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Now, nothing was happening.

And I let myself enjoy that. Really enjoy it, instead of bracing for whatever came next.

"You okay?" Kai asked quietly, fingers trailing slowly along my spine.

"Ask me after coffee."

"You already had coffee."

"That question suggests you still don't understand me."

He laughed, low and rough, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. Then, carefully, like he was testing the water, he said, "October 2027."

I groaned into his chest. "Don't remind me."

But the thought stuck anyway, turning over slowly in my head.

"Actually..."

He went still. "What?"

"Why are we still waiting until October 2027?"

"Because Fate..."

I turned my head just enough to look at him.

"Right." He stopped immediately. "Sorry. I forgot I am forbidden to mention a certain rainbow-haired Omnipotent Being for the foreseeable future."

"Exactly."

Because I'd just spent an entire four months learning exactly one thing that mattered more than any of the rest of it.

Nobody else decides what happens next.

"I'm not saying we're getting Mated and married tomorrow," I said.

"Good."

"Rude."

"Love, I can barely walk." Kai winked.

"All I'm saying is that the next date gets picked by us."

He smiled. It was slow and easy and made my heart do a little pitter-patter that only he could make it do. "I can live with that."

"Good. Because Fate doesn't get a vote on that part."

I looked past him, toward the doorway, where I could just make out the shape of the crown sitting on my kitchen table, quiet and gold. For the first time in months, it wasn't threatening a single thing.

Tomorrow, I could figure out what being a Dragon Queen actually meant. Tomorrow, I could deal with Fate, and coronations, and everybody else's opinions about my life.

Tonight, I was just Martha. I was home. Kai was beside me, breathing slow and even against my hair.

The dogs were in their beds, by the fireplace, snoring.

And for once, that was enough.