Tides, Maia was not unfamiliar with beautiful things. It had been a long time since she had felt so at ease with her life and with herself. All of her life, she’d felt her responsibility to her people. She had prepared to be the mother to a dragonkin from each house. Once the seed of the princes had been delivered to her, she'd taken it into their body and gestated their offerings to create new life that would save her people from destruction. The strength to defy the elders’ wishes had taken everything she had. Maia had not since had the desire to do something as simple and pleasant as choosing a new dress.

Zephyr had arranged this moment in time, after all her duties had been fulfilled. She was in this new world with all her children. It was a deeply satisfying moment for Maia. And a suitable distraction for the gnawing emptiness in her heart at the knowledge she could not yet be with Zephyr.

A salesgirl approached and smiled broadly at Maia, asking what she was looking for.

"I'm not sure," Maia confessed.

“Is there a special occasion?”

"Perhaps… courtship," Maia said with a wink.

"Ohhh, you need something for a date. Is that him over there?" The salesgirl pointed at Zephyr settling into his seat near the dressing room. He rocked the stroller back and forth, gently lulling Waverley to sleep.

"Yes. He’s my mate. I mean, my husband. We've come on this trip to rekindle our romance.”

"I think I know just the thing.”

Maia followed the salesgirl through the shop and approved as she picked out a variety of dresses. They passed Zephyr before the salesgirl hung the outfits in a dressing room and Maia stepped inside.

"Just call me if you need anything,” the salesgirl said from the other side of the door.

"Thank you,” Maia said, truly grateful for the girl’s help.

Maia pulled off JoJo’s clothes and slipped into the first dress. It was a lustrous material with a fitted waist and a flared skirt. The bodice was deep blue like the ocean during a storm, and tropical flowers were printed across the fabric of the skirt. She slipped on a pair of matching shoes and gazed at herself in the mirror. Her skin glowed with the radiance of a Dragonian, and her hair fell in dark, long waves around her shoulders. She was tall and curvaceous in the way of her people and needed no additional adornments. But the sight of herself and the human fashion was thrilling to behold.

She slipped out the door of the dressing room and found Zephyr attentively waiting for her while reading something on a human device called a smartphone. His eyes flicked up to her and widened with shock when he took her in. She turned back and forth, letting the skirt flow around her. His cheeks flushed.

"Do you like it?" she asked, although it was obvious that he found her attractive in that moment.

"You are a sight to behold,” he said, his voice nearly breaking.

Maia smiled slightly and turned back to the dressing room, pleased with herself. It was only the first outfit. She chose a second dress. This one fitted her curves all the way down, conforming to the shape of her body. The dusty pink fabric had tiny white flecks. A belt cinched it at the waist. She slipped on a pair of white pumps and twisted her hair up at the nape of her neck in a loose bun. She walked out of the room and struck a dramatic pose with one hand on her waist and the other arm jutted out from her side. Zephyr nearly fell out of his seat. His reaction was extremely satisfying. She giggled, placing her fingertips to her mouth.

"Do you like this one better than the last?”

"It's hard to compare,” he finally said, sounding like an adolescent male.

"I may just have to get both.”

She went back into the dressing room and tried on the lacy white dress with the skirt that hung down to her midcalf and a pair of black pumps with a shiny leather. She remembered the image of a white dress from the films she'd watched with Zephyr the day before. White dresses were worn by humans on their mating day. There was a floral headdress in the dressing room that Maia held like a bouquet of flowers when she walked out to up the dressing room for Zephyr to take her in. He made a long low whistle, his eyes traveling from her feet up to her face and back down again in a slow, sensual motion. She posed delicately, moving her feet and body to best display the gown.

"Does this look like a wedding dress?" she asked.

"It does," he croaked.

“It’s quite lovely, but I think I might want to wear something fancier on my wedding day, should I participate in that human custom. It might be fun to do such a thing now that I'm on Earth. Don't you think?"

"I think it would be quite fun.” He gulped. “To see you as a bride."

She giggled and went back to the dressing room, trying on five more gowns. After she had displayed them each to Zephyr, she decided to buy all of them. Then she tried on the resortwear and casual clothing the salesgirl had provided and decided to get all of that as well. Money was not an object for the Dragoness Prime and Duchess of the House of Tides, and she felt the desire to be pleased after everything she’d been through.

When the Maia and Zephyr left the boutique, she felt as high as a dragon in flight. The shopping had been quite amusing. But what gave her the most pleasure was the look in Zephyr’s eyes when he saw her. After storing everything in their suite, Maia and Zephyr decided to have lunch on the beach. She changed into a swimsuit and maxi dress and changed her daughter into a swimsuit as well.

They went out to the resort beach and sat at a table under an umbrella. A waiter came out to take their lunch order. This time Maia knew exactly what she preferred. She ordered a ham and pineapple sandwich and Zephyr ordered the same. Waverley sucked on a bottle of dragonkin formula and they sipped fruity drinks as the warm breeze ruffled her hair.

She stared out at the crystal blue waves and drank in the feeling of ease and contentment. It was such a lovely moment in time, made even lovelier by the presence of the man she believed was her mate. Maia had agreed to wait until they had absolute confirmation that they were a match, but the truth was she no longer cared. She knew deep inside that she and Zephyr were mates. In the end, nothing could keep them apart. Just like in the romantic comedy they had watched the night before.

She knew they would go through their struggles but eventually love would prevail. It was what had kept her going all those months she'd been a prisoner aboard the ship. It was what had helped her stay strong when she'd hatched twelve eggs, knowing her dragonkin would all soon be gone.

She had to hold on to love no matter what. And she would. Because there was no other way. There was no other option. Love was all that she was and all that she cared about. It was her strength and her shield and, no matter what happened, Maia would continue to love as deeply and as strongly as she always had.

She looked down at her daughter and then up at Zephyr as the waiter brought their lunch and set it before them on the table. They could be a family. Mother, father, and child. They could share the love and the bond that she had longed for all this time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining that what she wished for was already true. The waiter asked if they needed anything else, and Zephyr told him that they were fine for now. Maia took a bite of her sandwich, and the flavor of pineapple and pork wrapped in crunchy bread mingled in her mouth, unfolding into something delightfully new. Humans had a way with the food that was quite pleasing.

"It was worth coming all the way across the galaxy just for this food."

Zephyr burst out laughing at that, and she joined him in his mirth.

"The food is definitely, as humans say, a silver lining."