Before leaving the mall, the girls picked up a few things for themselves, Viv included, and Dan enjoyed just tagging along. He’d had to stare down a manager at one point who looked on the verge of asking them to leave. When Dan saw the man, he just knew what he was thinking. Something in the look Dan gave him made him turn right around. Other than that, things were relatively pain free. They also grabbed a bite to eat before leaving. They had to get Bandy off the carousel again. Even Viv seemed exasperated with her cousin.

  They made one last stop before heading back to Natchez. The big chain bookstore in town. Mitzi walked the aisles enraptured with him holding her hand. Bandy stayed with Viv over in the kids area. He had the little goblinette pick out several books for her and her siblings. Dan also found some more puzzle books for Geraldine. He picked up various magazines and books for the Brood in general. He paid for it all himself. This was family.

  The drive back was quiet, as drives home often are. The goblins mostly dozed off, so he concentrated on the road.

  “You are amazing.”

  He turned and Mitzi had woken up. He smiled at her before looking back at the road.

  “What did I do this time?” He asked.

  “You really don’t see it, do you?”

  “I guess not.” He shrugged. He wasn’t really sure what she meant, nor why she felt so much pride in him all the time.

  Her hand rested on his thigh.

  “You are such a survivor. Think about how you were this morning.” She said softly.

  He did. He’d felt destroyed. Now he was driving home with a new outfit and gifts for his tribe.

  “This is denial.” He said smiling. “Just wait till I settle down and start thinking again.”

  “You know you haven’t stopped thinking. I know it. You never really stop.” She said. “You cope quickly. You only worry about something when it needs worrying about.”

  He thought about that. She wasn’t wrong. He’d assumed there was something unhealthy in that. His mother constantly worried and fretted. He just knew he didn’t want to be that person. Give things as much mental energy as they need.

  “I say that,” she continued, “and the only thing you worry about is yourself not being enough. Then you go and do things like this.” He looked and she had a very serious expression on her face. “Accepting that you are good and capable isn’t having an ego, my dear Danathan. It’s just who you are.”

  “There’s such a thing as humility.” He said after a moment.

  “There’s humility and then there’s self deprecation.”

  Dan felt at the bond to be sure. There was nothing condescending in what she said or meant. He just felt love, and concern. He thanked anyone up there for the bond. With Mitzi, he never had to worry about platitudes and stock phrases. There were no hidden feelings.

  He reached down and took her hand.

  “I told you this morning, I would work on it.” He said. “I intend to.”

  “I know you do. Step one, accept that you are amazing.”

  He laughed at that.

  “That’s a tall order. I’ll start with not actually being broken. I’m getting somewhere with that.”

  Warmth radiated from her through the bond and he poked at it, gently, with his mind.

  He boggled. She wanted to take him somewhere private and climb him like a mountain. The images and words came through clearly. She hadn’t seemed to notice the sharing. He pulled back and it went back to the normal awareness. He had to ask Geraldine about that.

  “Did you have fun?” He asked her. She smiled at him. She was beautiful, but especially when she smiled at him.

  “Yes. Maybe this is a normal Sunday for humans, but for me. . . This was like a festival. And I can’t thank you enough for bringing Viv. She needs more attention than Ric, Mike, and Neil, but those three are a handful.”

  “She’s the sweetest kid I’ve ever met. She’s my buddy.” He said. And he meant it.

  Mitzi was silent for a moment. She was hesitant.

  “I said it before, and I know you said you didn’t think you’d be a good one, but you’re going to be a good father one day.”

  “Thank you.” Dan said. She was still nervous and he desperately wanted her to feel better. “You know I’ll never insist on kids, right? It’s not a thing we have to do. If you ever decide you want them, great. If not, also great.”

  Holy hell. He was having this conversation. But the subject was right there and there was no point in dodging it.

  “That,” Mitzi said with a sigh, “is a huge weight off my mind. You seem pretty certain about it.”

  Again, no dodging the subjects.

  “What I’m certain about, Mitzi, is that you’re the one.”

  They were both silent for a time.

  “Is it the bond?” She asked nervously. “I’ve been worried that I’ve saddled you with this relationship. Like I took your choices away. And I worry that me being what I am will.”

  “It’s you. Not the bond.” He said. “All the bond has done is speed the process along.”

  Dan hit the first red light as they passed through a small town, so he looked Mitzi in the eyes and squeezed her hand.

  “You know I’m being sincere when I tell you that you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You’re the only one I want to have these kinds of discussions with.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Green light.” She said, and Dan laughed as he got them back in motion.

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  “You guys are gonna make me hurl. You’re adorable.” Bandy said sleepily from the back. Dan saw Mitzi turn around to look at Bandy.

  “How long have you been listening, you garbage gnome?”

  “Long enough to be happy for you.” Bandy said. Mitzi was surprised. Dan, wasn’t. Not really. Bandy had a good heart. He already knew that.

  He saw Bandy look at the sleeping Viv in the back seat.

  “And if it’s legal, couldn’t Dan adopt Viv or something?”

  That was a surprise.

  “Would Runt and Geraldine even let that happen? I mean, it’s THEIR kid. They’re still alive.” Dan asked. Mitzi patted his leg.

  “Goblin families are broods. Everyone raises the kids. We have so many kids and they’re ok to run around so soon that parenting is communal. Mothers. . .” Mitzi stopped. He felt pain

  “Mothers have their favorites.” Bandy said quietly. “They teach their first daughters. It's a special relationship.”

  Dan realized two things. First, he had just learned something very important about the strange nature of goblin families. Second, he had no right to call it strange. He was going to be a part of it after tonight. It STILL worked better than his family.

  The rest of the drive went quietly. When they arrived back at Goblin House, Dan saw to the distribution of gifts.

  “Dan,” Geraldine said as he handed her the puzzle books and magazines, “you do too much. You have nothing to pay back or prove.”

  Dan knelt in front of the old goblinette.

  “I know. I do this because we’re family.”

  She looked stunned. He put a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t immediately demand he remove it so he continued.

  “I’m going to try and adapt to your ways,” he said, “but I’d appreciate it if you let me bring you some of mine.”

  Geraldine looked around. The few goblins that had made it home so far were busy and not paying them any mind. He was sure she was about to call him a fool. Instead Geraldine, Geharadeen, placed her arms around his neck and hugged him. He thought that she would utter something profound, or ceremonial. Maybe some kind of joke. But she didn’t. She just hugged him, and he put and arm around her in return.

  “Mother.” He said quietly. He thought he felt her tremble.

  She finally let him go and looked at him. He was surprised by her tenderness. She put a hand on his cheek.

  “You’re too good for humanity, boy. I’m glad you found us.” Dan smiled and didn’t trust himself to speak all of a sudden. The woman patted his cheek and shuffled off with her gifts.

  Dan sat down there in the floor for a time and just stared after her. No one in his real family had ever told him anything remotely like that. Maybe his dad. And his dad had been taken from him. Dan looked up at the ceiling.

  “Dad?” He said. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but mom passed. If you see her? Run.”

  Dan felt better. The woman who died wasn’t the mother that he remembered from childhood. She wasn’t the woman his father had married. Dan mourned THAT woman. But he’d been doing that for years. It was just final now. Nothing had really changed. And if his family was going to completely reject him. . . Well, they already had. Again.

  Nothing had changed. It was just final.

  He looked around at goblins going about their evening chores, or watching TV. Mitzi was changing with Bandy for later. Viv had found a rotary phone somewhere and was taking it apart with her screwdriver. A goblin, Talm, was walking by and looked at him.

  “You good, Dan? Need anything?”

  Dan just looked at him. He smiled.

  “No. I think I’ve got what I need, man. Thank you.”

  Talm nodded, seeming to understand, and patted him on the shoulder as he passed. Even when he eventually found a house, he knew he’d have a home here.

  Dan stood in the kitchen in his new outfit and paced. It wasn’t a huge kitchen, but it was big enough for him to be nervous in. Mitzi watched him. She was wearing a lovely dress she’d bought that day. She was calm and, surprisingly, amused at him.

  “You should calm down.” She said with a smile. “It really isn’t going to be that big of a deal.”

  Dan looked out the back window. There were twenty-six out of twenty-seven goblins in the backyard.

  “Really?” He asked. “Because it very much looks like they’re going to make it a big deal, Mitzi. I thought at least the broodlings would be in bed, but Daga and Mat herded the four of them down there.”

  He felt her hand on his back, and it began rubbing.

  “I know it seems that way, but we don’t do formal. Everyone’s just excited you’re joining.”

  Dan looked at her outfit. He looked at his own outfit with it’s sport coat. He looked out the window and saw Bandy wearing some dress that covered everything and hid nothing. He looked back at Mitzi.

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

  “Ok. Maybe they’re making a little bit of a big deal out of it because you’re human. But it’s not something you have to worry about!”

  He gave her a flat look. There was some doubt creeping in through the bond from her now.

  “It’s drinking out of a bowl and making a promise or two.” She said. “I don’t know how you could fuck that up.”

  Dan realized his nerves were beginning to feed her nerves which were feeding his nerves. He stopped thinking about it. He closed his eyes. He took deep breaths.

  “This is my family now.” He said quietly, and he felt a burst of happiness from Mitzi that did him wonders this time.

  “Yes.” She said. “It’s your family. No one will judge you for anything that happens. Talwick threw up in his bowl. He’s still here.”

  Dan burst out laughing.

  “Well, hopefully I’m not THAT bad.”

  Mitzi turned him to face her, and he knelt.

  “You are going to do fine.” She took his face in both hands and kissed him briefly. “You’ve already been amazing to them. Just be you.”

  Dan nodded. The door opened and it was Talwick.

  “Geez.” The goblin said. “Do you two ever stop?”

  “Sometimes.” Mitzi said with a devilish grin. “Just not when you’re around.”

  “Well you better, Mitz. It’s time.” He thumbed over his shoulder.

  Dan stood.

  “Thanks man.” He said to Talwick, who nodded to him.

  Mitzi took his hand.

  “Remember. It’s no biggie.” She said. Again, he nodded.

  He stepped out onto the back porch and all talk stopped. The brood was gathered around the fire pit and the fire in it was huge. He realized they were all either wearing their best clothes or their work livery. Everything sure looked formal all of a sudden.

  Mitzi led him down the stairs and up to the fire pit. They had, thankfully, pulled a lawn chair up across from Runt and Geharadeen.

  He sat.

  The two old goblins watched him silently, as did the brood. Dan raised a hand to them.

  “Hi.”

  The brood laughed. Runt rolled his eyes. Geharadeen smiled.

  “I take it Mitzibah told you nothing of the ceremony?” The matriarch asked him.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Good.”

  She walked around the fire with a large, wooden bowl. It looked hand fashioned. There were no carvings adorning it. No script lined the rim. No magical aura surrounded it. The only thing that it was, was ancient. She handed the bowl to him carefully. There was a yellow, cloudy liquid inside it.

  When he held that bowl, he could feel worn places on it. The places where countless goblin hands had been. And now there were his. He held it reverently. He could feel generations before him through that bowl. He WAS worried about the liquid in it though.

  “What is your full name, child?” Geharadeen asked him.

  Dan almost gave them his short name, but that wouldn’t do here.

  “Danathan Thomas Turberville.” He said. He felt Mitzi’s hand on his shoulder. She was proud of him for that.

  “Danathan,” Geharadeen said, “we would have you join our people. You are only the second human to my knowledge to do so. Is this acceptable to you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “In the Everywhen,” she continued, “vows are sacred. We do not make or treat them lightly. As such, we only ask one vow of you.”

  Dan swallowed. This was more than a promise. But he had made up his mind already.

  “Whatever it is, I’ll take it.” He said. Geharadeen nodded.

  “It is simply this. You will protect and treasure this tribe, your brood. Your family.”

  Dan blinked.

  “I already do. But I swear on this ridiculous name I was given by a woman who wouldn’t accept me, that I will protect and treasure this family that does.”

  He felt Mitzi squeeze his shoulder. He couldn’t see her, but he thought she was crying. There was sadness and pride coming from her.

  Geharadeen nodded to the bowl, which Dan took as a signal. He lifted the bowl to his lips and didn’t give himself a chance to think twice. He drank deeply.

  When he lowered the bowl, he saw the old woman smiling and he laughed.

  “Chicken broth. You old weasel.”

  Geharadeen cackled and the brood as a whole laughed with them.

  He passed the bowl back to the matriarch, who drank before passing it to Runt, who finished it off.

  “Thank you.” Dan said quietly.

  “Thank YOU, child.” Geharadeen said as she came around the pit to embrace him.

  The goblins went bedlam.