I didn't waste any more time coming back
As I walked towards Liana and Damian, I felt my heart racing with excitement and anticipation for no particular reason. It started feeling like it had been so long since I last saw them,though in reality is had not even been days in human time. The thought of being reunited with them was overwhelming . It felt like I was coming back to my beloved family just like another human father, returning tired from work.
It brought me great joy.
As I approached them, Liana's eyes met mine, and I could see the mixture of surprise, happiness, and apprehension in her gaze.
" Oh, you are already back! "
She jumped at me with a start.
I knew I did not have a lot of explaining to do, but before I could even say anything, Damian ran towards me, his small arms reaching out for a hug.
That was very unlike Damian. He never openly showed affection towards me. Not atleast like he did with Liana. It felt like a rush of cool breeze to my rugged soul.
I lifted Damian up and held him tightly, feeling his warm embrace and the love he had for me. In that moment, I knew that coming back to them was the best decision I had ever made.
It was another conquest for me. Another achievement in the domestic terrain.
Looking at Liana, I saw the love and concern in her eyes. I took a deep breath and asked her how she was doing. I told her how I had realised that I couldn't live without them for much longer and how much I loved them.
Liana listened intently, and when I finished, she looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Draco," she said, "I have always loved you .And I have loved you hard. I felt really lonely when you were gone. "
I understood her feelings, but I also knew that we could work through them together.
It was like a new chapter for both of us.
"Liana, I am so sorry. I want to make it up to you, to show you how much I love you and Damian, and to make things right ."
I told her even though it didn't make much sense to her because she didn't remember any of the horrible ways I had treated her.
Liana still smiled through her tears.
The day was done and dusted.
Dinner was done, Damian was in his room.
I asked Liana to sit and watch some tv as I finished doing the dishes. And proudly, I did it all with my two hands.
She kept sneaking at me in between.
I could tell that she was worrying about my temperament.
It was funny how she remembered all those tiny details but forgot the important parts.
I snuggled up closer to Liana on the couch after hanging those dishwashing gloves, enjoying the warmth of her body against mine. We had the entire night to ourselves.
"Can you believe how fast he's growing up?" I whispered to Liana.
She chuckled softly. "I know. It feels like just yesterday we ..."
She was about to say something about Damian's birth I presumed but her thoughts again started getting disturbed.
"I remember being so scared and overwhelmed," I added quickly to complete her story. "You were screaming . You were in pain. You looked fragile.But now look at him. He is the light of our lives."
My thoughts unintentionally floated back to Kiara. Her struggles during Damian's birthing conditions in my absence.
I could not help feeling a pang of guilt flood through my consciousness.
"He definitely is," Liana agreed, reaching up to brush her fingers through my hair.
That brought be back from my ,self guilt shaming journey.
"I'm so grateful for our little family." She finished by tickling my ears with her nails.
"Me too," I said, smiling. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner and mother for our son."
I was being honest.
Even Kiara would agree that Liana was meant to be our son's mother and guardian. Nobody could ever question her relation with Damian, be it in the human world or in the dragon realm.
Liana leaned in to kiss me, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her even closer.
"I love you so much," she murmured against my lips.
"Hhhhmmmm," I whispered back and kissed her.
We talked for hours, about everything and nothing at all. We shared our hopes and dreams, our fears and insecurities. We laughed and joked, and occasionally fell into comfortable silences.
As the night wore on, Liana began to doze off in my arms. I placed another gentle kiss on her forehead, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Goodnight, love," I whispered.
"Goodnight," she murmured back, already half asleep.
I stayed awake for a while, watching her breathe softly as she slept.
The curtains of the window swayed in the air as the soft light of the moon fell on her delicate skin.
She twisted and turned in my arms in her sleep.
I feared that I might wake her up if I put her down.
I sat there reading her like she was a book.
As I held Liana in my arms, she suddenly stirred and her face began to shift and contort. I watched in shock and confusion as her features transformed, taking on the likeness of my Kiara.
My heart pounded in my chest as I stared down at her face, which now seemed so familiar and yet so different all at once. Memories of Kiara flooded my mind, bringing with them a wave of grief and longing that threatened to overwhelm me.
For a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I just sat there, staring at Liana as she slept on, oblivious to the turmoil she had unleashed within me. Part of me wanted to shake her awake, to demand an explanation for what was happening. But another part of me was too afraid of what I might hear.
As I sat there, struggling to come to terms with this bizarre turn of events, I realized that I needed to find out what was going on. I gently shook Liana's shoulder, trying to rouse her from her sleep.
"Liana," I whispered. "Liana, wake up."
She stirred again, and this time when she opened her eyes, I saw the soft, warm eyes of the woman I loved, someone else entirely.
So I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever might come next. And then I asked the question that had been burning in my mind since Liana's transformation had begun.
"Who are you?"