I let go of her hand, and she walked away to join the others. Henry led me to the archway, and as Walter spoke, I could feel every eye on us. Henry and I repeated our simple vows, and in a voice with such unshakable authority that the very stones of the manor seemed to quake, Walter proclaimed us husband and wife.
Henry leaned forward to kiss me, and as he did, heat started at my lips and ran through me, leaving coolness in its wake that replaced the pain. By the time he pulled away, my body felt whole again, healed and strong in a way it never had before. But that wasn’t what mattered; what mattered was the way he looked at me, as if this moment were the happiest in his long life. And deep inside of me, I knew I would never be alone again.
We spent our wedding night in my suite playing card games and making every effort to avoid mentioning what would happen the next day. It was my last night in Eden Manor for six months, and even though I knew I would return, something about it felt final. Half a year was no time at all for Henry, but for me, it stretched out in front of me, the end nowhere in sight.
Married one day and gone the next. Somehow it didn’t seem fair. I could return early if I wanted, I knew that, but my mother was adamant that I spend my first summer without Henry.
The next morning we had breakfast in bed, me sitting cross-legged in my pajamas on one side and him on the other. I was allowed to eat now that it was spring again, and even though I wasn’t any hungrier than usual, I attacked my pancakes with unusual vigor, making a mess of myself in the process. Henry didn’t seem to mind; every now and then he leaned toward me and kissed the syrup off my lips, smirking when he saw me blush.
Packing took no time at all, and much sooner than I’d anticipated, I stood facing the majority of my new family on the winding drive that led to the front gates. Once again Calliope was missing, but it was James’s empty spot that made my insides twist unpleasantly.
One by one I hugged them goodbye, even gruff Phillip, who smelled of horses and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but witnessing this tear-filled display of sentimentality. Before I’d even reached her, Ava was crying, and she threw her arms around me so tightly that I thought she might never let go. “Oh, Kate—I’m going to miss you!”
“I’m going to miss you, too.” No matter what had passed between us that winter, I hoped her tears meant all was forgiven and that I would see her when I came back in the fall. “One day you’ll have to fill me in on everything that happened when I wasn’t looking.”
She nodded, too choked up to speak, and with one last hug, we finally let go of each other.
My mother was next. She stood serenely in the sunlight, looking as if she were glowing, and for a moment I was afraid to touch her. She fixed that for me, gathering me up in a hug and giving me a wet kiss on the cheek. “Have fun,” she said warmly, but there was a glint in her eyes that made it clear she expected me to uphold our deal. I would stay away for six months, but this was the only summer I’d let her boss me around. “Go experience mortal life before it passes you by.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to enjoy mortal life again, knowing what was waiting for me in the autumn, but I nodded. “Love you,” I said, suddenly as choked up as Ava. My mother gazed at me, and for a long moment it felt as if we were the only two people in the world. But as quickly as it had come, the feeling vanished, and then it was Henry’s turn.
I didn’t know what to say, so instead I wrapped my arms around him, and he embraced me. I was crying in earnest now, making a mess of what little makeup Ava had talked me into that morning, but I didn’t care.
“Take care of Pogo, yeah?” I said with a sniff, pulling away to wipe my eyes.
“Cerberus and I both promise to do so,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “Kate…whatever is waiting for you outside that gate, remember that the summer is yours to do with what you please.” His voice was strained, but he seemed to make an effort to push past it. “It is none of my business what you decide to do with that time.”
“I know,” I said. “And I also know that the way I feel about you isn’t going to change just because the seasons do. So if you don’t mind too much, I’m going to stick to the vows I made.” I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
He managed to return it. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear that, but that still does not change—”
“Henry,” I said firmly. “Enough about that. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not, so you might as well get used to it.”
He hesitated, but finally he gave in. “Anytime you need me, I will be by your side. You have my word.”
I nodded, and he pressed his lips to my forehead. It was such a chaste kiss that I wondered if he would give me a proper goodbye or not. Probably not, I realized. Not with my mother watching.
“I will be waiting for you when you return,” he said. “And I love you.”
This time I hadn’t imagined or dreamed it; he’d really said it, and not because of some test or bet or obligation. Because he meant it. Something inside of me swelled, and I felt as if I was going to burst. “Love you, too.”
With that, he braved the mess that was my face and kissed me deeply. I tried to make it linger, but he pulled away, and I knew it was time to go.
I trudged down the drive, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds as I took my time. While Henry’s presence behind me pulled me back, knowing that I would have to leave before I could see him again pushed me forward. This was my home now, and nothing could keep me away forever.