Summer with the Nightwaters

 The portal opened in the living room.

Solin stepped through first.

Nerys followed.

Verity came behind them.

Bettie was in the kitchen.

I was sitting on the porch, enjoying what I had hoped would be five uninterrupted minutes with my coffee.

"Mom? Dad?"

I looked up.

"That never sounds good."

Solin walked onto the porch.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Bettie appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel.

"What is it?"

Solin took a breath.

"Can I bring a girl home for the academic break?"

I nearly dropped my coffee.

Bettie froze.

"A girl?"

"Yes."

I looked at Bettie.

She looked at me.

Then back at Solin.

"Of course," she said.

I nodded.

"Absolutely."

Solin smiled.

"Really?"

"Sure," I said. "We'd love to meet her."

Bettie was already smiling.

"What's her name?"

"Nerys."

"That's pretty."

"She's my friend."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Friend?"

"Yes."

Bettie looked at me.

I could see the questions forming.

I decided not to help.

"How old is she?"

"Same age as me."

"Where is she from?"

Solin hesitated.

"She's from..."

He looked at Nerys.

Nerys smiled nervously.

"...somewhere complicated."

I laughed.

"That's never a good answer."

Solin sighed.

"Okay."

He looked at us.

"She's Lady Morgan's daughter."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Even the frogs outside seemed to stop.

Bettie slowly lowered the towel.

I stared at my son.

Then at Nerys.

Then back at Solin.

"You want to bring Lady Morgan's daughter to our house?"

"Yes."

"For a vacation?"

"Yes."

"In Pretty Bayou?"

"Yes."

I looked at Bettie.

She looked at me.

Then she smiled.

"Well."

I knew that tone.

"What's one more strange thing?"

I pointed at her.

"That's exactly how this family gets into trouble."

Nerys stepped forward.

"Mr. Nightwater, I don't want to cause problems."

I stood.

"Nerys."

"Yes?"

"Any friend of Solin's is welcome here."

Her eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Really."

Bettie walked over and took her hand.

"And I'm Bettie."

Nerys smiled.

"I know."

"Then you already know too much."

Nerys laughed.

Bettie hugged her.

Nerys looked stunned.

Then she hugged her back.

Solin grinned.

I pointed at him.

"One condition."

"What?"

"You tell me everything."

"About what?"

"Lady Morgan."

Solin sighed.

"Dad..."

"Everything."

Verity cleared her throat.

"I would recommend that you sit down."

I looked at her.

"Why?"

"There is additional information."

"What additional information?"

Solin looked embarrassed.

Nerys covered her face.

I knew this wasn't over.

"Go ahead."

Solin took a breath.

"She's not just Lady Morgan's daughter."

I waited.

"She's..."

He glanced at Nerys.

"Aristocracy."

I stared.

"How aristocratic?"

Nerys raised her hand slightly.

"My family owns three moons."

I blinked.

Bettie smiled.

"Well, isn't that nice."

I looked at my wife.

"That's your response?"

She shrugged.

"We own a swamp."

I couldn't argue with that.

Solin laughed.

Nerys did too.

For the first time, she seemed completely relaxed.

I looked at her.

"Welcome home."

She smiled.

"Thank you."

And somewhere deep inside me, I had the strangest feeling that this academic break was going to be considerably more interesting than Solin had intended.

I was right.

Of course I was.

I just didn't yet know how right.