20. The Stillwaters

In the parking lot of Two Rivers High School, Fionna Stillwater shouldered her gym bag as she walked between Andrew and Micah. She'd come home with Andrew a decade ago, but the couple was nearly unaffected by time. Andrew had a beard now, and Micah stretched his ears a bit bigger, wearing earrings made from polished limestone from the bluffs.

Andrew beeped the doors unlocked on their pickup truck. She was the same height as Micah now, with muscular limbs and a slender waist. Last year, Chamomile helped her cut most of her tawny hair into a pixie cut that emphasized her many ear piercings. Nobody in Lilydale had let her dye her hair, though, insisting that she keep her hair matching her wolf pelt, that people could deal with her unique appearance rather than making her hide.

Slipping behind Andrew, she snatched the keys out of his hand. Fionna jangled the keys out of his reach, smirking proudly as she pranced away toward the driver's side of the truck.

"Hey! Fi, give ‘em back," exclaimed Andrew.

"Aw, c'mon." Micah strung an arm around Andrew's waist, holding him back from snatching the keys from Fionna. "Let her drive. It was a good tournament for her! Second place, just good enough not to arouse suspicion."

"It's all about balance, right?" Fionna's golden eyes glinted. She pranced back to them and licked Micah's temple in a habit she refused to give up.

"The family motto," remarked Micah, waiting until Fionna looked away before he wiped off his temple. Andrew grinned at him, arm around his neck. He stooped and licked Micah's other temple, laughing and dodging out of the way when Micah took a swipe at him.

As Fionna opened the driver's door, she waved sweetly at a brunette girl and a boy with an afro.

"See you at the indies," the boy said. He was part of the youth wrestling league that met at the community center. "Maybe I can beat you next time."

Fionna cast him a wry smile and didn't say anything.

He kept walking with the brunette, who whispered, "See! I told you Fionna's dads are super hot."

He replied in more of a hushed exclamation, "Are you sure those are her dads? They look maybe thirty."

"They adopted her, Treyvon. Obviously."

Micah, Andrew, and Fionna all snickered when she closed the driver's side door.

"Idiot humans," Fionna said with a snort.

"Watch it, miss." Andrew shot her a nasty look.

"You hardly qualify as human anymore, Dad."

Andrew glowered, but Fionna wasn't wrong. Ever since he'd married Micah, he wasn't aging like a human anymore. And sometimes, his walnut-brown eyes had a purple cast to them. Not that he complained. It was a relief knowing he wasn't going to wither before Micah's eyes while his husband remained the same as the day they met twelve years ago. As Micah had always explained, it was unknown whether he as half-Fae was completely immortal, or if aging would just occur slowly. But at least now, they were going to find out together.

"I need to get dropped off at Saint Kate's," Andrew told her. "I'm teaching the rest of the day." Professor Stillwater had an interesting mix of classes he taught, primarily using his Master's degree in Folklore and European Mythology, but occasionally picking up an information technology class for the undergraduate program when he wanted to keep his computer skills sharp. Since he was currently finishing up his doctoral program, he wasn't running Magic's anymore—Sam was a much better business owner than him, especially with Micah as an on-call business consultant. Sam's girlfriend Xena worked with him now, too, and they added oddities and quirky gifts for sale to build more revenue beyond the computer services.

Glancing at Andrew with pride in his eyes, Micah said, "I think I must be able to see the future. Kinda like Chami."

Fionna snorted. "Okay, Dad."

"I called your dad Professor Vidasche on our first date," said Micah, pulling on Andrew's collar and kissing his high freckled cheekbone.

Andrew blushed.

"Ew." Fionna gagged.

"You have to decide where you're setting up for tonight," Andrew told her more seriously. "Lilydale or Saint Claire?"

"I want to hang out with my partner," sighed Fionna, "and they are in Lilydale."

"Don't remind us," Andrew said mournfully from the middle seat, laying his head on Micah's shoulder. "It makes me feel dreadfully old. I remember when you couldn't even speak a full sentence."

Fionna got the truck on the road with a steady hand, the morning sunlight shafting through jeweled leaves and casting golden shadows across the fields to their right. "I know, Dad. And don't worry. Cosmos makes sure I get my homework done. I wouldn't dare get any B's. Grandpa Julian would wring my neck."

As Fionna drove them onto the 35-E bridge that went over the Mississippi, the bluffs of Lilydale spread out toward the north with the Smith Avenue bridge arching in the distance. Their eyes drifted off the traffic and toward the singular towering redwood tree rising out of the forest. From here, you wouldn't be able to guess there was a thriving magical community within a magical ring of trees. But as always, Lilydale didn't need to be seen to be felt.