The sight of her eldest daughter always brought a mixture of joy and guilt. Sylvia knew she'd put a lot of responsibility on Cat's shoulders in the years since her mate's death, and yet she was also extremely proud of her for shouldering so much so well.
Her dragon spoke up. We did the best we could. In the old days, some dragons would follow their true mates into death. That would've been worse.
Sylvia's grief had been all-consuming when her mate had been murdered. She'd mated young, had children young, and ever since she'd met him at sixteen, Arthur had been the solid, steady center of her life, the one who could make her laugh when she needed it most.
Losing him had been like losing half her soul.
She finally replied to her beast, Regardless, if we avoided that old tradition, it was unfair to Cat, forcing her to grow up sooner than she should have. She paused a beat and added, I need to step up for our unborn bairn and make sure Cat knows I can handle things.
It pained Sylvia to even have to think she needed to convince her daughter of such a thing, but it was true. While she'd eventually sprung back from her mate's murder, a mysterious illness and the ensuing decline had sent her spiraling back into depression in recent years.
But the one night she'd spent with a human male all those months ago in Glasgow had changed everything.
And as she placed a hand on her ever-growing belly, she was almost glad of the one-night stand and for more than her child. He'd made her laugh, made her feel beautiful, and had shown her she could be with another male and not feel guilty.
Aye, she didn't know where he lived exactly—the greater San Francisco area was a big place—or how to reach him. But at least she'd had that night, and maybe she could find someone else in the future. Not to replace Arthur, but to make room in her heart for another to share her love, if she were lucky.
She never would've reached this realization if not for the human male showing Sylvia that she had a lot more life left to live.
Her dragon huffed. Of course we do. You never listened to me.
I did, dear. But…I know you're always on my side. It took a stranger to make me realize it was more than my dragon being supportive.
Her beast sighed. No matter how it happened, it's a good thing. Because soon we'll have another child to love.
Even though she was exhausted at the thought of raising a child all over again—she was in her forties this time, not a teen or early twenties—she couldn't help but rub her belly and feel a surge of love. And this time, I'll do whatever it takes to be there for him or her.
Not just because the accidental bairn had most likely saved her life, according to the doctors, either.
Cat finally noticed her presence and smiled up at her. "Are you tired, or can you chat a wee while?"
She slid somewhat clumsily into the chair opposite her daughter, knowing that six months was nothing compared to the size she'd be at eight or nine. She answered, "Of course I can talk, love. I heard about your male's sister and how her family is coming here. Is that what you wanted to chat about?"
Cat blinked. "How did you learn about that so quickly?"
She shrugged. "I'm not as good as Lorna or Meg, but I hear my fair share of gossip from the customers." She reached across the table, took Cat's hand, and squeezed. "You can tell me anything, Catherine. You know that."
Cat bobbed her head. "Aye, I know. But I merely want to sit and chat for a wee while, until my stomach calms down and I can walk without feeling sick. I'm pregnant now, too, so I know how you can be fine one second and then feel either sick or exhausted the next." She studied Sylvia's face. "Tell me if you're tired, Mum. I mean it."
It was still strange to think she and her daughter were pregnant at the same time.
Focusing on Cat's question, she replied, "The bairn is behaving for now, I promise. I have done this before, you may recall, and more than once."
Cat snorted. "To my everlasting frustrations, aye, I know it well."
The love in her daughter's voice told Sylvia that the words were merely for fun. She was lucky that all her children were fairly close with one another.
A beat passed, and Cat asked, "Will you ever tell me about the father?"
An image of a tall human kissing her as he stroked her hip, her thighs, and then between her legs flashed in her mind. It took everything Sylvia had not to blush.
Her dragon murmured, We should find him.
Clearing her throat and ignoring her dragon, she shrugged. "I don't know a lot myself. But it doesn't matter. The bairn may have saved my life and chased away my illness, or so the doctors think right now, giving me a second chance at life." She squeezed Cat's hand again. "And this time, I'll be the mother he or she deserves."
Cat frowned. "Don't start saying things like that. You're a brilliant mother who did the best she could under the circumstances, and I love you. I wouldn't want any other."
Her words brought tears to Sylvia's eyes. "You deserved more after your father died, and you know it. But you have your own child to worry about now. That will keep you busy enough so you won't have to keep worrying about me." She smiled. "I'll admit I never thought this would happen, us having children so close in age. I'm going to be a grandmother and new mother at the same time."
Cat grinned. "You're still fairly young and bonny for a grandmother-to-be." She leaned forward a little. "Let's just hope neither one of us has twins, or there will be far too many new MacAllisters at once, and we all know there are plenty of us already."
Sylvia shook her head. "I've already had twins, and as much as I love Ian and Emma, once was enough. Not only for the extra work, but I was the size of a wee barge by the end of it."
Silence fell a beat, and Cat shifted in her seat. Sylvia knew it meant Cat was a little uncomfortable with something internally and was trying to think of how to say it. However, before she could ask, Cat blurted, "I'm sorry for complaining to you during the last couple of months and all the times before that. Lately, I've realized how lovely I've had it compared to others."
She studied her daughter and asked quietly, "You mean like your male and his sister?"
Cat nodded as she traced shapes on the table with her finger. "I know we had a hard time after dad died, but he loved us until the day it happened."
She smiled at the memories. "Aye, your father was special. Loving, charming, and able to stand up to my father, which is saying something."
Cat grinned. "Given how his father's Grandpa Archie, yours would've been a piece of cake."
Sylvia chuckled. "You don't remember my father much since he died when you were quite young, but he was intimidating. A Protector who didn't talk much, but when he did, you listened. He actually threatened to tie a rock to your father's leg and drop him into the North Sea if he did anything to upset me. And you know what your dad said to that?" Cat shook her head, and Sylvia chuckled at the memory. "It'd better be with steel cable because otherwise, he could just slice the rope with a talon and fly right back to me."
Cat snorted. "Leave it to Dad to make suggestions on how better to plot his demise."
A rush of longing filled Sylvia's body. She missed having a male, a best friend, a companion in her life.