Luna. Chapter 61

(Lyra's POV)

"Mama, can we get the honey cakes?" Asher pointed to a vendor stall decorated with golden ribbons and tiny dancing lights.

The Moonstone Market only appeared during full moons, when the supernatural community gathered to trade in goods that couldn't be found in ordinary stores. Tonight the air hummed with magic and possibility, and I was determined to give Asher a perfect evening.

Even if I was furious that Kael was twenty minutes late.

"Of course we can get honey cakes," I said, lifting Asher up so he could see the different varieties. "Which ones look best?"

"The ones shaped like stars. They taste like happiness."

The vendor, an elderly fae woman with silver hair and knowing eyes, smiled at Asher. "A child who can taste emotions. How delightful."

"Is that unusual?" I asked.

"Very. Most empaths can only sense feelings, not actually taste or smell them. Your son has a rare gift."

Asher selected three star-shaped cakes, then insisted on paying with the pocket money he'd earned by helping Magnus organize his research notes. He was methodical about counting out the coins, his small face serious with concentration.

"Mama, why is the moon extra bright tonight?" he asked as we found a bench near the fountain.

"Because it's a special full moon. Some people call it a Wolf Moon."

"Is that why Daddy's coming?"

My heart clenched. "Yes, that's why."

"He smells nervous. Like the clouds before a thunderstorm."

I looked around the market, trying to spot Kael in the crowd. "You can smell his emotions from here?"

"I can always smell Daddy. He has a very specific scent. Like pine trees and sadness and something that reminds me of silver bells."

"Silver bells?"

"The part of him that loves us. It rings very quietly, but it never stops."

Before I could respond to that heartbreaking observation, I heard familiar footsteps approaching. Kael emerged from the crowd looking harried and apologetic.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly. "Council meeting ran long."

"Daddy!" Asher launched himself at Kael with the wholehearted enthusiasm of a child who hadn't seen a beloved person in weeks.

Kael caught him carefully, and I could see the way his face transformed when he held our son. All the tension and worry melted away, replaced by pure paternal joy.

"Hello, snowman," Kael said softly. It was an old nickname from when Asher was tiny and fascinated by snow. "Did you save me a honey cake?"

"The biggest one! And it tastes like proud feelings."

"Proud feelings?"

"The way Mama feels when she watches me be brave."

Kael met my eyes over Asher's head, and I saw something there that made my chest tight. Gratitude, wonder, and something that looked like amazement that this perfect little boy belonged to both of us.

"What should we do first?" Kael asked, settling Asher on his shoulders.

"Ring toss!" Asher pointed to a game booth where players tried to throw glowing rings onto posts that moved in shifting patterns. "I want to win Mama a prize."

The game looked impossible, but Kael studied the pattern for a moment before purchasing a set of rings.

"It's all about timing," he explained to Asher. "You have to throw where the post is going to be, not where it is now."

"Like clouds," Asher said thoughtfully. "You have to see the story they're going to tell, not just the shape they are right now."

"Exactly like clouds."

Kael's first three throws missed completely, but on the fourth try, he managed to ring one of the moving posts. The booth operator looked surprised as bells chimed and lights flashed.

"Pick any prize from the middle shelf," the operator said.

Asher pointed to a small silver wolf pendant that caught the moonlight beautifully. "That one! For Mama!"

Kael won it for me, then insisted on trying again until he'd also won Asher a stuffed dragon and a kaleidoscope that showed different constellation patterns.

As we walked through the market sharing honey cakes and trying various magical foods, I found myself watching the way Kael interacted with our son. Patient when Asher asked endless questions about how things worked. Encouraging when he wanted to try new foods or games. Protective when the crowds got thick or when strangers approached with too much interest in Asher's unusual abilities.

This was the father I'd dreamed of when I was pregnant. The man who would see wonder in everything through their child's eyes.

"Mama?" Asher tugged on my hand. "Daddy's happy-sad."

"What does that mean?"

"Happy because he's with us, but sad because he thinks it won't last long."

I looked at Kael, who was examining a vendor's collection of enchanted books with genuine interest while Asher explained which ones "felt friendly."

"Maybe," I said carefully, "we should try to make the happy part stronger than the sad part."

"How do we do that?"

"By letting him know he's welcome here. With us."

Asher nodded solemnly. "I can do that."

For the first time in four years, I thought maybe I could too.