“We’re grateful, Ayla,” he said. “Truly, we are. It wouldnae have been the same without ye.”
She smiled at him, and Archer realized how pleased he was to have his sister by his side. He had very little family left, but the person he did have, well, she made up for all of them. Now he only needed to remember that when his sister was doing something to make him crazy.
“You’re still hungry?” Holly asked, watching Feya bite into a blueberry tart with energy. The berries stained her fingers, the juice rushing down her hand. They had just finished a five-course meal complete with all of Jan’s delicacies. Archer himself couldn’t have fit another bite if he tried.
“Starving,” Feya said, letting her eyes go wide. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Lately, I want to eat everythin’ in sight.”
He was confused by Holly and Ayla’s reaction. Why did they look at each other like that? And why did Ayla gasp? The two women turned back to Feya, trying to hold serious expressions, though their mouths were curving up into smiles.
“You don’t think…?” Ayla asked.
“Could be…” Holly nodded.
Feya swallowed her treat and stared at them, looking just as perplexed as Archer felt. But then she took in their words, and it was Feya’s turn to hold back a smile. Her eyes went wide, and she reached out to squeeze Ayla’s hand, nearly bouncing with excitement. Even Holly looked giddy, thrilled by some unspoken truth Archer still couldn’t decipher.
“What is it?” He asked as Holly and Ayla came to either side of her, looking at his wife with a question in their eyes.
“It’s possible,” Feya told the women, ignoring Archer completely.
“What’s possible?” he asked.
“Oh, I hope so,” Ayla squealed.
“Excuse me, but could someone tell me what’s going on?” Finally, they looked at him, giving him such a mix of expressions he had no idea what news they were about to break. Then Feya smirked at him and stepped forward.
“It’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head with a spark of mischief in her eye. And then, with a shrug of her shoulders, she told him the best news of his life.
“Only that I think I’m expecting. We’re going to have a bairn!”
The End?
