Page 23 of The Baby Dragon Cafe (The Baby Dragon #1)

Chapter 23

W hile moments with Saphira were absolute heaven, Aiden could not say that everything in his life was equally blissful.

His father had called before the vet appointment to ask how the trip to Mount Echo had gone. Aiden had replied that it had gone well, and then promptly hung up before his father could say too much more, but Aiden knew that a conversation was inevitable.

One evening after he and Saphira had gotten dinner together, they walked around Main Street as the sun set. The clouds were a blazing orange and pink; it was that time of the year when there was a stunning sunset nearly every day, and Aiden was amazed by the beauty of the world, of this life.

It was a warm evening at the end of June, and spring was almost over. Soon it would be summer, and while ordinarily the changing of the seasons was something he dreaded, now he was looking forward to it: to see Saphira in a new season, to experience it with her. Every day was a new exploration, a new wonder, and he was equally torn between wanting to stay in this perfect moment forever and wanting to experience what might come next.

Aiden had his arm around Saphira’s shoulder, their fingers entwined. Her hand was in his back pocket, and as they walked, they kept bumping into one another. He loved being this close to her, perpetually connected, as if he was simply an extension of her, and she an extension of him.

He pulled her into him, and she nestled against his chest. He inhaled the scent of roses in her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Aiden was content, but he was also a bit stressed. His gaze strayed to Sparky, who was flying a little ahead of them. The baby dragon was always flying now; he loved it.

“I’m worried,” Aiden said, and Saphira looked up at him. “Now that Sparky has had his first flight, he’s only going to become a stronger flier. What if my parents want him to race?”

“Your parents love you,” Saphira reminded him. “I don’t think they’ll pressure you. Why not just talk to them?”

Of course, that was the easiest and simplest solution. “Easier said than done.”

“Come on, I know you can do it,” she said, bolstering him. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“Really?” He wasn’t quite sure if he believed her.

“Yes! You are so competent and strong. You’ve handled so much, you can absolutely handle an honest conversation with your parents. I know you can.”

Huh . It was hard not to believe her; she could have told him the sky was raining donuts and he would have gone out with a basket to catch them for her.

So maybe she was right—maybe he could do this.

“Okay,” he said. “I will try.”

*

The next day, after Aiden had finished up work, he went to his parents’ estate. He was entering as Genevieve was leaving for class, and she had to jump up to grab Sparky out of the air to give him a kiss. Similar to toddlers who had just learned how to walk, the little dragon no longer enjoyed being held; he just wanted to fly.

“Wish me luck,” Aiden said to his sister.

“For what?” she asked.

“Have to talk to Mum and Dad.”

She made a face. “Good luck.” She saluted him dramatically. “You’ll need it.”

He rolled his eyes and smiled, glad to have her in his life. “Hey, come over for dinner sometime,” he said. “We haven’t hung out in a while.”

She gave him a funny look.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re just different lately, that’s all.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know. You just seem more … open. Happy.”

“I am happy,” he replied, thinking about Saphira, the way it felt to kiss her. He must have gotten a stupid expression on his face because Ginny laughed.

“And that’s my cue to go.” She headed in the direction of the stables, taking Sparky with her to drop him off with the caretakers. She gave Aiden one last comment over her shoulder: “I’d sober up before talking to Mum and Dad!”

Aiden straightened his shoulders, entering the house. Nerves needled through him, but he thought of Saphira’s confidence in him, and it gave him strength.

He went to meet his parents in the library, where his mother was going over menus for family dinner this week, and his father was at his desk, doing what looked to be Dragon Council work.

When Aiden entered, they both looked up, setting down what they were doing to give him their undivided attention.

“How are you, darling?” Cecilia asked.

“I do hope everything is alright,” Edmund said, looking slightly concerned.

“Well … Yes, I …” He broke off, trying to collect his thoughts.

“What’s going on, dear?” Cecilia asked. He felt nauseous, but he had practiced the lines with Saphira, and he just needed to go for it.

“I know racing is important to the both of you, that it is important to the Sterlings,” Aiden said. “I also know that—after Danny—you’d like for me to uphold the family name in the races. I am here to say that dragon racing is something I will not engage in, not now and not ever. Nor is it something I will allow Sparky to be involved with.” He swallowed. “And that is my final decision.”

His heart was hammering to be put through such a confrontation, but he had to be firm, especially when it came to Sparky’s safety. He loved the little guy.

Aiden braced for his father to argue with him, for his mother to convince him. His parents exchanged a long glance, then Cecilia let out a little laugh.

“Goodness, is that all?” she asked.

“Son, we may be old, but we aren’t dense,” Edmund added. “You’ve always made it clear that you aren’t interested in racing. Of course we would never force you into something you felt so strongly about.”

Aiden was confused. “But what about Sparky? He’s a Sterling dragon.”

“Darling, what about him?” Cecilia asked. “He’s your dragon, it’s your decision.”

“But I thought you guys meddled with the egg to hatch it to try and force me into racing.”

Cecilia looked alarmed, and even Edmund looked taken aback by his claim.

“Do you really think us to be that manipulative?” Edmund asked.

“Er … well … no,” Aiden replied, and it was his honest answer. He realized then that perhaps he had been worrying for no reason.

He did have a bad habit of overthinking, of being in his head too much.

“We may have meddled a little with the hatching, but it was only for your sake, dearest,” Cecilia said. “I was betting that once the egg was hatched, you would want to raise it on your own.”

“We were hoping it would make you feel connected to Danny,” Edmund said. “You were so sad for so long.”

“Oh.” Aiden blinked. “Well, thank you.”

His parents laughed. “Of course,” Edmund said.

“Anything else?” Cecilia asked.

“I took Saphira with me to Mount Echo for Sparky’s first flight.”

“How did you manage that?” Edmund looked curious. “You know how Sister Mireya is.”

“We pretended to be married,” Aiden said, cheeks warm. He thought he might get scolded for such a deception, but his mother only looked delighted.

“You must really like her,” Cecilia said, eyes glittering.

“I do.”

“Good. You deserve a bit of happiness,” Edmund said.

“And we like her a great deal, as well, dear,” Cecilia added with a smile. Aiden’s heart warmed. He was so thankful for his parents and gave them a smile he hoped relayed just how much he loved them.

“You’ll stay for lunch?” Edmund asked.

“Yes.”

Aiden stayed, and they had lunch together. Afterward, he hung out with them for some time, just being there, and when he went home in the evening, he felt so much lighter.

He was glad Saphira had given him the courage to speak up.

She made everything better. He was falling for her harder and harder every day. They had only known each other for three months, but he felt as if he had known her forever.

Aiden wanted to arrange a special date for her. As he considered what to do, he recalled something she had said about her favorite flower and started planning.

It took a bit of research and a handful of phone calls, but he managed it.

The day of the date, it was super sunny: perfect weather, if a little hot. He picked her up after work, and she wore a sundress the color of cornflowers. She looked radiant, which she always did, but today, especially so, half of her hair tied back with a ribbon.

“Where are we going?” she asked, approaching his car, where Sparky was already seated in the back.

“Can’t tell you,” he replied, kissing her before opening the passenger side door. “It’s a surprise.”

“Ooh,” she sang, getting into the car. He closed the door, hoping she would like it,

Aiden drove them out of town, and in the car they listened to music, enjoying the views and talking now and then. His whole body was buzzing with nerves; he hoped everything would come together the way he’d planned; he hoped that she would like it. All he wanted was to make her happy.

Aiden pulled up at a public area, and they all got out of the car.

“Oh, a park!” Saphira said, delighted. “Fun.”

But that wasn’t the surprise. Aiden took her hand, Sparky flying alongside them, and walked her to the location he had searched for and scouted out a few days ago. The moment they got closer, he heard her gasp.

“Oh my god,” she sighed, awed. “Aiden!!”

It was a row of golden shower trees, each in full bloom. The floor was strewn with yellow petals. The amaltas tree—her favorite.

“Why didn’t I ever know about this place?” she asked.

“I just found it myself,” he replied. They walked down the path, golden petals raining over them. She lifted her hand up, catching a few in her fingers. She grinned, overjoyed. “It’s beautiful, truly. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

Saphira threw her arms around him, hugging him, and he pulled her closer as his chest tightened with a tender feeling.

He felt like he was in a dream—surely this is a dream. How could this be real? How could he be so lucky? It made him afraid.

He wanted to hold onto every moment that was passing, capture them like fireflies in a jar in case they were fleeting.

Even if they were—even if this was all the time he was allotted, he would be content, he would die happy. Even just one moment with her had made living all these years worthwhile.

She pulled back, looking around with wide eyes. She smiled. “I love it.”

And he knew that he loved her. He had loved her for some time, now, and maybe today if everything went well, he would tell her.

But not yet. He didn’t want to scare her away.

They sat down in the shade of a tree on the grass, talking and kissing and laughing until the colors in the sky deepened, Sparky playing on his own, then coming to cuddle with them.

“Are you hungry?” Aiden asked. “Should we head back for dinner? I cooked for you.”

“Yes! I love your cooking. Let’s.”

He drove her back to his place, and when they entered, he didn’t turn on the lights just yet. She reached for the switch, but he held her hand.

“Wait,” he said, feeling nervous. “I want to show you something.”

Aiden picked Sparky up from the air, then went to the dining table, Saphira following him. On the table, there was a tapered candlestick.

“Okay, buddy,” Aiden whispered to Sparky. “Just like we practiced.”

Sparky took in a deep breath, then released a very controlled flame. The candle lit, the flame flickering.

“Oh!” Saphira’s face brightened. “Good job, my little angel!” She petted Sparky, who purred happily. Then, she turned to Aiden, impressed. Controlling dragon fire to that extent was very technically advanced, and it had taken him some time to train Sparky to accomplish such a trick.

“How did you …?” she started, amazed.

“I’ve been training Sparky on my own,” he said. It was something he had not admitted to her before because he wanted to surprise her. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled at the news. Going to her tiptoes, she reached up to kiss him. He savored the sweet taste of her lips, sighing against her mouth.

Even as he lived it, he knew the memory of today would be a chapter bookmarked in his mind, a favorite passage highlighted, one he would return to again and again.

Then, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Aiden furrowed his brows, wondering who it could be.

He went to answer, turning on the lights of his cottage as he did. He opened the door, then blinked at who was there. It was Emmeline and Genevieve.

“Hello!” Emmy said.

“We’re here for dinner,” Ginny announced. “So you better have made something good.”

They walked past him, entering, then paused when they saw Saphira.

“Ooh, sorry,” Emmeline said. “I didn’t realize you had a hot date.”

“Yes,” Aiden replied, glaring. “So please go.”

“You’re the one who said to come over for dinner sometime,” Genevieve protested.

“Not today!” He tried to shoo them out the door, but Saphira put a hand on his arm.

“No, it’s fine, let them stay,” she said, smiling. He pulled her to the side.

“Are you sure?” he asked, voice low. “Because I can absolutely kick them out.”

“No, I like seeing you with them,” she said with a laugh. “Even when you’re being harassed by the women in your life, you’re very patient about it.”

He turned back to Emmeline and Genevieve. “Okay, fine , you guys can stay.”

“Please do!” Saphira added. “We can all have dinner together.”

“See, this is why you’re my fave,” Emmy said, wrapping an arm around Saphira.

“Team Saph for the win!” Ginny hugged Saphira’s other side. Even though Aiden was initially annoyed by the girls crashing, the sight of them with Saphira now made him surprisingly very happy.

He loved to see Saphira slotting easily into his life, like she was always meant to be there. It was as if he had spent his whole life saving a seat for her, even when he didn’t know who she was, and now she was finally here.

“So what did you make?” Emmeline asked.

“I’m starving,” Genevieve added.

“Anything I can help with?” Saphira asked, heading to the kitchen, but he stepped in front of her, blocking entry.

“No, no, this is a surprise,” he said, hands on her shoulders, turning her around. “You go sit.”

Saphira shrugged. “If you insist.”

Aiden turned to Emmeline: “Emmy, you can stay and help, though.”

“You got it, boss.”

Ginny went to sit with Saphira on the couch, and he threw his sister a quick warning look to behave, while Emmeline went into the kitchen. She strayed to the stove, where she lifted the cover off the pot. Her face lit up when she saw what was inside.

“Oh my god?” She blinked, looking up at Aiden. “How did you make this?”

“Does it look okay?” he asked, worried.

It was a dish called kachnar gosht. Saphira had mentioned once that her favorite dish was a mutton curry made of flower buds. She hadn’t known what it was called, so it was difficult to find a recipe, but he had talked to Emmeline’s mother about it, and she had known right away what it was.

“It looks great,” Emmeline said. “Did my mom teach you?”

He nodded. “I watched her make it once, then practiced with her once, then practiced once on my own.”

He had made most of it earlier in the day, he just needed to reheat and finish it off now, as well as heat up naan to go with it.

Emmeline was thoroughly impressed.

“Do you think Saphira will like it?” he asked, voice low so Saphira wouldn’t hear.

“She’s going to love it,” Emmy replied, smiling. She heated up the naan while Aiden finished off the curry, and then she left to join the girls on the couch, the three of them chatting and laughing.

Aiden looked over at them from the kitchen, admiring the homely scene.

Then, when the food was ready, he placed it on the table with the naan in a breadbasket, glad he’d made a lot but nervous because he had not made this dish for company before. He had made other curries, but not this particular one.

“Dinner is ready!” he announced. The girls came over.

“Mm, smells amazing,” Ginny said. Saphira was right behind her, and when she saw the table spread, her face lit up with recognition. She gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Her eyes welled up with tears.

“Oh god, did I ruin it?” he asked. “Have I offended you?”

“No,” she laughed. “It looks perfect! But how did you … this is … I mean …” She was at a loss for words, voice thick. Then she looked up at him with shining eyes. “Thank you.”

They all sat down, and Aiden replied, “Emmy’s mother gave me the recipe. I hope it’s similar. It probably won’t be how your grandmother used to make it, but I hope it’s close.”

He served Saphira first, and then the others. Aiden waited, his stomach churning as he watched Saphira take the first bite.

“Oh my god .” She pressed a hand against her heart. “It’s so good.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Aiden let out a breath, relaxing. He served himself, and they all ate.

“So, so sorry to crash your special date, but this is actually delicious, so I’m not really that sorry, honestly,” Genevieve said.

“Exactly same,” Emmeline added.

“Well, this was supposed to be a special meal just for Saphira …” Aiden said.

“No, it’s okay!” Saphira smiled. “You know, I always wished I could share meals with a bigger family when it was just me and Nani-Ma. She would always tell me stories of when she was growing up, how her and her family members would be fighting over the best piece of meat and stealing from each other’s plates, how busy the table would be … I finally know what she was talking about.” Saphira sighed happily. “So thank you, all of you.”

“Aw,” Ginny said.

“That’s so sweet,” Emmy agreed.

Aiden was just happy that Saphira was happy. Under the table, he squeezed her knee, and she put her hand over his.

They all ate, talking about random things, the girls telling embarrassing stories about Aiden from when he was a kid, followed by Aiden begging them to stop. Then Emmeline was complaining about Luke, who ran a chimera-roasted coffee company, and Genevieve was talking about her classes at college, where she was studying Dragon History.

“You must be really excited to get your own dragon,” Saphira said.

“Yes, oh my god, I cannot wait,” Ginny replied.

“What are you most excited for?”

“Riding, of course! The baby part is too chaotic for me.”

“What! I want Sparky to stay this little forever, he’s such a cutie.”

The dragon in mention was big enough to eat proper food now, so he was eating the same thing as them from his dragon bowl on the floor, clearly enjoying himself.

When they finished eating, Emmeline helped Aiden clean up as thanks, while Saphira and Genevieve played with Sparky.

As they were getting ready to leave, Genevieve picked Sparky up. “I’m taking this little guy with me,” she said. “He wants a sleepover with his favorite auntie, doesn’t he?”

Sparky flapped excitedly. Aiden looked to Saphira. “What do you think?” he asked.

“I think that sounds great,” Saphira replied.

“You sure you can handle it?” Aiden asked Ginny, who waved a hand.

“Yeah, of course,” she replied easily. Aiden also knew there was loads of help at the house, too, if she needed it.

The girls got up to leave, Sparky in tow. Aiden and Saphira walked them to the door, where Emmeline said, “Don’t have too much fun,” as she and Genevieve giggled.

“Stop, don’t be gross,” Ginny said, hitting Emmy, but Aiden knew they were both happy for him.

“Byeeee.” Aiden closed the door behind them with a satisfying thud. Finally, he sighed.

He turned and closed the space between him and Saphira, bringing her mouth to his in a hungry kiss. She yelped with surprise, then kissed him back, smiling against his mouth.

“You were waiting for that a while, huh?”

“Yes,” he said, breath ragged. “I thought they would never leave.”

“Well, they’re gone now,” she said with a smile.

“Thank god.” He pulled her in for another searing kiss, desperate for her. He walked her backwards into the house, inhaling the sweet scent of roses on her skin.

With nimble fingers, he reached into her hair, undoing the ribbon. The curls fell forward, and he twisted her hair around his fingers, gently pulling her head back and opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.

She let out a little cry, and his heart pounded with urgency, both of physical need and of words he could no longer wait to say.

He pulled away, cradling her face in his hands. She opened her eyes, where her pupils were blown wide. He stroked her cheeks. A slow smile spread across her face.

“Saphira,” he said, voice thick. “You should have no doubts as to what my feelings for you are, but in case it is not clear, let me make it so now. It feels like everything leading up to meeting you was just the prologue to my life; after meeting you, the real story began. Like my real life started the day I met you. Which is all to say—I love you. Deeply, passionately, madly, I love you.”

He was breathless, his heart beating fast. He watched as the words sank in, Saphira’s eyes lighting up and, though there was nothing but joy on her face, still he worried how she would respond, what she might say.

“Aiden.” Her smile widened. “I love you, too. Knowing you is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You aren’t just in my heart—you are my heart.”

He had never really believed in magic. Even though they lived in a world of dragons and chimeras and other mythical creatures, magic always seemed just a bit too far-fetched.

But what he felt for her—what she, somehow, some way, felt for him—was nothing less than magical.