The Child of Surprise

Epilogue: To the Coast

 Nine months later

It was the last day of Geralt's paternity leave before he was due to return to work. He wouldn't be going back on a full-time basis, though—one of the many benefits of owning his own company was that he could set his own hours. But as much as he'd loved the last nine months at home with Etta and Jaskier, a part of him was itching to get back to the office. His priorities had changed a lot in the last year—his family would always come first—but he still enjoyed his work.

Jaskier, meanwhile, had no desire to return to low-paid jobs that he'd ping-ponged between for the last decade. When Geralt had carefully broached the idea that when he returned to work, how Jaskier felt about caring for Etta on a full-time basis, his boyfriend had jumped at the chance. He had taken to his daddy duties like a fish to water, and admitted to Geralt that for the first time in his life, he felt like he was really good at something other than singing—perhaps, even better than that. That said, Jaskier seemed to have found a new muse in the form of their daughter. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he had started writing music again, and found Geralt and Etta to be the most attentive audience, always happy to listen to his new ballad.

Yes, going back to work would be a bittersweet experience, but Jaskier had argued that it was an important milestone, and thought that they ought to celebrate the occasion accordingly. When Jaskier had suggested that they head to the coast for the day, Geralt wasn't keen. He was no fan of the sand or the water, but with no alternative suggestions, he relented. They took an early train south to Hastings with Triss and her girlfriend, Vara, Yen and her partner, Istredd, and their two young children in tow.

When they arrived at the beach a couple of hours later, Geralt couldn't help but admire their peaceful surroundings: the shingle beach was backed by a long line of grand, whitewashed Edwardian hotels and a two-layered promenade. Unlike Brighton, Hastings Beach was mercifully quiet, which suited Geralt just fine. As Geralt and Jaskier set up camp for themselves and Etta on the beach front, Yen and Istredd wandered off to the nearby pier with their children to explore the attractions. Triss and Vara disappeared in the opposite direction in search of the obligatory fish and chips that were the staple of any trip to the British seaside.

Geralt watched Jaskier sit cross-legged with Etta on a beach towel, lathering her fair skin with suntan lotion and chatting to her about the time he'd attended the Hastings Music Festival. Etta was more interested in inspecting the pebbles at her feet, and when she tried to put one in her mouth, Jaskier quickly plucked the shiny stone from her grasp and handed her a plastic spade instead. She frowned at the spade for a moment before throwing it a short distance away and laughing uproariously like it was the funniest thing she had ever seen. Jaskier, however, was unperturbed. Clambering back onto his feet, he grabbed the spade and matching bucket in one hand before scooping Etta up in the other.

"The tide's out," he pointed out. "Etta and I are going to make a sandcastle. You fancy joining us?"

"Do I have to go into the water?"

Jaskier shrugged. "You might have to use the bucket to get some water for the moat, but you don't have to go swimming in it."

Geralt smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds fun."

He took the bucket and spade from Jaskier so that he could hold his hand and the three of them headed down to the water together. If anyone had asked Geralt where he saw himself in two years' time, the last thing he would have said was a day at the beach with his family. He never would have guessed that spending one fateful night with Jaskier would change his life forever, and change it for the better. But life is full of surprises, and a child of surprise was the best of them all.