Hugging Gus close to his body, Gage didn't think it was possible to ever feel so much joy. He missed his son so much more than he could ever express, and that was saying a lot since he was positive he spent most of the trip either talking about Gus, or checking in with his mother to make sure all was still going smoothly.

The toddler grabbed Gage by the face, giving him a huge six toothed grin. "Dada."

"Yes, I'm home. It's getting late, though so you need to go sleep. We'll have one more sleepover at Grandma's and then tomorrow we'll go home." Gage carried his son to the crib. Of course Gus protested some, all while rubbing his eyes. After he was in the crib, Gage stayed in the room until Gus fell asleep, wanting to make sure his son knew that he was in fact home—that their life would be returning to the new normal they'd created.

Sort of. The nanny. Gage would be meeting with the nanny in the afternoon to give his official sign off, despite his mother already okaying the position. Not a decision he liked, and he hated that the whole process happened so quickly. Why couldn't he take his time with it? Shouldn't he? This was his son. He couldn't trust just anyone!

He gave Gus a kiss on the forehead before finding his mother in the living room cleaning up all the toys.

"I got this, Mom. You've done more than enough," he said, getting on his knees so he could help. "Why don't you sit down and relax?"

"Aren't you tired from the flight home?" she countered. "Jet lag, too. The council is a few hours ahead."

With a heavy sigh, Gage continued to clean up anyway. If only so the task wouldn't take as long, and they could both be finished. "You're sure it all went okay? You can tell me. I'm back, so there's no risk of me freaking out and leaving early."

"You're just like your dad. Both of you assume everything is always going wrong." She tossed a stuffed animal onto the couch. "Gus was great. We had a lot of ice cream. I spoiled him rotten, just like I'm supposed to. What I want to know is how the trip went for you. I didn't get a whole lot of those details during our conversations."

"The meetings were boring, and I only went to a few out of obligation." Gage said. "I know Dad told you all about that drama. His report about it would be more interesting than mine."

She touched his elbow, guiding him toward the kitchen. "What else did you do besides the meetings, sweetie. We all know you weren't there because of an interest in politics. You've never attended for that aspect. How was the social gathering? Did you have any new adventures?"

"I read three books, made a sandcastle with Xio that ended up being pretty awesome, we also went snorkeling, and I got a lot of sleep."

"You went snorkeling?" She gasped.

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed a glass to get some water. "Why does everything keep reacting like that? It's not a big deal."

"It is," she insisted. Her dark eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. "Besides, I didn't know you could do that sort of thing at the island."

"You can do anything on the island," he said. Then paused. "Just about, I mean. The Oceina are always trying to get the other tribes interested in the oceans, so a group of them have dedicated their free time to water exploration activities. When I first started joining Dad at the council, there were Aero who took attendees skydiving. That hasn't happened for a while though since their flying laws back home got stricter." He frowned. The Aero were exceptionally strange. Restrictions on flying? Their kind were born for the air. It felt like blasphemy to not do what God created them for.

His mother nodded, leaning across the counter, her gaze still fixed on him. When it came to dragon politics, she was the perfect wife to have because she was fascinated by them just as much as his father was. "Dad says you didn't play in the elements tournament this year."

"Too out of practice," he mumbled. "Can't remember the last time I trained for that. It's been since before...you know."

"Having a baby does cut in on the free time some," she teased.

He nodded, pretending it was the birth of his son that stopped him from playing sports and pursuing other activities outside of home besides work. Yes, he stopped for a bit when Gus was born, but he'd have picked it up again eventually. Maj's death left him feeling hollow. Playing a stupid game wouldn't help.

She clapped her hands together. "Speaking of more free time, your nanny said she's fine with you doing that and not having it affect her rates. I can't tell you how unheard of that is."

"I assume she's already getting a lot of money as it is since she's going to be living in the guest apartment in the basement," he said flatly. "She's within budget, right? Because I told you I can't afford—"

"Yes, I made sure she's in your budget," his mother reassured him. "She's young and this is her first solid nanny job, but she's got a lot of experience with part time jobs. And she's cute."

Which is probably the real reason she got hired. Gage suppressed a groan, hating the thought of some poor girl getting hired on a whim because his mom had some fantasy that they'd "hit it off" and he'd consider remarrying. Good thing I'm doing one more interview tomorrow.

Clearing his throat, he said. "Great, for her. What I'm concerned about most is the experience part. As long as she knows what she's doing, that's what matters the most. And that Gus likes her."

"Part of her interview was letting them play for a couple of hours." Her smile was widening. "I haven't seen him get so excited with a stranger—ever. She knew how to connect with him on a level I don't think I've ever seen."

"Good," he said, unsure of how else to respond, only knowing that he needed to. "Thanks for helping me figure all of this out. I don't think I say it enough."

She laughed. "Only about five times a day. I'm only doing what every mom would do for her son."

He nodded, taking in a slow breath and letting it out again. Obviously, she was right. He'd go through the same amount of work to help set up Gus for success. It's what love did. Sometimes, he didn't feel worthy of such a gesture, and sometimes he wondered if the only reason she gave him so much attention was because he was her only son. Which was something almost unheard of in the dragon world.

Dragons were supposed to have anywhere from five to twenty boys. Gage had destroyed his mother's ability to ever get pregnant again, though thanks to his over-abundance of magic. One of the few things he would always feel guilty about. At least he still had her. The other Touched dragons weren't so blessed.

"Maybe I should go to bed after all," he said quietly. Already his thoughts were beginning to take him into a downward spiral, and if he stayed to linger with her for much longer he might end up in another ditch of depression. Because that's how it always seemed to happen. Just when he was starting to feel better, he'd slowly fall back down. I just got back. I want to be okay for a little while longer—for Gus.

Being with Gus would make him feel like his life had purpose, that it didn't always suck.

He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning. Please, don't let me sleep in. I need to work on getting back on schedule for the diner. Okay?"

"Mmhmm," she said, and he was pretty sure she'd ignore his request anyway.

Sighing, he made his way back to the bedroom he'd had since he was young. The large bedroom that was made with the intention of holding more than one boy in it, despite the mansion already having ten rooms. Next door was Gus' nursery. Another room was transformed into an arts and crafts station. Most were offices and havens for guests to use. His father had a lot of them, so no space went to waste at least.

He checked on Gus one more time before settling into his room. Lying in bed, he gazed at the ceiling for a long time. Night was when he felt the most alone.