Ten years later

James whistled to himself as he pottered around in the conservatory, putting garden tools away and straightening up the cosy star-watching nook he'd created after they'd purchased the property. He traced the stars Rose had drawn on his arm that morning and smiled. The Perseids peaked late that night, and they always watched the meteor showers together.

Sometimes, they still made the trip to Exmoor or one of the other Dark Sky locations, but more often than not these days, they stayed at home. The viewing wasn't as clear, but…

The door banged open. "Daddy, Daddy!"

"Over here, Ella," he called out, standing up so his six-year-old daughter could find him.

A moment later, she came running around the corner, her eyes wide and her arms flailing. Even though he couldn't see any injuries, something on her face still set James' heart racing. And when she skidded to a stop in front of him and her whole body trembled, he immediately dropped to his knees and started running his hands over her body.

"What's wrong, darling? Are you hurt?"

Ella bit her lip, looking exactly like Rose. Then she held out her left arm and pointed at a drawing he knew was hers, and handwriting that definitely was not.

"Oh!" he whispered.

"I was just drawing Moggy, Daddy," she said, referring to their old cat, "and then words showed up under him."

James chuckled at the simple caption his daughter's soulmate had added to her drawing. Nice cat. Does it catch mice?

Then he took her by the hand and led her to the couch. "You know how Mummy will sometimes draw things on our arms?" he said, turning over his arm so she could see the most recent example.

Ella nodded; she'd always loved to trace the sketches Rose drew on them.

"Well, that's because we're soulmates." She opened her mouth, and James hastened to explain. "That's like… two people who will always be the very, very best friends."

Ella looked down at her arm. "You mean someone else saw my drawing of Moggy, an' they're going to be my bestest friend in the universe, like you and Mummy are?"

James blinked a few times, then managed a smile. "That's right, Ella. Your very bestest friend. Why don't you go show Mummy, and she can give you the right kind of pen so you can talk to them?"

Ella rose up on her knees and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Daddy!" she said, then dashed out of the conservatory.

oOoOoOoOo

The evening was a whirl of celebrating Ella and her soulmate. When they finally got her to bed, Rose learned from her mother's mistake and gave her daughter pen with washable ink, so her sheets wouldn't stain.

James disappeared while she was tucking Ella in. He'd been unusually quiet all through dinner, the teasing banter between father and daughter almost non-existent. Ella was too excited to notice, but Rose definitely did.

Once Ella was asleep, she grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses and made her way to the conservatory. She found James staring out the windows, his arms crossed over his chest.

Rose watched him for a few minutes, then set the wine and glasses down and took his hand. "Come sit with me?" He looked down at her, and she wished there were more light so she could see the expression on his face.

After a moment, he nodded and they sat down on the couch. Rose curled into his side and traced patterns on his chest with her finger, trying to break through the melancholy that had gripped him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, once she thought she'd given him enough time to relax.

James sighed, but didn't speak for a long moment. "Ella found her soulmate today," he said finally.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "I know," she said. "She was pretty excited."

He sighed. "She called her soulmate her bestest friend in the whole universe," he told her. "And… Rose, I'm not ready for someone else to be more important in my daughter's life than me."

Rose cuddled closer and pressed a kiss to his chest. "You'll always be her Daddy," she said, keeping her voice soft. "No soulmate can ever take your place."

"Really?"

She looked up at him and cupped his jaw. "Really, love. Finding you was one of the best moments in my life, but it didn't make me miss my dad any less."

The lines around his eyes relaxed. "You know, they found each other with a drawing of a cat, just like us," James said, and she finally heard a hint of good humour in his voice.

Rose chuckled. "It must be the Tyler gift," she teased. "Catching our soulmates with cat sketches."

James kissed her temple. "That's still my favourite thing you've ever drawn." He paused for a moment, then said, "Do you think they'll be as happy as we are?"

"I think they're meant for each other, just like we were. What they choose to do with that gift is up to them."

James smiled and pulled Rose into his lap. He still wasn't sure he liked the idea of his baby girl finding her soulmate, but Rose was right. It didn't really change their family, and it would mean the world to Ella. He thought back over all the times Rose had been there for him since the moment they'd first connected.

"You know what, James?"

Rose's soft question pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked down at her. "What, love?"

"You were right. Our life together has been fantastic."

James ran his hand through Rose's hair, then tilted her head so he could kiss her gently. When he broke the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "And it's only just begun."