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The sound of baby Brennan’s cry woke Jen up. Her eyes shot open, focusing on a familiar white ceiling. Quickly she sat up and that was when she saw that her baby was crying on the bed beside her.
As she took him in her arms, she noticed the familiar bed covers. Brennan was still crying loudly. Maybe he was hungry. She lifted her shirt to let him breastfeed, which he happily did. He latched on, and sucked her milk hungrily.
At that instant, she had the chance to recognize the room that she’d been living in before Jack had brought her to his home. She couldn’t believe it. She was actually back in her own house.
She tried to remember what had happened but could not recall anything about being transferred back to her house. The last thing she remembered was the beautiful lovemaking she’d shared with her beloved dragon shifter in that wonderful cottage.
“Oh, Jack...” she whispered in agony. “Did you return me here?”
When the baby was done, his eyes closed again. She lay him back on the bed. That was when she noticed the white envelope on top of the pillow. It had her name on it-—in Jack’s handwriting.
She quickly opened the envelope and took out the note he’d left for her.
My dearest Jen,
You will forever be dear to me. But I now know that you may never be fully happy living with someone like me. I can’t force you to marry me even though we have a baby now. I just want you to live your life joyfully and peacefully.
Do whatever you need to do to fulfill your dreams and build a good life for yourself and our son. I will have the bank contact you soon for my contribution for Brennan’s future. One of these days, I hope to be with my son again. But please don’t force yourself to allow this out of obligation. When you’re truly ready, I will know. I’ll be around.
I have finally accepted our fate. Thank you for being the best part of my life. I’ll forever be grateful.
I love you with all my heart, Jen. Be happy.
Jack
Jen’s hands trembled as she finished reading the letter. “Jack... Oh, Jack...” was all she could murmur while tears flowed from her eyes. “I love you too...”
That morning, when she’d finally calmed down, she called Melissa and asked her to come over. Her best friend, who had thought she’d moved to a faraway city for a sudden job offer about a year ago, was totally flabbergasted at her story. She did not leave anything out because she trusted her fully to keep it all a secret.
When her story was done, she cried again while Melissa comforted her. “Sshhh... It’s all going to be okay, Jen...” Melissa whispered.
“Oh, Mel! I was so, so stupid...” Jen wept. “And now he’s gone.”
“He did say he’ll be around, right? Maybe when he sees that you want him back, he’ll appear again.”
“When?” Jen asked as she lifted her head to face her friend. “When will I be able to see him again?! I tried contacting his phone but it can’t be reached anymore. I don’t even know where that place is located!”
She was becoming hysterical again so Mel did her best to calm her down. But when Brennan woke up, Jen automatically pushed away her own woes to attend to her child. She was, after all, a mother now. She needed to stay brave and strong for her baby boy.
And that was exactly what she did for the month that followed.
Little by little, she tried to pick up the pieces of her old life. With Mel’s help, she was able to start a home-based job as a lab consultant. She’d completely dropped her dreams of becoming a big name in the field of science. She had even erased all digital evidence of the dragon shifters’ existence and had also burned every piece of hard proof she’d collected over her year with the dragons.
One day, she’d just changed her baby’s diaper when her cellphone rang. The speaker mode automatically came on as she’d programmed it.
“Jen!!!” came her best friend’s shriek. “You won’t believe it!!!”
“What is it? Will you please calm down, Mel.”
“I can’t!” Mel screamed over the phone. “You’re now officially the ‘It’ girl of the industry!”
“What are you talking about?” Jen asked as she gently put on Brennan’s onesie.
“Check the Science Channel online now,” Mel demanded. She put the phone down and sent a link.
Jen tapped on the link through her smartphone. She waited impatiently for the website to load. When the page appeared with her picture and the headline Female Scientist Uncovers Evidence of Dragon Shifters in the 20th Century, she literally dropped her phone on the bed. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Oh, my God!” she whispered in shock and disbelief.
As her eyes scanned the article, she realized that someone had sent the documents to one of the biggest media networks in the city, pretending to be her. The detailed records showed photos and actual locations of some dragon shifter remains, which had already been checked and confirmed by top archaeologists and scientists. The report ended on a hanging note, stating that there was a huge possibility that dragon shifters are living within ordinary humans today.
All of a sudden, Jen’s email and social media notifications began blinking with endless messages from different people. The phone in the living room began ringing too. She checked out some of the online messages, which turned out to be reporters wanting to interview her. Holy shit.
She was still trying to process what was happening when the doorbell rang. Scooping little Brennan in her arms, she went to open the door and almost released the baby when she saw who it was.
“Hi,” he said calmly. “I’m looking for a famous scientist who recently uncovered the biggest discovery of the century.”
Jen’s mouth hung open. She couldn’t believe her eyes and found it even harder to believe that he was joking about what he’d just done.
“If you don’t let me in now,” he continued. “Soon the reporters will be here stepping on each other just to get to you...”
“Get in,” Jen said quickly, locking the door behind him.
Once the door was closed, he grinned at her and Brennan. “Actually, I’m not looking for a famous scientist. I’m just looking for my handsome son and his beautiful mother, the woman of my dreams... You see, I promised them I’d just be around when they’re ready to have me in their lives again. I just don’t know if they’re now willing to accept me, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed...”
“Oh, shut up, Jack!” Jen interrupted, laughing and crying at the same time. She felt both relieved and excited. “Oh, Jack, thank you so much for everything! You didn’t have to do what you did. I just wanted you back in my life and in Brennan’s life too.”
Jack embraced her then, careful not to squeeze the baby between them. They smiled at each other lovingly.
“I can’t take the credit for that documentation, Jack...” Jen started.
Jack held up his hand to stop her from saying anything else. “You deserve it, Jen. Besides, you did sort of discover us, you know... although I didn’t reveal our present existence. But in any case, everybody left there. They all moved to another country.”
“Without you? But... who would be their king?” Jen wondered.
Jack chuckled. “With Jessie as their queen, they won’t need me as their king anymore.”
Jen laughed in surprise and joy. “Wow, Jessie must have been happy and excited!”
Jack laughed too. “You bet. But she’s more excited about how our love story ends...”
“Oh, I think it’s just beginning!” Jen said without thinking.
Jack beamed at her. “I think so too...” He then planted a sweet kiss on her forehead and suddenly dropped to one knee. He took a tiny black velvet box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. “Miss Famous Scientist, my one and only Jen, will you do the honor of marrying me and spending the rest of our lives together with Brennan as one happy family?”
Jen smiled widely through her tears. “Yes,” she whispered. “I’d love that.”
He placed the beautiful engagement ring on her finger, stood up, and held her and Brennan in a loving embrace. “I love you forever, my Famous Scientist.”
“And I love you too...” Jen answered softly, “... my Dragon Hero.”
THE END