Her gaze dropped to his wrist. “You vow to provide the nourishment my mind and body need to thrive.”
He nodded and smiled. “I do.” He took the next iron out of the fire and held it above his right wrist, next to the first mark. “From my heart, I vow to practice patience and self-control when confronted with challenging situations in our union.”
He set the second brand. When he looked up, Fiona was holding her hands over her mouth. “Breathe, Fiona. Like this.” He held her gaze as he took a long, slow pull of air. She did the same. “Repeat my heart’s vow.”
“You vow to practice patience and self-control when we face challenging situations.”
He smiled. “I do.” He held her gaze as he set the third iron. “From my mind, I vow to keep silence, action, and leadership in the proper balance in our interactions.” He pressed the iron in the next place on his arm.
Fiona nodded, then breathed with him again. “From your mind, you vow to balance silence, action, and leadership in our interactions.”
“The last one now, from my spirit. I vow to nurture and encourage you and our children.” He set the final mark on his skin. When it was finished, Fiona repeated his vow as tears streamed down her face. “You honor me well, Kelan.”
He smiled at her. “It’s done.” He rested his forearms on his thighs. His skin was red and angry.
“Is the pain terrible?”
“It’s incredible, Fiona.” He looked at his arms, then held his wrists for her to see. “Look at the marks that show us as one.”
Fiona cupped her hands beneath his. “My heart will never be the same.”
“Nor mine.” He stood. “I’m going to close the ceremony now. I’ll tell our ancestors of our claiming and thank the four directions for their protection.”
He went to the opening of the cave. Holding up his arms with his wrists held out facing the world, he did just that, using the words of his Lakota ancestors in a singsongy chant that rumbled from his heart.
When he was finished, he looked at Fiona standing beside him. Tears spilled down his cheeks because his spirit was too full to contain them. Holding his arms out to the side, he leaned over and kissed her. “I love you.”
She smiled against his mouth. “I love you.”
“Will you get the salve and bandages from my bag? We’ll cover these up and let them heal.”
She fetched those two things, then they sat beside the fire. She dipped her fingers into a sweet smelling cream. “What is this?”
“It’s a blend my mother uses for burns. It contains mock orange, aloe, coconut oil, and some other things.”
Fiona took his right arm and gently smoothed the cream over his burns. When she’d wrapped his forearm, she smiled up at him. “I feel just like Bear Paw Woman.”
“How so?”
“Tending the wounds of a fierce animal.”
Kelan grinned. “I’m fierce?”
“Terrifying.”
He smiled as she repeated her ministrations on his other arm.
“Will you wear your cuffs now?”
“Tomorrow, when we go back to the house. There’s something else in the bag that I need you to get.”
Fiona frowned. “What is it?”
“Your birthday present.”
She opened the bag and dug around, then lifted out a small jewelry box. She gave him a curious look, then unwrapped it. Lifting the lid, she took out a pair of silver earrings made from two dimes.
“Those dimes were minted the same year you were born. They’re twenty-one years old. It’s a small gift, but I had it made specifically to honor this birthday.”
Fiona shut her eyes and squeezed the earrings in her hand. “I love them.”
“I know you said you wanted to skip this year—”
Her eyes shot open, and she looked at him. “I don’t anymore. You’ve made this an extraordinary one already. I want to remember everything about it.” She put the earrings on, then leaned forward and kissed him as she said, “Thank you for my gift.”
He spread his fingers in her hair and brought her close for another kiss. “I love you, Mahasani.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Wynn parked out front of her grandmother’s current nursing home. She’d arranged everything for her move and made certain it would happen with the least disruption possible. She hadn’t expected to be able to be here when she started her new job just days ago, but when she told Mandy what was happening, her new boss made certain she took the day off.
There wasn’t anything she could do for her grandmother during the move, other than hold her hand before they took her and be there when they settled her in her new room. Still, she felt certain her presence would make her grandmother feel better about the change.
She looked at her watch. The move was planned for ten a.m. She had forty-five minutes yet, plenty of time to visit with Grams and help her understand what was happening.
Wynn waved to the nurses at the main desk. They looked at her in an odd way. She figured days like this were always a little awkward, when a family moved a resident to a different facility. The crew here was kind—she knew they’d miss her grandmother.
When she got to her room, it was empty. A man was mopping the floor. Oh, God. Had Grams passed? She covered her mouth, blocking a sob, and spun on her heel. One of the nurses who cared for her grandmother was there. “Where is she?” Wynn asked.
“She was moved a half-hour ago.”
“They took her already?” She looked at her watch again, wondering if she’d gotten the times mixed up. Oh, but what a relief that she was fine, just already on her way to her new home. Wynn dragged in a big breath. “I thought that wasn’t supposed to happen until ten.”
“We thought so too.” The nurse looked perturbed. “And I guess you changed your mind about where you wanted her moved to. It’s risky moving a stroke victim to a private residence. I wish you had consulted with us about that. We could have helped ensure you were prepared for her intense needs.”