Thailyn sat out on the steps to the visitor’s hut, watching the sunrise. Ann came out and sat next to him. He frowned. “You should be in bed. What are you doing up?” She shrugged. “I don’t sleep much.” “Don’t start that,” he warned. She’d used that as an excuse on occasion when he saw her in Thager. “I’ve been in bed for days. I usually only sleep for two hours. I need to get up some.” “For a little bit,” he relented. They watched the sunrise together. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She finally asked. “Back in Thager, why didn’t you tell me who you were?” “I almost did. When Kritalla sent you out to me in the villages to hide you from your brother, I was going to. But you said you didn’t want to meet your father yet. You said you weren’t ready. “I had fully planned on telling you everything when that immortal came to Thager and Kritalla tried to get you to hide in the villages again. But you wouldn’t come. “There were other times, but I was afraid of Pt’this. I didn’t believe he or Miri would ever forgive me.” “Dad, Pt’this isn’t the type to hold a grudge.” “Don’t call me that.” “What? Dad?” Ann frowned. “You prefer ‘father’?” “Anything. I’m Thailyn. Emeton’s your father. He raised you. I abandoned you. Even when you were right in front of me, asking about my daughter, I wouldn’t tell you who I was. I might have impregnated your mother, but I have no right to be called your father.” “No,” Ann said. “No?” Thailyn frowned. “I don’t accept that.” Thailyn growled. “And don’t you growl at me either. If you aren’t my father, you can’t tell me what to do. But you are my father. You did father me. You didn’t abandon me. No one consulted you. When given the chance, you did act like my father. You may not have raised me. You might not have told me who you were. But you were there for me when I needed you.” “But…” “If it makes you happy, I’ll call you Thailyn. Calling two people ‘dad’ can get confusing. But you are my dad and I won’t accept otherwise.” Thailyn smiled. “I can live with that.” “You are still one of my parents. You can’t hide from me anymore.” “It wasn’t truly you that I was hiding from.” “I know.” “I owe you some birthday gifts.” “So that was you, my secret supporter.” Ann smiled at the memories. Each year she’d received a birthday gift from someone only known as her supporter. The first year she’d been in Lerjao, he hadn’t sent one but had made up for it the next year. “You know, that star clasp from your cloak was a gift from your mother. She wore it on her cloak. She gave it to me as a wedding gift.” Ann frowned. “You two weren’t married.” “Not like humans do, but we were in dragon custom. We had you after all.” Ann nodded. “Please tell me you and Andy got married like humans first.” Ann smiled. “That was one of the first things Mom told me when she found out I was part dragon, that I still needed a human wedding before I could mate.” “I wish I could have been at your wedding.” He sighed. “Me too,” she agreed. “It’s not the same, but we have pictures. Maybe we can visit sometime and I can show you, maybe even get some copies made if you want.” Thailyn nodded. But they wouldn’t get together for a visit. He was already looking into moving back to Menthanla. He couldn’t yet. He couldn’t turn his back on his patients. He’d have to arrange for another healer to treat them. And he had a few he had to deal with. “Until then…” Ann created an image of her, Andy, Pt’this, and Sapphire in their wedding finery. He smiled. “You are as beautiful as your mother.” “You are talking about Darina, right?” She teased, and he let out a playful growl.