“Thank you. I’ve been telling people that for years. You are the first person to acknowledge how wonderful I truly am.”
Lanie and Wendy piped up. “We’re awesome, too. We made you some dinner. We heard you had made it to the cave, and so we timed it so it should be nice and hot. It’s beef stew.”
Luka said, “You guys are amazing, and I’m very blessed to be a part of this family.”
Everyone smiled.
As they were leaving, Madison said, “You know, there hasn’t been a boring moment since you came into our lives.”
Luka sighed. “I know. But I’m praying that there will be a lot of boring moments coming. I’m tired of all this excitement.”
Everyone laughed and went on their way.
Madison stopped, came back, and whispered something in Luka’s ear. Luka smiled, and then after I turned back into human form, she led me into the house.
For some reason, the stew was the best I had ever eaten. On any given day, it would have been delicious, but tonight, it was especially good. However, it was nothing compared to the dessert. Luka stood on her toes to pull a covered dish out of the pantry. She got out a couple of small plates and some forks, then she came to sit on my lap.
“Take the top off, my love,” she said.
I did as ordered. A cake was on a plate. Half of it was pink, and half of it was blue. There was a pacifier on each side. I stared at it for a long time, uncomprehending at first. Then, I looked at her, and there was a huge smile on her face. I looked back at the cake, and then at my beautiful wife.
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
She nodded, her smile getting even bigger.
“There are two of them?” I asked incredulously.
She nodded again. “I went to see Dr. Ursa this morning because I hadn’t been feeling well, and I was late on my cycle. She said I was going to have twins—a boy and a girl. She said they would be healthy cubs.”
“I don’t care if they are going to be healthy ducks,” I said.
“Wouldn’t that be a little awkward?” she asked me.
“Amon was right. You do have a smart mouth,” I told her.
“That is one of the millions of reasons why you love me,” she retorted.
“It is. I do love you so, with all of me, for eternity.”
Epilogue: Luka
We decided to have a formal ceremony in the cave. One of the bear shifters was an ordained minister, so Gage and my union would be formal and legal. Although I had become accustomed to seeing a bunch of people hanging out casually, completely naked, I was very grateful to see that everyone had donned clothing for this event.
Torben and Nikita, our twin cubs, were impossible to keep dressed. At a year old, they were fascinated with switching back and forth between human and bear form. I had asked Gage if there was an on and off switch somewhere on their tummies we could toggle, but he just laughed at me.
He can laugh. I’m the one who has to chase small bears everywhere. Luckily, he put a fence around the cabin that was durable enough for both human and bear mishaps.
At the ceremony, Dr. Ursa took care of the babies at the back of the room. Madison was to be my maid of honor, and Jacob was Gage’s best man. Although we had already been married for two years, I was still excited and nervous. I wanted this to be perfect.
My father and Gage’s father were gone, so Gage’s mother, Mary Ann, agreed to walk me down the aisle. She was a beautiful, delightful woman who simply doted on her grandchildren.
The music started, and as we walked through the brightly lit cave, my breath caught in my chest. Gage was standing there, tall and handsome. He was wearing a black tuxedo and a dark blue cummerbund. His thick, black hair curled around his ears and the collar of his jacket.
Still nervous, I took my place in front of him at the altar, and we joined hands. We had written our own vows.
“Luka, from the first moment I saw you, I knew that you were my soulmate. I knew that you were the one woman in this world who could complete me and make me whole. I promise that I will always love, honor, and cherish you. I promise that I will always be with you to celebrate your successes and to lift you up when life gets hard. You are my life, my breath, and my world. No matter what happens on this crazy journey together, I promise that I will always stand by your side, with pride, for eternity.”
His words brought tears to my eyes, and I had to pause a moment before I could say mine.