Page 22 of Sun and Stone (Elementally Yours #5)
My grin lights up the room as the cash register dings open. It's another day at the party supply store, but this one is different.
"Great choice. Truly," I commend the customer while bagging his items. "These are the best napkins and paper plates we stock."
The customer blinks, taken aback by my enthusiasm. "They're just for serving the cake."
"No, they're sparkly too. They add to the experience. It'll be a birthday party your son or daughter never forgets. 3.27 is your change." Maybe I hand over the cash with too much enthusiasm because the surly looking man on the other side of the register seems a little freaked out. "Have a truly fantastic rest of your day."
"Uh, thanks." The customer eyes me warily, clutching his bags and backing away slowly. "What's this guy on?" he mutters under his breath.
"Sorry," I say. "Today's my last day at work."
The man pauses, then slowly nods his head. "Oh, gotcha. Congrats."
It's easy to feel elated on a day like today. I'm done. On to bigger and better things. My good mood lasts the rest of my final shift and after a quick errand, I head home.
To my new home.
“Just in time,” my boyfriend shouts from somewhere inside the apartment. “I was just about to start unpacking the kitchen.”
Boxes fill up more of the space than actual furniture right now. No matter how good a mood I'm in, unpacking is never fun. "You know what? I think I'm in the wrong apartment."
"Don't you dare leave." Fynn strides into the living room a moment later, fixing me with a stern expression.
With a winning smile, I hold up the cake.
My errand was a trip to an ice cream store to pick up this cake for Fynn. I loved these things when I was a kid. We're having a housewarming party later with all our friends—well, it's part housewarming, part 'yay, we didn't die' celebration, and part victory party for earning magic—but since this is our first night together in the new place, I figured we should celebrate, just the two of us.
"Brought you something," I say. "Think we deserve a treat—either as a reward for unpacking or we can eat it first and earn it later."
His stern expression lasts a second longer, glancing between me and the cake. But he can't resist the cake. "You already know my vote. I need at least one slice now."
"Had these before?"
"Not often," he replies. "From what I remember, they're delicious."
It takes a bit of maneuvering with the treat in my hands, but Fynn leans in around the cake and presses his lips to mine. His kiss is sweet like the dessert waiting for us. When he pulls back, I set the cake down on the coffee table and sink to the floor, not caring that there's no furniture yet.
Only the coffee table, a few lamps, and the TV stand are unpacked for the living room, not even the TV, just the stand.
Fynn darts into the kitchen, returning a moment later with two mismatched plates.
"These were the only ones I could find," he says, handing me a bright blue one. Yep. We do need to unpack the kitchen tonight.
Fynn sits beside me, our knees bumping as he gets comfortable.
I lift the lid off the ice cream cake, feeling the cold as I start slicing us two portions. I slide a hefty slice onto his plate, then serve myself a slightly smaller piece. He's taking the plate as soon as I drop the slice down on it.
Taking my own plate, I savor the first bite, enjoying the vanilla ice cream and crunchy chocolate pieces. It's just as good as I remember from my childhood.
"Great idea, Perry," he says through a mouthful.
Not much has changed for Fynn now that he has magic. He’s already doing exactly what he wants to do, so he isn’t changing jobs. Being a sunbrand is who he is, he doesn’t need a career in it.
But things have changed for us.
No more hotel living for him. He’s found a new place and added me to the lease. We’re moving in together. We’re in the middle of it actually.
And things have changed for me too.
“Oh, before I forget. This came for you.” Fynn motions to the mail on the table. My contract has arrived.
A rockbrand professor asked me to TA for him. The position makes sense. I’ve been assisting with classes, doing the prep work, and teaching other students for two decades.
With my extensive classroom experience, in addition to taking so long to earn my own brand, I’ll have plenty of insight to share with students.
Since being a magical educator requires a brand first, the pay is better than a regular TA, enough that I can quit my side jobs and focus on one career.
I’m not sure if it’s what I’ll spend the rest of my life doing, but I’m excited to help students.
When I was offered the position, I remembered what Fynn said about thinking we met for a reason and wanting to use his experiences to help me. I liked thinking of my own experiences that way. That maybe I wasn’t just a thick-headed rock caster, maybe every mistake I made and every hard-earned lesson is exactly what will help me connect with novices and ensure that they get there faster than I did. So, I’m giving it a try.
“Look, I’m getting a jump on unpacking.” Sensing the nearest stone in the boxes, I help it escape its box and call it over to me, using it as a paperweight to mark my place on the contract since I need to eat my piece of cake before it melts.
"How many rock sculptures, minerals, and lumps of stone are in your boxes?" Fynn wonders.
"Um. No comment."
"Maybe we need a plan for how we're going to decorate."
Ouch. My boyfriend’s questioning my decorating skills. "Not having second thoughts, are you?"
"About your taste? Maybe. About you?” He smiles at me. “Never."
Aww. When I lean over the table to kiss him, Fynn tastes like frosting. I can feel the warmth radiating from him, that signature sunbrand energy that always makes me feel lighter.
Magic is pretty damn amazing. I love my rock powers and that they will always be part of me now. But at the end of the day, the best part of my life isn’t magic. It’s a man. My man, my Honey, Fynn.