by Marla Monroe
“You promise you will be careful and not take any risks?” she asked, placing her hands on his chest.
“I promise, little one. I would never do anything that would take me away from you. You make my life joyous. You are the most important person to me.”
“I guess there’s nothing I can say to dissuade you, so I’ll just keep quiet.”
“You are my life, Andrea. I will not cause you pain.”
Andrea stood on tiptoes and pulled Coreg’s head down to kiss him. He deepened the kiss, placing one hand at the small of her back and the other one on her ass. She smiled into the kiss, thinking how male of him to grab her ass.
“What is so humorous to you?” Coreg asked pulling back.
“The fact that you grabbed my ass. It’s something a human male would do.”
“I’ve been taking notes from PJ on how to treat you. He often grabs your hind area.”
“Evidently you are a quick study,” she said, her mouth widening even more.
“We are okay now?” Coreg asked, his brows furrowing together.
Andrea sighed. “Yes. But if something happens to you I’ll never let you forget it.”
“I understand.
“Hey, you guys, what’s going on?” PJ walked into the living area, home from work.
“Coreg just laid a bomb on me,” Andrea said.
“What?” PJ frowned.
“About him going on another trip to the ship to get more stuff. I don’t like it that you guys discussed it without me. I should have been in on it.” Andrea pulled back from Coreg and fisted her hands at her hips once more.
PJ actually winced. “Sorry. I knew you’d be upset and wanted to put it off until today. Coreg insisted that he needed to be the one to tell you. I thought we should tell you together, but he was sure you’d understand better getting it from him.”
“It’s not fair for you two to gang up on me. It’s two against one and I’ll never win that way.” Andrea crossed her arms and tapped one foot. “I won’t stand for it, PJ.”
“It won’t happen again. I told you that if Coreg and I had a difference of opinions we’d settle it between us and not involve you, but you’re right, if it concerns you outside of that, we should include you.” PJ squeezed her upper arms then kissed her lightly on the lips. “It won’t happen again, babe.”
“You’re darn right it won’t. You’ll both be in the doghouse if you try it again.” Andrea glared at both men then returned to her sewing.
“What is this doghouse that she will put us in?” Coreg asked. “What is a dog?”
“You know those little Viggy things some of you have as pets? It’s kind of like that. If you do anything that upsets your female, she will be angry and not talk to you or anything for a while. That means you’re in the viggy house.”
“Oh. That is not good then. Viggies don’t like to share their sleeping space.”
“Right. Do they have fleas?” PJ asked.
“What are fleas? I don’t know that word either.”
“Little biting insects.”
“I don’t believe so.” Coreg eyed Andrea as if he was afraid of her wrath.
Well, he should be. I can’t believe they talked about something this serious without me. Probably because they knew I’d never agree to letting Coreg go. If he hadn’t already committed to it, I’d forbid him now.
Andrea knew it would make him look weak if she demanded he stay home now that it was all planned. She wouldn’t do that to him. Still, it wouldn’t stop her from sticking her nose up at him until time for him to leave in the morning. Then she’d hug and kiss him good-bye. She wasn’t about to send him off worried about her feelings. He needed to be at top speed and watching out for himself instead of worrying about her.
She watched as the two men talked, smiling to herself as PJ attempted to explain doghouse to Coreg. They were so funny sometimes. It hit her then. She loved them. Both of them. They were important to her and did their best to make her happy and she loved them with all her heart. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but it had.
The two men walked outside as they discussed the trip Coreg was taking the next morning. She heard enough to know that PJ was giving him more directions to where things were in the hold of the ship. She was surprised and relieved that PJ hadn’t wanted to go as well. That would have been more than she could have handled. More than likely PJ knew that and refrained from insisting.
How was she supposed to tell them that she loved them? Somehow just coming out with it didn’t seem right, and telling them once they finally made love would cheapen it to her. Often words of love and devotion where spoken after sex that really weren’t true. No, she wanted it to mean something when she told them.
Maybe she’d come up with a way while Coreg was gone on his mission. It would give her something to think about other than if he were okay out in the jungle with all the dangerous animals that Levasso had out there. Plus, she had her sewing to keep her busy. She smiled. She loved them and was sure that they cared deeply about her. Maybe that meant they would come to love her as well. She liked that idea, a lot.
Andrea thought about Della and Caro. They seemed to love their men a lot and the men doted on the women as if they were the most precious thing in their lives. She wanted that kind of relationship with Coreg and PJ.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Lettie walked in. The other woman had been visiting with Tegrig and Honrig at the park that was on the edge of town. It was a safe place with vegetation that boasted flowers and a large pond where funny looking birds swam. Some looked like a cross between a fish and a duck.
“Coreg is going back to the ship to bring back more of our things.”
“Wow. That’s great! I hope he finds some of my stuff. I miss having my parents’ pictures.”
“Mostly they are going to grab what they can from the hold of the ship. Did you have any pictures in what you had packed?” Andrea asked.
“Yeah, my favorite was in my quarters, but I doubt they can even get there.” Lettie sighed. “Do you miss your family much?”
Andrea thought about it. “Some. I should miss them more, but I know it’s useless. I’ll never see them again. More than likely the Earth fell apart already and my brother is on some other planet trying to survive. There’s nothing I can do about any of it.”
“I know you’re right, but I still miss them. They were great parents. They did everything they could to get me on the ship, so I’d have a chance at surviving.”
Andrea nodded at the other woman. “It sounds like they loved you very much. Hold on to that. Not all the women here had a good home life like you and I did.”
“I guess I didn’t think of that,” Lettie said. “I don’t think Cindy Grenada did. She’s gotten over her injuries, but she’s very quiet and doesn’t talk much about her past.”
“You’ve been a good friend to her. I’m sure she appreciates it,” Andrea said.
“What about you and Coreg and PJ? Is everything going okay between the three of you?” Lettie asked.
“Yes, it is. Other than this trip Coreg is going on. I don’t want him to go, but I understand that he wants to help. I’ll get over it.”
“Don’t stay mad at him, Andrea. He’s totally gone on you. I’ve never seen a man look at someone like he looks at you. Well, I guess I see it in Della and Caro’s men, but the way Coreg looks at you is as if you hung the moon in his eyes. PJ is in love with you for sure. He’s always watching you with those sappy puppy dog eyes of his.
“Puppy dog eyes?” Andrea laughed. “I hadn’t thought of him having those.”
It pleased her that Lettie thought the men loved her. It went a long way to convincing her to tell them that she loved them as well. Maybe soon. First, they had to get over the hurdle of making love.
The two men walked back in twenty minutes later laughing about something. Andrea looked up from the dress she was hemming.
“What’s so funny?” she
asked.
“Deiog is attempting to make toys for the young we are all expecting. So far, they are not going well. He’s using our history tapes to go by,” Coreg told her.
“Maybe some of the men from Earth can give him some pointers,” Andrea suggested.
“That’s what we’ve been doing. He’s exasperated right now.” PJ chuckled.
“Maybe if he started with small things like simple blocks with letters painted on them, he can graduate up to something easier.”
“The blocks are a good idea,” Coreg said. “But, we use different symbols than your human alphabet, and the human males are arguing about that.”
“I see.” Andrea thought it was funny. “Well, it will be a while before they can play with toys anyway. Right now, they will only need soft things that are not dangerous to them.”
“That is what PJ told them. The males who make our clothes are working on small dolls as you call them. Plus, one of our other males is working on safe products for teething and chewing for the young.”
“Great idea. I think that if you can find the crates that there are a lot of baby things on the ship since we were supposed to have babies pretty soon after we landed. They thought of what we would need to begin with.”
“I will look out for that. One of your unattached males is going with us. I hadn’t realized that. The Major John Lance is going to help us find what we are seeking. It will go a long way to cutting down the time we will be out there.”
“I’m glad he’s settled down now. He was against our women from settling down with any of the Levassians,” PJ said. “Now he’s more relaxed and admits that he was jealous since there were so few women, and his had died during the crash.”
“Some of the human males have come to terms that they might not end up with a woman of their own, and are spending more time working,” Coreg added.
“I feel sorry for any man who ends up without a woman to make them happy. I wish there had been more of us to survive,” Lettie added.
“I hope there won’t be any fighting when the last of our women settle down. That would be so sad.” Andrea set the dress aside. “I’m going to work on supper. Any requests?”
“Anything you make will be fine with me,” Coreg said.
“I’ll help. I want to talk to you.” Lettie followed Andrea into the kitchen.
“What is it? You seem a little jumpy.” Andrea pulled out a meal package from the food unit.
“I want to settle down with Tegrig and Honrig, but wanted to know what you thought about it.”
“Do you care about them? Not just like them, but really care about them?”
“I do. They are so good to me and haven’t rushed me or anything. I feel like it’s time.”
“Lettie, only you can answer that. I like the two men and how they treat you. If you want to settle down with them, I’m happy for you.”
Andrea was happy for Lettie but worried that the woman was so young. Should she wait and see if someone else caught her eye, or go ahead and form a family unit with the two men now? She couldn’t make that decision for the other woman.
“Thanks, Andrea. I was scared you’d insist that I wait. I’m going to wait a few more weeks before I make the decision. They aren’t pressuring me or anything. They’ve said to take all the time I need, that they aren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s good. Let it settle in with you before you give them a final answer. You might think of other things you need to talk about in the meantime.” Andrea thought it was very adult of the other woman.
Maybe she wasn’t giving Lettie enough credit for knowing what to do with her life. She’d seen her as young and naïve instead of a young woman who’d boarded a spaceship bound for a distant planet not knowing what to expect. Lettie had a good head on her shoulders. She’d make the right decision, and regardless of what she decided, Andrea would be there to talk when she needed to.
“Are you upset about Coreg going on the trip to get more stuff off the ship?” Lettie seemed to pick up on Andrea’s unease.
“Yeah, but I can’t be mad at him. He’s only doing what he thinks is the right thing, and I admire him for suggesting it to the council to allow it.”
“I know a lot of the other women here will be really thankful to have more of their things. It’s one thing to end up on a strange planet, but it’s altogether different to land somewhere without anything to remind you of home.” Lettie touched on what Andrea had been thinking herself.
“I know that having my sewing machine really made me happy and has helped me settle down more with living on Levasso. Without it, I think I’d have gotten depressed pretty fast.”
“See, your Coreg is going to help make it easier for everyone to be more comfortable living here.” Lettie hugged Andrea before taking one of the bowls she’d filled over to the table.
Andrea sighed. The other woman was right. She needed to let it go and try not to worry about Coreg. Her anxiety would bleed over to him and he needed his head on the trip and not on her.
“Supper’s ready guys,” Lettie called out.
They talked during the meal about what was going on around the city. Coreg shared the council’s take on several things, including females working outside the home. It seemed they were loosening some of the restrictions in order to make the women happier. Andrea thought they were wise after all, instead of restrictive men who knew nothing about them. It just took some time.
“I’d like to work at one of the health clinics,” Lettie said. “I’d planned to go to nursing school before everything happened like it did back on Earth.”
“That is something I’m sure they would allow since you wouldn’t be in any danger,” Coreg said. “Most of what they don’t want is anything that will put a female in danger. They are very supportive and proud of your sewing, Andrea. They think you’ve found a niche and the fact that you’re happy has gone a long way to lightening their beliefs about women working.”
“I’m glad. Our women are used to contributing to society. There will probably be a few who just want to keep house and care for the children, but some will want more. Oh, and there are some who will want to be educators for when the children grow old enough to learn in school.”
“That will be another discussion with the council,” Coreg said with a sigh.
“Why do you say that?” Lettie asked.
“They will of course want them to learn all about Levasso and the Carrdine Galaxy as their home. Plus, they will need to learn our way of life since it is now yours. I can foresee that your people will want them to learn your life and language as well. I’m not sure how that will all work together.” Coreg looked over at PJ.
PJ shrugged. “Children learn best at an early age. On Earth, most young children were taught a second language along with the English they learned. They pick up on languages and other skills easily when young. Some preschools taught them both languages at the ages of four and five.”
“That should be communicated to the council once it becomes an issue. I supposed we have two or three years before it will become necessary to do so,” Coreg said.
“I wonder what the babies will be like?” Lettie said.
“There’s no way to tell until they are born. I know their health checks have been fine and the expecting females are in excellent health,” Coreg told them.
“Are they going to be bigger than normal?” Lettie asked, looking over at Andrea with concern in her eyes.
“Yes, they will be some larger but not too large for them to deliver. If for some reason they have difficulty, their health leaders will remove the babies from them so they are not harmed in any way.” Coreg passed the bowl of vegetables to Andrea.
Lettie looked confused. “I thought they were called healers.”
“They are, but the senior healers are our health leaders,” Coreg told her.
“So, they know about C-sections. Good. I wondered if that was ever performed here,” Andrea said.
“But there ha
ven’t been any babies born here in a long time. What about the health leaders? Have they ever performed one before?” Lettie asked with wide eyes.
“Um, I suppose not, but they have probably done countless simulations since the females announced they were carrying young. Believe me, they are prepared for every possible situation,” Coreg assured her.
“Don’t worry so, Lettie. You are not even pregnant. They will have a lot of practice taking care of us by then.” Andrea was reassuring herself as much as Lettie.
The idea that they hadn’t taken care of a pregnant woman or a baby scared her. She was sure that Lettie, being so young, would be frightened. Especially when she was contemplating becoming a family unit with Tegrig and Honrig. Andrea wondered if that thought would color her decision on whether to agree to joining them now or not. She wouldn’t blame the girl if she changed her mind.
Andrea thought about what that meant for her. Once they started becoming intimate to the point of having actual sex, her chances of becoming pregnant were great. Of course, the physicians, or health leaders as they put it, would have some experience by then if she did. Was she okay with that? Well, if she was going to have sex she’d have to be. And Andrea knew that time was growing closer. She couldn’t expect the men to go without forever while they shared a bed.
“What are you looking so concerned about?” PJ asked.
“Just thinking about how Caro and Della might be feeling about being guinea pigs,” she lied.
“What are guinea pigs and why do you say the females are those?” Coreg asked.
PJ laughed. “Guinea pigs are like being experiments. Caro and Della are the first women to have babies here on Levasso, so their deliveries will be experimental to your physicians or health leaders as you call them.”
“Oh, well, I suppose that is true, but their health is of the utmost importance to all of Levasso. Nothing will be spared to keep them safe and healthy. We all want young playing in our city once more.” Coreg smiled and patted Andrea’s hand. “Do not worry so, little one.”
