Concealment - Tiger's Eye Book 2

Chapter 49 - You Are My Family

Chapter 49 - You Are My Family

            I felt better after the wedding ended. All my nerves and thoughts before the wedding didn't matter anymore. I'm happy and I know my friends and family are happy too. That's the most important thing to me. The wedding reception ended up being huge. There were over a dozen tables filled with food and hundreds of people there to celebrate. I did not get into the huge celebration and in fact Carter and I only stayed for about half of it. We each had fun and we lots of pictures but spending time together seemed more important to us. We may be leaving for our honeymoon soon but truthfully he is the only one I wanted to be around after the wedding. I told Rolla where Carter and I were going and she hugged me before saying she'll think of something to tell everybody if they ask. Carter took my hand and we received applause as we walked out of the palace. They were waiting outside the palace hoping to catch a glimpse of us. We should have used the secret passageways for this. We decided to go back to his house because he knew his aunt and uncle weren't there.

"It's crazy back there," he said taking off his jacket.

I nodded in agreement, "It's going to take centuries before people forget this day if they forget it at all."

"Brittany said something earlier about you being nervous and thinking about your mom. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," I replied pulling on his shirt so he sat next to me. He put his arm around me and I continued, "She made my dress and it was finally my wedding day which she had looked forward to for years. How can I not think of her? I felt better after the ceremony though. Everything feels better."

"In what way?"

"Because you and I are a family now. I think I will always be a little sad and upset that my parents are gone but you have been right this whole time. Carter you are my family now and you are the one that matters to me. I realized that's how Rolla, Pilote, Topanga, and Sam could handle losing everybody they loved. They can handle losing almost every single person they've ever known because they have each other. They realized that they were their own family. I can move on and handle the sadness that lingers from my mom because I know you're always going to be here. I'll never lose you."

He smiled and kissed me before resting his forehead against mine, "Dear, you are my only family too. From the beginning you were the only one that mattered to me. You saved me in ways that I cannot explain."

"I could tell you the same thing," I smiled back.

"You are the best part of me. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

            Rolla's excuses worked because nobody came looking for us all night. The city of Murera said goodbye to us the next day as we left for our honeymoon. We told Rolla and Pilote we would be back in a couple weeks because we wanted to explore the world a little before coming back. I felt secure enough to leave knowing we just finished a war and survived a rebel attack. My black tiger side told me it was safe so I knew that it was. Topanga and Sam left Murera when we did. They said it was the second longest amount of time they ever spent in Murera so it was time for them to continue their life of traveling once more. Now I understand why they could never be King and Queen; they are too in love with the world. As we waved goodbye to the people I realized that Rolla and Pilote will never change. To the public they are the strong, fierce leaders to be feared but when I looked at them I saw my family. They will always be the most in love couple you could ever see but they will also always be probably the greatest leaders to ever live and they have definitely earned that title.

            Carter and I visited four different countries during our honeymoon and we enjoyed it so much we decided to extend the trip another week and check out two more countries. We sent a few letters back home to Rolla and Pilote along with a couple to Brittany, Sasha, and Mike. We did return home after that and were welcome home with an extension added onto the palace. Rolla handed over half of the palace to us. She said she knew we would want our privacy because she did when she got married. They added onto the palace which was already huge and separated it so we had our own house.

            Over the years Carter and I had six children: three girls and three boys. We watched them grow up and taught them all about the world. They grew up as in love with the world as we were. We took them on vacations when they could because I never wanted them to be as clueless about it as I was. My black tiger side came out a few times but as the years dragged on most of the rebels died out and my black tiger seemed to settle. Rolla, Pilote, Carter, and I never stopped training though. Rolla feared another uprising even though every prophecy, and even the Gods, assured her there would never be one. She's lived a different life than most of us. Every experience she has ever had has taught her to always stay alert and be fearful. That's what part of what makes her a good Queen.

            Watching our loved ones die was something I had to be prepared for and it was harder and harder every time another person died. When Mike died I was a wreck and so was Brittany. He died first because his genes made him more human than Tigma. Brittany died next, years later, and I broke down. It took years for Carter to put me back together but he finally did. The only others that made me break down even more were watching my own children die. They had full, loving lives though and they always assured me they were ready. They met their soul mates, got married, and many of them went on to travel the world. They wrote us constantly and visited when they can. I knew it was the end when each of them came back to Murera to live for good. Carter and I both broke down when each of our children died. The King and Queen stepped up for us then and put us back together. Immortality is never what people think it will be. The tragedy of losing everybody you love is something nobody can be ready for.

            Carter and I were constantly reminded about how annoying we became to the people around us. They told us we acted even more in love than Rolla and Pilote. We spent a lot of time in our house with our family, or alone, and we liked the privacy better than the attention of the city. My life became everything I thought it would be. Carter made all my dreams come true and I feel lucky that I get to always have him by my side.

            On our hundred year anniversary he took me to the human world and we spent it alone at his aunt and uncle's old house. I felt as if my life was starting all over again. I still remember what he said to me that made me flashback to the day we were married.

He kissed me before resting his forehead against mine and whispered, "You are my family. You will always be my family. I know our children are gone along with all of our loved ones but have always been number one. We've gotten through everything because you mean more to me than anything else that exists. You are the only thing that I need Lily. I love you."

I smiled kissing him again, "I love you too. You will always be my family. Forever."