Zel worked on getting the bonfire to the perfect size while Gage organized the ingredients he'd need to create a gourmet feast. The perfect way for them to spend the last night at the council. While all of the other council goers were at the official final party by the pool, the four friends had gone off the beaten path to the beach by the cliff side. Finn protested some. He hadn't joined them just yet so he could make an appearance at the pool party and rub some elbows first.

Like Gage predicted, his father hadn't returned so they could continue their conversation. Just how he preferred it. There wasn't much more for Gage to say anymore. He was starting to feel like a broken record. Now he just had to find the courage to act on what he knew his heart needed—to stop putting guilt on himself for taking the steps toward moving on.

He pulled out some metal skewers and started to place the steaks on them in the perfect position for ideal cooking. While he'd been snorkeling, again, and making the most of his final full day on the island, they had been marinating in his secret blend of herbs and spices. He'd prepped vegetables too, and his own twist on a lot of classic campfire recipes.

Xio did some cartwheels across the beach. "I don't wanna go home."

"No? Not in a rush to get back to Jennifer?" Zel teased. He glanced over at Gage and bit his lip.

Gage smiled, letting him know it was okay. Just because he was widowed didn't mean that his friends had to pretend their wives were dead too. And to prove it, he joined in on the fun. "Honeymoon stage wear off already, Xio? It hasn't even been a year!"

"Of course I miss her!" Xio stopped dancing about, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "I'm coming home Jenny!" He paused to gaze over his shoulder at his friends. "There's something nice about the island is all. We're a million miles away from responsibility and I don't want to go back to working every day. Being an adult is not fun."

"Yet we sure rushed to become one," Zel said with a chuckle. "It gets a whole lot more fun once the little ones come around."

His son. Gage couldn't wait to get back to him. Not having to answer to Gus' every need for the past few days spoiled him in a way. It also helped him look forward to taking on all of those responsibilities again rather than feel overwhelmed by them. Being a parent was hard. Doing it alone even more so. What help his parents provided was a godsend, but they couldn't do it forever. When he got home from his trip, he'd have a nanny instead. Gage wasn't sure he liked the idea even though he understood why his mother couldn't keep being his babysitter.

The new nanny would be living in the house too. Having another adult to talk to sounded great. Supposedly, his mother had found the perfect person for the job. Another big change for the family. Hopefully, a positive one.

Xio walked over to sit by the fire. "When I get back, I'm hoping to keep working on getting a son. As soon as I told Jenny all about how dragon reproduction works, she was all set. Having only six months of preggo time and not getting super fat got her all kinds of excited about actually being pregnant." He paused. "Though she's disappointed we can only have boys."

"My wife didn't like that either," Zel said.

Gage remembered Majandra feeling the same way. The adjustment to his being a dragon didn't take long, though. She accepted it as truth the moment he told her, and understood the differences between dragons and humans right away. How eventually, she would have to say goodbye to her parents because she would age slower than them, and how dragons are always born male. Magic had fascinated her the most. Keeping the dragon heritage a secret was the part she loved. Her "secret mission".

Not liking how sad his friends were starting to look, Gage opened up his cooler to get out some drinks. "Guys, I think we need to toast to a new beginning."

"Finn isn't here," Zel pointed out.

As if on cue, Finn appeared in the distance, the moonlight illuminating his outline as he jogged toward them. Gage smirked over at Zel and tossed him a can of soda. "See? I know what I'm doing."

"One of your amazing super Touched powers?"

"Nah." Being Touched did give Gage an advantage on the magic front. His abilities were stronger by leaps and bounds over his peers. However, he was pretty sure even a great deal of magic wouldn't let him predict the future. Nor would he want it.

When Finn arrived, he got a can as well and sat down in the sand. "What are we doing now?"

"Toasting," Zel said.

Xio sat down by the fire too and cracked open his soda. "To the f-u-ture."

"How ominous," Finn said.

After each can was open, they all lifted their drink.

"To the future," Gage said.

Once everyone took their drink and settled into his respective spot by the fire, Gage noticed all of his friends' gazes were on him. "What?" he asked.

"You're a lot more optimistic than the last time I saw you," Finn said. "And that was only a few hours ago."

"I'm not, but it seemed strange and mushy to say: to the bonds of friendship that have kept us together through thick and thin," Gage confessed.

Zel fake gagged. "Future is better. Definitely better."

In truth, Gage was feeling a small bit more optimistic. Only a small bit, though. A step, which was a lot better than nothing.