Page 52 of Triplets for the Dark Elf
“Mimi!”
There’s a soft chuckle that has my heart melting. “Have you all come to welcome me back?”
I smile and head back down the hallway, pulling the door to the bedroom shut on the way.
Ever since we’d arrived this morning back in the shopping district, I’ve felt like there had been a weight lifted off of me. While I never hated the lowtowns, I didn’t exactly like living there. What Miothro had said was true, the streets were dangerous for half-elves running around.
Most people kept a healthy distance when they saw me with the kids out—something I appreciated, especially when one or all of them were having a hard time listening. But that wouldn’t be the case for long if we stayed there. They’d be seen as either an abomination or something to jeer at.
While the landscape for both humans and elves was getting better by each passing year, that didn’t mean there weren’t still people who held heavy prejudice about the kind of relationship Miothro and I have.
I could never subject our kids to dealing with that kind of ridicule, especially at such young ages.
While the shopping district wasn’t a safe haven by any means, we were at least in a good proximity to his family. And if I ever needed anything, or the kids did, I was confident that they’d be at my doorstep within the hour.
As I round the corner into the living room, I spot Miothro scooping up all three kids into his arms. They giggle at him, happy to finally have him home.
“How did it go?” I ask.
“Good,” he kisses each one on their heads before setting them down.
“And, where exactly did you go?”
He grins at me, the expression brightening his face and bringing back that boyishness that I’m so fond of. He pulls something from the waistband of his pants—pieces of paper tucked together—before presenting it to me.
“Went down to the mill,” he says as I slip it from his fingers. “Got you back. Officially.”
My eyes are already watering by the time I unfold the thick pieces of paper. A red stamp over the top of my contract with the mill, a giant ‘DISMISSED’ is something I never thought I’d see and be happy about.
Even a few weeks ago, the idea of being let go from that job for any reason – whether it was from the elves thinking I was no longer an asset to use or with someone finding out about the kids and reporting me – would’ve made me want to throw up.
Yet here I am, absolutely relieved to see those words stamped on my contract.
“So… this means…” I look up at him.
His grin widens. “You're all mine.”
I throw my arms around him, burying my face into his chest.
This all feels like a dream come true. I never, in a million years, could have guessed that I would be back in Miothro’s arms with our kids happily in a home where I wasn’t worried about someone coming around to harass us or Almu’s people finding me and dragging me away by my hair.
“Mama?” I hear Hazel next to me, tugging at the end of my dress. “Mimi stay?”
Hearing that reminds me of something I need to do as well.
I sniffle and wipe at my eyes before pulling away from Miothro and kneeling down to pull her against my chest. Both of the other two quickly come over as well, piling on top of me until I’m laughing.
“Kids, we have something… we want to tell you.”
Next to me, I feel Miothro shift on his feet. Is he nervous?
I glance up at him, seeing the worried frown already tugging his perfect lips down. The expression makes me smile, even though I know I should feel a little bad. I’m so happy that he cares so much about the triplets, so much so that he seems worried about revealing who he really is to them.
I don’t doubt that they’ll be just as excited as I am to have him in our lives permanently. They’ve already been begging me to bring him around more often, and now this will be a more permanent solution to that.
When all three of them pull away, they look at me curiously.
“Well, I…Mimiand I,” I smile at them. “We want to tell you the truth.”