Lilac Valley

A Proposition

Humans who are not married to magical creatures must get out of magical towns.

That sentence is on the radio, TV, in newspapers.

Within a week, two more magical towns were attacked.

The magical shield can go up at any time.

Amber shows up at Con and Eddie's door.

"I need your help," Amber begs. "I can't leave Lilac Valley. Not now. Is Con here?"

"Night shift," Eddie says.

"I lied to him," Amber admits. "I told him Kyle is your son. He doesn't know that we never had sex. I need you to go along with it. I know I cheated on you. I know I left suddenly. I don't want to leave this time."

"Are you asking me to marry you?" Eddie asks.

"Will you have me?" Amber asks. "It's that or Kyle and I have to leave. Kyle needs to be here. I need to help."

"You want me to move in with you and Kyle?" Eddie asks.

"Con will be fine on his own," Amber says.

"I don't want a fake wife," Eddie says.

"I still care about you Eddie," Amber says.

"Is that why you cheated on me and left?" Eddie asks. "It took me two years to get over you. You don't know who I am."

"You're a dental resident and you live with Con," Amber says. "I know about your dad. What else is there to know?"

"I'm bi," Eddie says.

"Okay," Amber says.

"I'll do it for Con," Eddie tells her. "In the hopes that one day, you'll tell him the truth."

~

"This is crazy!" Con says. "Don't do this, man."

"He's my son," Eddie says. "I want to be a good father. Amber needs to stay on the town board. A human perspective is important."

"You know I like her," Con says.

"You slept with her when she was my girlfriend," Eddie points out.

"I shouldn't have, but you don't marry someone because you're lonely or you have a kid with them," Con explains.

"You're terrified of being alone," Eddie says.

"I'm not," Con says. "But maybe you're just replacing Roger. He didn't want to go off to Provincetown and get married. All you think about is marriage! Everyone's married now. You can't..."

"You don't want me to be happy?" Eddie asks.

"This isn't a real marriage," Con points out.

~

The five of them meet the next morning at the Amethyst Café for breakfast.

"You can't," Autumn says. Eddie looks at Con. "Yes, he called me. You can't marry Amber."

"But Kyle is my son," Eddie says. "This is for the best."

"You can be involved in Kyle's life without marrying Amber," Autumn explains. "You can't marry someone, so she won't get kicked out of town or because you're feeling lonely."

"I've already made up my mind," Eddie says.