81

.
Phoenix noticed that Nighthawk and Little Deer watched as she and Sage Eagle came in, hand in hand. Little Deer’s mouth dropped and Nighthawk’s eyes sparkled at least as brightly as Dancing Bear’s had the previous evening.

“Mommy!” Skye cried, running to meet her. Rose ran quickly behind. She crouched down to embrace both of them. It felt so good! Maybe a third one would be joining them before too long.

“We missed you!” Skye added.

“I missed you too!”

“Is he going to be our Da?” Skye whispered.

“I think so!” Phoenix whispered back.

Skye grinned and Phoenix stood up again and noticed Nighthawk approaching. “Good to see both of you… together!”

“I need to move my belongings,” Sage Eagle announced. “I now live with my T’suanki.”

Little Deer grinned brightly as did Nighthawk who reached them. He embraced his son, then he turned to Phoenix and embraced her as well. “Now, you understand why I could not adopt you… My son wished to do that for me!”

“I thought it was because it would anger him!” Phoenix replied.

“I know… and I’m sorry I had to let you keep thinking that!”

“It worked!” Little Deer cried out, running to embrace both of them. “I was so scared you two would come back hating each other! When Da told me the plan, I thought he was crazy!”

“Woxi has made more than one match in this community!” Nighthawk reminded. “That’s why I went along with her idea!”

“She said it was your idea!” Phoenix replied.

He laughed. “I think we can share the blame fairly well. I am relieved though. T’suanki, eh? That’s better than I had hoped for! Going to give me another grandchild soon, Coonagwi?”

Phoenix blushed, remembering what Sage Eagle had said about the term – admitting the possibility of that grandchild was slightly embarrassing, as exciting as it was!

“My daughter,” he said with obvious affection. “The Great Spirit doesn’t make mistakes in the giving of life. Some tribes did not appreciate the great gift in days long past and most of those tribes are no longer with us, but the Neme’o’ng has long recognized that life is a gift. It is the greatest calling of human beings!”

“I was always made to feel ashamed of wanting children,” she replied.

“Never be ashamed of wanting what the Great Spirit would have for you!”

“I’m going to go and pack,” Sage Eagle informed.

“I can help.”

“No need. I fear it would only slow us down,” he replied with a wink.

“What? I’m not a slacker!”

“You missed my point,” he murmured into her ear, kissing it as he did.

She looked at Nighthawk, feeling embarrassed, but he had already gone back to doing whatever.

“Can we go see our new home?” Skye begged.

“In a bit. We have to see Woxi first and pack up our things there.”

“Hooxa!” Sage Eagle called as he went to that wing of the house, on the other side of his father’s room. “You will assist with moving!”

“Go away!” Phoenix could just hear the reply.

“You promised...” Sage Eagle came back. “Go to Woxi’s and get your things ready. I’ll join you soon.”

“Sure, T’suanka,” she replied, accepting a quick kiss.

It felt strange walking with the girls back to Woxi’s without the crutches she had been using for several weeks, but left in the van last night without thinking about it. Most of the time, this walk had not been with happiness. This time was different. She was moving out with her girls to her own earthship. More importantly, she would be sharing it with the man she loved. She hoped they would fill it with more noisy children before too long.

“Kwina is really going to be our Da?” Skye asked again.

“Yes!” Phoenix replied, finally believing it.

“He isn’t making you sad anymore? Because if he makes you sad, I’m going to be mad at him!”

Phoenix laughed. “No. He’s not making me sad anymore. We had a misunderstanding, but we worked that out yesterday and now he makes me very happy and makes me feel love – like you do.”

“I’m glad!” Skye replied. “Daddy made you sad, but Kwina loves you… does he love me too?”

“Yes! Or, he will once he gets to know you! That’s his job now – to love all of us!”

“What’s your job?”

“To take care of him… and you...”

“Are you going to have a baby?!” she asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Maybe…,” Phoenix replied. “That is something that happens sometimes when a man and a woman love each other that much!”

“Do you love him that much?”

“Yes, sweetheart! Yes, I do! More than I ever loved your father or anyone – other than my two lovely daughters.”

“Then he’s allowed to stay!” she declared all grownup-like.

Phoenix laughed. “Good! Because he’s moving in with us today – in our new earthship!”

They had reached Dancing Bear’s earthship and Phoenix felt the same apprehension to just barging in that Sage Eagle must have felt a few minutes ago. But, she knocked.

Dancing Bear opened the door.

“We’re here to pack up our things and return your home to you – so you can help someone else as much as you’ve helped me.”

“Hopefully, you’ll take the kittens as well! They’ve been up to no end of mischief!” she replied, half-scoldingly.

Phoenix laughed. “Yes! We’ll take the kittens with us, though if anyone wants to adopt one or two, let me know. The kittens will be ready for their new homes in a few weeks.”

“I’m teasing you, of course, Coonagwi. They are kittens and behaving exactly as kittens should!”

Phoenix hoped, again, that Sage Eagle would be good with the kittens living with them. They hadn’t really talked about it since their relationship had blossomed the previous day.

“Come, girls, let’s get packing.”

“You’ll find totes in your rooms,” Dancing Bear called after them.

♥♥♥