by Sandra Cole
Abbie had discussed it further with her mom, but she wasn’t sure how much she understood, and Rex had told his own family – to a very mixed reaction – so there was a lot riding on this. If the rest of the world could accept what they meant to one another, then their friends and family would come afterwards… surely?
“I would like to start by saying that I would appreciate it greatly if you would all keep an open mind.” He took a few deep breaths, finally looking nervous. “So you have all heard about my girlfriend – Abbie – and her supposed indiscretion.” The room buzzed for a moment before falling into a hushed silence. “Well she did nothing wrong. She is an amazing woman who I love very much…”
What? Love?
Abbie glanced up at Travis, but he didn’t look shocked at all. Her mind was reeling, but she tried to put that information in a box to deal with later.
“Abbie and I are in a polyamorous relationship with Travis Bunney, the man she was pictured kissing, and we are very happy…”
More was said, but Abbie didn’t get to hear it over the questions yelled from around the room. There was so much noise, but she could pick out a few, instantly overwhelming her.
How does that work?
What do your families think about this?
How will this work in the long term?
All of a sudden she felt dirty. She didn’t like all those people picking through her private life like it was public property, and she started to feel overwhelmed. Travis gripped tightly onto her, holding her upright, but she found herself falling anyway.
“We love you,” Travis whispered to her, pulling her from the room. “We both love you very much, and we can make this work no matter what.”
Love.
That was the only word she needed to get her through anything.
***
It wasn’t easy. In fact, the three of them had to live through nearly a year of intense media interest, abuse and confrontation about their relationship. But somehow, with the help of each other, they made it through and came out of the other end of it stronger than ever. They were well and truly in love, and extremely solid. It seemed like their temporary relationship was becoming something permanent after all, which made Abbie very happy.
After the first few months of exhausting media scrutiny, which they all really hated, another celebrity got caught in a drug-addled orgy, and the attention and focus was taken off of the three of them. The respite allowed Abbie to see just how it was all worth it. Now that people had lost interest, she was able to see the relationship clearly, and she liked it. Their lives were much easier, and they’d finally gotten to a place where they were all really happy.
Even their families were starting to come to terms with them, including Rex’s mom who had decided to believe that true love was more important than anything else. They hadn't met her yet, but they felt like that time was coming and they were all prepared for it. They had already suffered one awkward dinner with Abbie’s family. She did not want a repeat experience.
Abbie lived in Rex’s home, and so did Travis these days – most of the time anyway. He kept his own home for when any of them needed space, which helped them to keep as strong as they were. It allowed them to take time out when needed, giving them the breathing space to grow.
But things were about to change all over again. The boys didn’t know it yet, but Abbie was sitting in the bathroom, waiting for that stick to reveal one line or two. They hadn't exactly planned to bring a baby into their situation, but they hadn't exactly been careful either. Abbie was happy though, she knew that if they were strong enough to go through all that they’d suffered, then they could do this too.
Of course, they wouldn’t know who the biological father was, but that didn’t matter. They were a solid family unit, and that amount of love would be enough to keep any child safe and happy.
The long three minutes that she spent waiting for the truth to reveal itself, she imagined how their future would look, and it was all really good. They would remain a solid unit, they would raise their child, and they would be happy forever more.
Tick, tick, tick…
Her eyes finally flickered down, watching the test reveal itself, and it was the news that she’d wanted all along. Two blue lines… positive.
They were having a baby!
“Travis!” She called out excitedly. “Rex! Come here, you’ll never guess what!”
She raced from the bathroom, too excited to wait for them to join her. She needed to tell them about their new future, and she needed to do it now.
THE END
= Bonus Book 6 of 7 =
Terraformed Skies
A husky man with tan skin and sweat on his brow pulled off his shirt and wiped the beads forming on his forehead. He sighed and looked around, admiring the luscious green fields filled with all manner of vegetation. Leaning against his shovel, he looked over at his compadre and pointed up at a ship flying overhead.
“It looks like another shipment of seeds,” he commented as he slung his shirt over his shoulder.
“Indeed,” said his friend who leaned over to break the long vines keeping the pumpkins attached to the ground.
“Do you need help, Peter?” Leonard asked.
“Not at all, amigo,” Peter replied.
Leonard watched as Peter broke the vine and then seamlessly hoisted the great pumpkin over his shoulder, turning to begin heading towards the greenhouse.
“What are you doing tonight, Leonard?” Peter asked while waiting for his friend.
Raising the axe over his head, Leonard struck the vine and detached the pumpkin in one swift motion, lifting it just as easily as Peter had. The two began walking carefully up the winding path towards the greenhouse where the vegetables would be tested and weighed, then sent to the factories surrounding the field to be distributed.
“Well, I had thought about getting dinner at the café, but now I’m not so sure,” Leonard replied.
“Why is that?” Peter asked.
“I’m just not feeling terribly social,” he responded, adjusting the great pumpkin on his muscular shoulder.
“I can understand that, amigo. Would you feel better if I went with you?” Peter offered.
“Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ve got some packets at home that need to be eaten,” Leonard replied.
“Alright. Just let me know.”
The two walked steadily along the path, admiring the ships hovering overhead that were retreating for the day. In the distance, the sun was setting slowly and casting long shadows over the fields. The moon behind them loomed large in the sky, signaling the oncoming night. Leonard noticed the group of agriculture scientists inside the greenhouse who were bustling about in preparation for shutting down.
I can’t wait to head home and rest, Leonard thought. I might even skip dinner.
They reached the edge of the greenhouse and carefully placed the pumpkins in the scale. Leonard entered the weight on the keypad, and pressed his finger in the miniature black box that documented their growth for the day. The keypad displayed a gold star and beeped, congratulating him for a productive day. Leonard smiled and stepped aside to allow Peter to do the same.
“What are we harvesting tomorrow?” Leonard asked, wiping his hands on his work pants.
“I think we’re doing another round of pumpkins,” Peter replied, tapping the buttons in the keypad.
“Sounds good, amigo. I’ll see you then,” Leonard said while waving.
Leonard walked around the greenhouse and headed toward the main office, punching the numbers into the digital keypad and clicking on his name. A smiley face appeared on the digital display and wished him a good evening, Leonard offering a small grin in response.
“Good evening, computer,” he muttered as he walked through the door.
Inside, Leonard ran into another co-worked named Donnell who was wrapping his hand with gauze and an ice pack.
“Good evening, amigo. How did that happen?” Leonard asked, getting a
bottle of water from the fridge.
“I must have lifted incorrectly,” Donnell explained while holding his hand steady. “I really ought to get that serum.”
“The extended life serum? It’s certainly worth the price,” Leonard explained before taking a sip of water.
The cool liquid slid down his throat and settled in his stomach, immediately hydrating him.
“I’m just afraid of losing my living wage,” Donnell said.
“They’ll debit the cost in installments from few paychecks if that works better for you,” Leonard said. “You’ll still have half to use for everything else.”
“I suppose I should do that,” Donnell said with a sigh. “Say, did you catch the game this past weekend? It looks like our province is on a winning streak.”
“Oh, I didn’t get to watch that. I was working overtime,” Leonard replied, adjusting the hat on his head.
He stared at the fridge as Donnell outlined a play by play of the game, noting how their victory was due to a mistake on the opposing team. Every so often, Leonard nodded to show Donnell he was listening even though he had long since zoned out into his own head. He was tired. The day’s labor had taken a toll on him today. That was odd considering his new found strength and resilience. He had taken the extended life serum six months prior.
For most field workers, it was recommended, having been tested for four years before finally being released to the public. Leonard was one of the first to give it a try and he had reaped the benefits ever since. He found his own muscles had nearly doubled in size and were capable of handling weight that typically required machines to transport.
“...and that wasn’t even the greatest goal since 3086 when Flank Fennegan had scored during a triple threat match,” said Donnell.
Leonard raised his eyebrows in Donnell’s direction. Donnell had a wide grin on his face from describing his favorite hockey matches.
“They didn’t even have time to shave the ice. The ground was so uneven that it was near impossible to get a goal,” he explained. “And yet we won!”
“That sounds amazing,” Leonard commented, raising the water bottle to his lips again.
The digital television on the wall announced a province-wide curfew for factory and field workers, explaining that they were doing construction in the Green and Red fields to increase the fertility of the soil.
“What do you know about that?” Donnell asked.
“Nothing thus far. My chip hasn’t alerted me of much since I got it put in,” Leonard replied.
“Mine just randomly advertises games and products,” Donnell explained. “I’ve regretted having it implanted ever since.”
“They’re useless,” Leonard said.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that too loud,” Donnell warned while grabbing his bag. “I’ll catch you tomorrow, amigo. Sleep well.”
“You, too, compadre,” Leonard said.
The room fell quiet when Donnell left, the silence ringing in Leonard’s ears as he focused back on the digital screen.
“In other news, our great province has won another victory in the world series of hockey, taking the stadium by storm as spectators stormed the field in digital drones...”
This doesn’t interest me, Leonard thought. Why am I still watching this?
As the television droned on, he exited the office and made sure the door was firmly shut behind him. The last time he had left it unchecked, his superior had threatened to fire him on the spot. After pulling the handle twice, he walked in the direction of the monorail which would take him straight to his apartment.
A wave of drones floated in the skies overhead and he could see faded images flash over his eyes, the chip in his right temple outlining the benefits of the new curfew. It was 6:22 PM and he had to be in his apartment by 7:15 PM, according to the news anchor. He tapped his temple twice and the images disappeared, giving him some silence until he had to turn it back on before bed.
The monorail pulled up as soon as he stepped on the platform, some late afternoon workers following him into the miniature pod. As they rolled along, most of them stared up into space, likely zoned into their own chips about the news, soap operas, or documentaries. Leonard stepped off on the third exit and walked up the cement sidewalk towards apartment C12, which housed what few belongings he owned. His eyes scanned the studio apartment and he sighed, watching the aquarium display in his window flash digital fish across the glass.
In his mind, he heard a digital female voice announce, “Curfew commencing in thirty minutes. Workers must be in their homes. Curfew commencing soon. Works must--”
Leonard tapped his temple again, sure that he had turned his chip off before stepping on the monorail. He must have been mistaken. Stepping over the threshold into the shower, he stripped and turned up the hot water. The shower head sputtered and then a steady stream of warm, soothing water fell upon his shoulders which eased his aching muscles. The next day, he would be doing the same routine, and the day after that as well. He wondered when he might be able to find himself a decent partner, a woman who would be of the same social class to greet him in their home after hours.
Perhaps a day would come when he wouldn’t feel so alone. His compadres had each found their own bit of happy in a wife, and he longed for the companionship. There was nothing more satisfying than having a family, propelling the human race forward in order to keep developing. There weren’t many women who would take a field hand as a husband, but he was sure there was a woman out there who would love him and his rough exterior.
The muscular shoulders rolled on the bed, loosening the tension in his neck. He stretched out and smiled, dreaming of a world where he had a wife and family, the house, the land, and maybe even his own growing business.
Could he have something like that? He could hardly pay for much, but he was saving little by little. He might put a deposit on a piece of land. It would secure his future family and give them a place to belong. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so down lately – he just wanted to have a family and be happy.
Soon, he thought with hope. I will have my happiness soon.
***
A woman with long brown hair and a determined gaze bent over a variety of green plants with a baster, dipping it between leaves and squeezing a few drops of her new serum into the soil. Erika Hopper was one of the lead agricultural scientists in the greenhouse where she developed new ways to increase the size of the food before it even grows. Her seeds have been one of the most successful in the province and provide the best nutrition for growing families.
Next to Erika stood her tall Guilderan friend, her blue skin glimmering in the soft morning light. She leaned over to study the teal leaves and took notes on her touch pad.
“These are looking quite wonderful,” she commented.
“Thank you, Ulita. I’ve been working hard on this batch,” Erika said.
“I wonder if we could increase the hormonal percentage by a few notches just to get the product bigger,” Ulita said.
“Well, we don’t want to increase it too much. That would just cause the roots to tangle together and take too much water,” Erika replied.
“You’re right, amiga,” Ulita said. “Would you like for me to get the other batch ready?”
“Sí, that would be splendid,” Erika replied.
While Ulita went to the other end of the greenhouse for their supply of seeds, Erika scrolled through the charts displayed in front of her eyes using her thumb. She tapped her thumb twice on her palm to enlarge a growth chart, and smiled at her success.
This has been a good year for us, she thought.
Ulita returned with a jar of seeds and handed them to her co-worker. Erika closed the charts by tapping her palm three times and resumed normal vision. She opened the jar and pulled out a few seeds to place under the microscope.
“These are doing well. Let’s send this batch out to be planted tomorrow,” Erika said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ulita replied. “I’ll
put them on the chart list.”
Ulita looked down at her touch pad and tapped a few keys, updating the system that charted the amount of seeds sent out each day. Erika received an alert from her chip about the update and she approved it.
“So, what are your plans this evening?” Ulita asked, picking up the jar to set in the distribution window.
“I’m not sure yet. I was thinking of joining Jo and Myra down at the bar. Would you like to come with us?” Erika asked.
“That would be lovely!” Ulita responded. “Isn’t there a new one opening up soon?”
“I believe so. It’s supposed to be an exclusive club purely for higher salaries. I imagine that means more expensive drinks,” Erika replied.
Ulita giggled.
“They just want the excuse to charge more,” Ulita commented. “Besides, it might be nice to be in like-minded company.”
“I don’t mind being around the field workers,” Erika said. “I think it’s great to have a different perspective.”
“Sure, until they start drilling you with questions about your work,” Ulita said.
Erika shrugged.
“I don’t ever get tired of explaining it,” she said.
“I do,” Ulita retorted. “It just gets aggravating. They’ll say, ‘Wow! You do all that amazing science! How does it work? Where do your ideas come from?’”
“Well, when you put it that way, yeah,” Erika said. “Redundancy is quite annoying.”
“Absolutely. And they always want to know your future plans,” Ulita said.
“Like they want you to be part of them,” Erika joked.
The two laughed and went back to trimming the plants on the table, taking samples of the teal leaves to pick apart and check under the microscope. Erika checked off a few things in her touch pad and then set it on the table. She then fixed her long hair into a ponytail.
“You know, I wouldn’t mind settling down with a field worker,” Erika said.
“That would be quite a scandal,” Ulita commented.
