“Of course. I just hope I can get through the ceremony without bawling my eyes out.”
Kelia drew Maeve in for another deep, passionate kiss. “Sleep soundly, my love.”
* * *
Maeve did not sleep soundly. After several hours of drifting in and out of slumber and trying to calm her mind by listening to the distant burbling of the River Ix, she rose to her feet. Taking care not to wake Kelia, she grabbed her clothes and shoes and made her way to the abode's main room. There, she dressed and ran a brush through her hair.
She peeked through the curtain into Nyla's room, smiling when she saw Nyla and Eleri fast asleep with their arms around each other. They were such a beautiful couple, and very much in love. Maeve found it hard to believe her stepdaughter was already seventeen and less than a
