Page 105 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

Then, in front of everyone, Skylar stands on his tiptoes, reaches up, pulls my head down, and kisses me right on the lips.

“Oh my god,” Max squees. “You two are the cutest!”

When Skylar lets go, I try not to swoon, my lips still tingling and my body turning floaty all over.

I really love kissing. And Skylar.

“How bold,” Astraea says, and gives Skylar a thumbs-up. “I approve.”

He clears his throat and flashes me a sweet little smirk. “Consider that thanks.”

“For what?” I ask dazedly as I reach up to touch my lips.

“For sending Flo, and probably a whole lot more folks, to my salon.”

I blush. “I just gave them a little nudge of encouragement.”

“And that matters. Hal, they came and gave me a chance because they trust you.” Skylar’s voice becomes hoarse. “Thank you for singing my praises to all your friends.”

I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. “It was my pleasure. I know how amazing you are, and I want others to discover it too.”

A microphone crackles to life.

“Welcome to the Opening Ceremony of this year’s Harvest Festival!”

We turn our attention to the stage set up on the lawn. Jayden Bell stands in the middle of it, holding a microphone, and his students march up the steps to join him, settling into a predetermined formation for their imminent performance.

Finding a comfortable place to sit on the grass, Max and I both spread out the picnic blankets we brought with us, and we all settle in to enjoy the show. Jayden starts playing a guitar, and the children sing along to the music, show off their choreographed dance moves, and perform their hearts out. Their youthful exuberance and optimism are a joy to watch.

Skylar snuggles into my side while Elvira curls in my lap. Talk about bliss.

“You know, it’s probably an awkward time to bring this up, but we haven’t talked about a kind of big issue if we’re gonna be life partners,” Skylar murmurs quietly.

My heart speeds up. “What’s that?”

“Kids. Do you want them? Seeing Jayden’s class performing kind of jolted me awake on this subject.”

He’s right. We need to discuss this before we go much further, so even though this is a public space, I answer him as truthfully as possible, if a little nervously.

“I like children,” I whisper back, “but I’ll be honest. I don’t really see them in my life. A hellhound, sure. But kids are a whole other level of commitment. I prefer occasionally babysitting my friends’ children, but I don’t think I want the twenty-four-seven job of being a parent.” I study him, anxiety blooming inside me. “What about you?”

He lets out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh, thank fuck. I was worried you were gonna tell me you want a whole baseball team of rug rats.”

I blink. “So… we’re on the same page?”

He snuggles closer and chuckles. “Yep. I don’t hate kids at all, but raising a kid right is a lot of fucking work. I’m still working on myself and dealing with my trauma. I’m not in the headspace to be a parent, and it isn’t something I’ve ever really wanted.” He takes hold of my hand and entwines our fingers. “Families come in all shapes and sizes. You, me, and our hellhound make a pretty great family already.”

I sniff back tears. “Yeah, we really do.”

“Vash and I’ve talked, and we agree we don’t want kids either,” Ryder says, evidently having heard part of our conversation. “Nothing against them, per se, we just don’t see ourselves doing the whole parenting thing. Also, I’d probably forget to feed and clothe a child on a consistent schedule. Best leave that to responsible types like Max.”

“If you ask me, it’s better not to have kids if you’re not committed to being the best parent possible,” Max says. “Some people have children for foolish or selfish reasons, and it’s the kids who tend to suffer as a result. Thinking about it beforehand and making an informed decision, rather than jumping in and hoping for the best, is much smarter.” Max grins at us all. “And Harn and Yara love having so many fun caregiving adults in their lives.”

People all around us start clapping as the children’s show ends, and we join in.

A local group of musicians follows them up on stage and vendors begin selling food and drinks as the crowd grows. Families gather to buy pre-picked bushels of apples from the orchard, and the air is filled with music and laughter.

It’s a good opening for the festival.