Beka squatted down so she was on Babs’s level and said in a whisper, “Don’t tell anyone, but I think some of those rules are silly too.”
A tiny smile tugged at the edge of the little girl’s rosebud lips. “Okay,” she whispered back. “I won’t tell.” And then added in a louder voice, “I like her. Can we go swimming now?”
*
BEKA AND BARBARA sat on a blanket on the beach and watched Barbara’s new husband patiently showing little Babs how to float. They’d left their respective Chudo-Yudos up at the bus getting reacquainted and catching up on whatever dragons gossiped about. It was distinctly possible that their two erstwhile huts were gossiping, too, but it was always hard to say with semi-aware buildings. Especially once they acquired wheels.
“So,” Barbara said after a while. “What’s going on?”
Beka tried to remember what she’d put in the letter she’d sent, apologizing for not being able to make it to Barbara and Liam’s wedding. “Well, there’s a problem with the trench the Selkies and Merpeople live in; something is poisoning the water, and I’ve been tasked to find out what and fix it. And apparently there is a renegade riling up the local paranormal community and risking exposure of all our secrets.” She looked down, playing with a tiny shell. “I’m, um, not making a lot of headway.”
Barbara sighed. “That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about you. I got a message from Chewie saying that you were having a crisis and needed someone to talk to—it’s pretty unusual for one Baba’s Chudo-Yudo to contact another Baba, so I thought I’d better come by in person instead of just calling.”
Oh, great. She couldn’t believe her dragon had interrupted Barbara’s honeymoon because he thought she couldn’t handle the situation. There might have been another moment in her life that had been more humiliating than this one, but she couldn’t think of it offhand.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, dropping her head into her hands. “I can’t believe he dragged you all the way out here for this. I’m fine, really.” Other than being completely mortified, that is.
“We really were in the area,” Barbara said, patting Beka clumsily on the shoulder. She wasn’t all that comfortable with Human gestures, having been raised by a Baba who’d been at the end of her career and not very good at being Human anymore. But she was trying. “We’ve been traveling across the country so we could show Babs some of her new world. And of course, with the Airstream being magical, it doesn’t take as long to get from place to place as it should. I’d already promised to show her the ocean, so coming here was no big deal, although we need to get back on the road later today.”
Barbara looked at Beka, studying her demeanor and posture. “And I’m not buying that ‘I’m fine’ shit, just in case you were wondering. You look terrible.” She bit her lip. “I mean, you look tired and depressed. Liam says I need to be less blunt with other people, but you’re a Baba—I’m not sure that counts.”
Beka choked on a laugh. She didn’t get to spend much time with either of her fellow Babas, but she liked them both. Barbara’s sharp tongue was part of her charm. And at least it meant you didn’t have to play any games with her.
“I’ll admit, things have been a little tough,” Beka said. “This is my first big solo job since Brenna left, and I’m kind of feeling like I’m in over my head. Brenna actually came to visit me recently and suggested that I resign and let her take over.” It was the first time she’d said the words out loud, and they sounded weighty and final, like a heavy door closing with a thud.
“Did she?” Barbara said. “That explains a lot.” She chewed on fingernail thoughtfully. “And are you considering it? Resigning, I mean.”
Beka shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I’d already been thinking that maybe this wasn’t the life for me.” She pointed down at the water, where Babs was splashing around in the shallow waves on the shore, a faint smile adorning her normally solemn face. “I keep thinking that I’d like to have a kid of my own.” Her heart contracted at the sight, feeling as though there were slivers of jagged rock piercing her to her core. “It will be years before I’m advanced enough to be training someone like you are.”
“That’s true,” Barbara said. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to have children in your life. Every Baba’s path is different. To be honest, I put it off as long as I could, thinking I would be as bad with kids as my mentor was. But as it turns out, I really like having Babs around.” She gave a rueful grin. “Of course, it helps that I have Liam. He’s really great with her. With both of us.”
Beka stifled any thoughts of Marcus, trying not to picture him in Liam’s place, laughing and playing in the sunlit waters. “I’m really glad you found him,” she said.
“Me too,” Barbara said. “Is there anyone special in your life?”
Yes. No. Maybe. “It’s complicated,” Beka said.