It had, Elisa thought now. Liam had changed everything. Adopting Liam had changed their lives for the better.
Now, here it was, six years later. She had a home, husband and a wonderful son.
Elisa dressed with care, choosing her clothing carefully. With Goliath, Elisa was cautious to dress with flight in mind. She didn't want to lose anything in mid-air like, say, her shoes. Her top. Or anything else embarrassing.
She chose an ice blue dress, reminiscent of the sun dress that she had worn on their first date. She chose a small black bag and habitually placed her phone, badge and wallet inside. Paired some strappy sandals that actually laced half way up her calves and were guaranteed not to come off, she was put together.
Giving in to a purely feminine moment, she used a curling iron to throw some loose curls into her hair, and a spritz of her favorite perfume. She loved being female, but working in the NYPD, even though she had busted her ass to get where she was, it was still very much a male dominated environment. There were those who had known her for years, some who had known her father and brother who had also served the NYPD, that still thought of her as a "pretty lady" first and an officer second.
New recruits or older men on the force, the "old boys" club was still very much in action within the NYPD.
In moments like this, however, she could indulge.
Elisa glanced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, and gave her hair one last toss.
"Just in time," She thought, glancing outside to where the sun had begun to set.
She made her way through her living room, and out to the large open courtyard that Fox Xanatos had designed and had built for her. The walls surrounding the yard were chest high to her, which came as a relief once Liam had started walking and getting into mischief. Stone seating areas surrounded a covered stone fire pit that provided light and warmth for everyone during the long winters in New York. Some of Liam's riding toys were left here and there, among which was his red tricycle that Goliath had spent hours with her trying to assemble last Christmas.
There were a few trees, unbelievably, and a few raised flowering beds of vegetation. Her condo was actually two stories tall on the top of the Jade Building, with courtyard access from the rooftop courtyard or an external set of stairs that led directly into her bedroom. The walls were covered in large glass windows that had remote controlled blinds in each room. It had been everything that she had been looking for a few years ago when she had been forced to look for a new place to live.
Elisa sat on one of the large stone benches and looked up into the sky. The clouds were brilliant with the pinks and oranges as the sun began setting. The sunlight tended to disappear quickly in Manhattan as the sun disappeared behind the towering stone buildings and skyscrapers of the city, but the lingering colors stained the sky for one of Mother Nature's more colorful displays.
Slowly, even those colors began to fade.
As the last rays of the sun faded and the first stars began to appear, the familiar sound of stone cracking met Elisa's ears.
Even after all these years, the sight of Goliath breaking free of his stone skin still made her heart leap. With a roar, he stretched and extended his wings, effectively knocking the last of the stone pieces and dust from his body.
As the last of his roar faded, Goliath draped his wings around his shoulders and turned to find his wife smiling at him and grinning.
"Good evening," He said solemnly and formally bowed.
"And to you, kind sir," Elisa joked back, curtsying. Goliath had taught her to do a deep curtsy as they had done a thousand years ago at the courts in Scotland. The fact that she was able to do so without falling over was a small victory.
He smiled and swooped her into his arms. "Happy anniversary," he whispered as he nuzzled the top of her head .
"Happy anniversary," Elisa whispered back, laying her head against his shoulder.
They stayed that way, content to just be together, for a few minutes before either one of them was ready to pull away.
Goliath lifted his head, and glanced around. "Where is Liam?"
Elisa chuckled. "He is staying with mom and dad for a couple of days."
Goliath looked down into her face and raised a brow. "He is not here?"
"Nope," Elisa confirmed.
The smile that spread across his features was one that she knew only too well. "I know that you had plans to go out, Elisa…"
Elisa winked at him, "Nothing that can't wait."
He leaned down and kissed her gently, carrying her back into their home.