Epilogue

Zhang

Our son had his hands over my eyes, leaning down from his perch on my shoulders. "Daddy no look!" he crowed. I was making my way toward the back yard, and didn't want to tumble and maybe hurt myself or more importantly our two-year-old. Fortunately, his other father had my elbow to guide me.

We had been on vacation at my old favorite lake for the past week and had not even carried our luggage past the foyer yet, but my mate and son were definitely adamant about their priorities. One, anyway.

"I don't know what you two are up to, but I am starting to get nervous. Even at his young age, Christopher was his strong man daddy's partner in crime, pranking me at every opportunity. I pretended to be outraged, but, in fact, would do just about anything to hear that sweet giggle.

The one even now making his stern commands to me sound so merry. "Daddy, you no peek!"

"I'm watching him, Son." Shane eased me out onto the back porch and stopped me there. "Okay. Shall we let Daddy look now?"

"Yes!" Chris yanked his slightly sticky hands away, and I blinked in the renewed light. "Tahhh dada!" He was only two and didn't quite have all expressions down, but his versions were better so far as I was concerned. "See?"

I lifted him off my shoulders, and he ran out into the transformed back yard. I'd been wanting to do it ever since I moved in, but between the business, pregnancy, and dealing with an infant and now toddler, there just had been no time.

"It looks almost like my own old yard, but better." We still owned it, and the current tenant was a real gem and didn't mind doing repairs or improvements for money off his rent, the income going into a special account just in my name at my alpha's insistence. He wanted me to have something not connected to our business because anything could happen and my security came first.

But the yard! It had raised flower and veggie beds, a huge swing set with all the bells and whistles a little guy could want, a gazebo, outdoor kitchen…It was going to take me an hour just to see it all. "Alpha, wow. They did this in a week?"

"The planning took longer but yes the execution w one week. Careful of the grass, it is still rooting." And it wasn't just grass but a blend that I'd been drooling over that had clover and other things and would rarely need to be mowed. Pollinators would love it.

"I left most of the beds for you to plant, but I wanted some stuff there to show how it will look when you've gotten what you like in them."

My alpha and my son might be jokesters, but when it came to spoiling me, they took that seriously. "I don't know what to say, but thank you." I hugged him and kissed him then scooped up Chris and accepted his smacking kiss on the cheek. When he ran back to his swings, I watched.

"Don't worry. Everything on that set is toddler approved. It can be upgraded when he's bigger." He took my hand and led me to a shady are behind the gazebo. "And this is your very special only for you spot.

"A hammock." I hugged him again and looked longingly at the hammock while turning back toward the house. "Let's get unpacked and make some dinner, so I can come give it a try after Chris goes to sleep."

Our son ran over just then, and Shane released my hand and took his. "Oh no you don't, Daddy," Shane said. "We've got this. You try out your hammock while we handle everything."

"Handled!" chirped Chris, smiling at me over his shoulder as the two headed for the house. "Can we have nuggies, Papa?"

They disappeared inside, talking away and I settled in my hammock for a short rest. Sometimes I marveled at Fate's kindness and the Bearclaw Inn's owner's part in the whole thing. So much magic, so much love. My eyes drifted closed, images of our first few years together filling my sleepy mind. I was the luckiest panda omega in the world.