Ha. Cifa believes Anrel is adorable when she’s got baby food smeared all over her and is in a bad mood. I often think I’m a distant second to Anrel in Cifa’s heart. Not that I mind. I want whatever clan I end up with to swear the sun rises and sets on my daughter. Cifa fits that mold. He’s been wrapped around her itty-bitty pinkie from the moment he first saw her. He was born to be some little girl’s daddy.
I winked at him. “She’s been fussed over while we’ve been gone. You won’t have to work too hard to pick up where you left off on spoiling her.”
He pretended to be offended. “I beg to differ. I have everything intention of indulging her until no one else can stand her but me. Then I’ll have her all to myself.”
I giggled at him. Cifa would never do anything in opposition to Anrel’s best interests. He might dote on her, but he’d draw the line at letting her become a brat.
“A cruise next week, huh?” I had been looking forward to the prospect of playing on the oceangoing vessels owned by Cifa and his siblings. They’re supposed to be the height of luxury. Of course, after staying in the grandiose Clan Aslada mansion for several weeks, my idea of luxury had expanded quite a bit. I’m more of a beer and burger gal, rather than champagne and caviar. Yet Clan Seot was laid back despite their wealth. I’m a bit dazzled by their life, but not overwhelmed.
“I told you my brother and sister are bringing their clans too, and we’d hoped your mother would join us. How is she?” Being a natural caregiver, Cifa switched from what he wanted to the needs of others in a flash.
“She’s doing well in the Galactic Council’s rehab facility. She sounds like a different person now that she’s free from our drama.” I hid a twinge of hurt.
“Excellent. It’s too bad she won’t be on the trip. Do you have anyone else you wish to join us? There are two cabins available for your friends. They can bring along any clan they are considering too.”
“I can ask Candy and Katrina.” The idea made me happy. “Katrina’s clan has gone back to Earth, so she’d be solo. By the way, you have to stop calling Candy ‘Matara Hubba-hubba’. It embarrasses her.”
Cifa slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too loud and waking Anrel. His first encounter with Candy and her vocal appreciation of Clan Seot’s physical attributes were always fodder for amusement.
Speaking of appreciation of physical attributes, I turned my attention to the dark and silent third of the clan. “As a Nobek, is a relaxing vacation not something to look forward to?”
When Larten smiles, which is often for a Nobek, it’s pure decadence. Sort of like the biggest, most luscious hot fudge sundae that has ever existed. You know it’s evil, that you’re better off avoiding it, but you indulge anyway. He was wearing that smile as he looked at me, making my insides all twisty-turny.
“Actually, any break from my meathead trainees is greatly appreciated. Especially if it means seeing you in a soaksuit. Or less.” He leered without shame.
Larten always makes me laugh, despite the fact he’s danger personified. He trains young Nobeks in camps allotted for the ferocious breed. He never misses a chance to insult them. His scorn is usually hilarious in nature, as long as the listener isn’t the trainee he’s smearing the reputation of. He’s invented a billion uses for the skins of useless students: from Tragoom loincloths to his personal toilet paper.
Cifa had his handheld out, tapping up a storm. “Will Candy bring a potential clan?”
I gave him an uncomfortable smile. “Um, maybe. I have a feeling it might be just a Nobek, if he can take off from work.”
That raised eyebrows. “Oh, this is great gossip,” Cifa enthused. “Go on.”
I told them about Nobek Stidmun and Candy’s suspicion that she was a one-man woman. “They’re crazy about each other. I thought it was just infatuation at first, but Candy could be right. He might be the only man she can love.”
“Hmm. That will present a few problems down the road,” Seot mused. “I don’t envy them that, given our society’s norms. Still, who’s to tell them they’re wrong if they love and want only each other?”
“Earther ways.” Cifa’s gaze was distant. “One man and one woman. Seems lonely to me. Romantic too. Imagine that, to be someone’s one-and-only.” He gave Seot and Larten a sly look.
“I’ll check my food and drink for poison from now on. Seot, leave a note to be found in the event of our sudden deaths, detailing our suspicions that Cifa wanted Shalia all to himself,” Larten deadpanned.
Cifa nudged him. “You know better than that, my Nobek.” Adoration shone in his eyes as he looked at his clanmate. Seot shook his head and chuckled at the pair. Those three are so amazing together.
Because I can never seem to shut up around them, we talked all the way up until the shuttle reached the landing pad. We promised to see each other in person soon.
With attendants in tow who carried all Clan Aslada’s gifts and my luggage as I held Anrel, we made our way to the Matara Complex. I was ‘home’ again.
Sweet prophets, my quarters were a featureless shoebox after the opulence of Clan Aslada’s home. It was so tiny in comparison! Utilitarian too. The presents took up a ton of my cramped space. Where was I supposed to put all that stuff?
I sighed and thanked the attendants as they bowed and left me. I made Anrel my first priority, changing her diaper and putting her in her crib. I spent a few moments watching her sleep, relishing having her all to myself.
Where had the time gone? Anrel was six months old, growing before my very eyes. She was no longer the tiny baby who’d been born weeks too early. She was still an infant, but a big one, a heavy armful of cuddly sweetness. I’d noted the clothes Snoy had insisted be made for her, tossing out what I’d brought for her to wear. I thought he’d been spending all of Clan Aslada’s money on dresses and tops and skirts for appearance’s sake. Now I wondered if perhaps she’d been outgrowing everything she’d had, requiring the new wardrobe.
To test my theory, I went to some of the shelves in the closet-sized room. I’d left behind some of Anrel’s clothes there, folded neatly. I shook out a shirt and compared it to my sleeping baby.
Holy cats. Anrel had grown huge in the weeks we’d stayed with Clan Aslada. She was at least two, probably three sizes bigger than when we’d gone to Esofu. At this rate, she’d be as big as any Kalquorian woman.
I studied her, marveling at my beautiful, healthy girl. Her glossy black hair was a cap on her round head and had a tendency to curl. Her cheeks were round, the kind that tempted even the coldest-hearted to pinch. Big eyes, that when opened, resembled sideways teardrops. A nose that reminded me of my own, inherited from my mother. Sweet little rosebud lips that would stretch into the happiest of smiles.
The surge of adoration that hit me was enough to rock me on my feet. Sweet prophets, I love my perfect Anrel. Love? What a weak, pathetic word. It doesn’t do justice to the profound feelings I have for my baby. How did I get so lucky? How is it she came to me? I have no answers for those questions. Just gratitude.
I feared if I looked at her any longer, I’d either wake her by bawling with emotion or picking her up and hugging her breathless. I had to leave the room or be overwhelmed by her.
I went to the kitchen, fixed some coffee, and collected myself. I had to laugh at how hard I’d been walloped by my feelings over Anrel. It’s astounding how love can knock you for a loop.
With coffee in hand, I commed Candy. “You’re back!” she squealed. “Katrina, Shalia’s home! Katrina’s with me.”
“So I guessed,” I chuckled.
“Can we come over?”
“Of course, but Anrel’s asleep. She’s still on Esofu time.”
“We’ll be right there.”
It was terrific to see the women I considered my sisters. Katrina looked wonderful, better than how she’d been when I’d run off. I guess the grief at being separated from her clan was easing. Always athletic, she beamed radiant health as she brandished a bottle of sh
el.
“You’re still growing your hair out.” Her gray, well-styled locks were waving over her ears and down her neck.
She shrugged. “My clanmates keep asking me about trying it out longer. Siko says it’s not fair that I do all the hair pulling.”
“He has a point. You might enjoy that action,” I advised our senior gal pal.
“I’m sure I will, but I’m not too crazy about this in-between stage.”
“Don’t listen to her. She looks good and she knows it,” Candy said. Our resident cheerleader was her typical blonde and bouncy self. I haven’t met anyone bubblier than Candy. That quality often leads even those who are familiar with her to forget the formidable brain she possesses. She’s so girlish and enthusiastic that it’s sometimes easy to discount her.
They peeked in on Anrel, of course. I let them go in alone, worried I’d turn weird and emotional again. I used the excuse that I needed to find glasses for the shel. I bolted down my coffee and returned to the greeting room to pour the bottle Katrina had left behind.
My friends wore identical expressions of shock when they returned to my greeting room. “What the hell did you feed her while you were away?” Katrina sat down. “I almost didn’t recognize my grandbaby.”
“She’s grown so much!” Candy flopped onto the lounger next to her. “I can’t believe how much she’s changed since we last saw her.”
“It’s not just me then,” I said. “It knocked the wind out of me earlier.”
“A toast to our healthy girl.” Katrina raised her glass.
“You’ll toast anything,” I laughed, but I lifted my glass as well.
Candy took a happy swallow. “Anything new on your mom?” she asked.
I sank down on a floor seating cushion. “Not since our last conversation.” I’d kept them up to date on everything as far as Eve was considered.
“I’m sorry her staying here didn’t work out,” Katrina said. “Are you all right with it?”
“I can’t deny it hurts. It was for the best, though.” I was coming to terms with my mom’s recovery needing to be a large distance from me. As she had pointed out, we couldn’t work on our tumultuous relationship until she sorted herself out. Just because surgery had corrected the chemical imbalance that caused her bipolar disorder, it hadn’t fixed decades of poor coping skills…or our admittedly rocky past.
“What’s up for you next?” Candy asked.
“A sea cruise. Want to come?”
“Oh, Clan Seot’s turn. Don’t I wish I could go on a cruise.”
“You can. Katrina too. You’re both invited on Cifa’s newest floating paradise for its shakedown.” I was as effervescent as Candy as I shared the happy news.
Katrina’s brows rose, and Candy gasped. Blond ringlets sprang up and down as she bounced on the lounger. “Really? When? Can I bring Stidmun? He has vacation saved up!”
“I figured you wanted the big stud man along for the ride. He can come along if he can make it here by the end of next week.”
“I’ll have to com him immediately. A high-speed shuttle would make it, but he’ll have to book passage now.” Candy dashed out into the corridor to make her call, tossing a “Thanks, Shalia!” over her shoulder as she went.
I turned to our older friend. “And you, lovely lady? Are you ready to bask under the sun, explore new vistas, and sail the high seas?”
She chuckled. “I’ll sit it out, sweetie. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Oh, Katrina! Why won’t you come?” I gave her my saddest expression.
“I have a job. Remember?”
“They won’t give you time off? What if I threaten to break their legs?”
“I’ve only been the liaison here for a few weeks. It’s too early to be galivanting off.”
“Galivanting is what you do best,” I teased.
She winked. “I am incredible when it comes to that. There’s more to it. I’d find it difficult to enjoy myself watching you and Candy being romantic with your paramours. It would remind me of how much I miss my men.”
I deflated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think the offer would bum you out.”
She waved me off. “No, no! I appreciate it. It means a lot that you’d invite me along. But I’d feel like a fifth wheel. You know I insist on being the belle of the ball.”
I grinned. “I’ll tell you what. If things work out between me and Clan Seot, I’ll insist Cifa give you and your clan a free jaunt to celebrate when Wotref, Ret, and Sika return.”
Katrina raised her glass to me again. “I’m not going to pretend I’m above taking advantage of my friends in high places. I accept your offer.”
My door opened and Candy came back in. “We have shopping to do, Shalia. Find out how many ports we’re visiting, so I can buy a different soaksuit for each one.”
“Yay!” I cheered. “Stidmun’s on his way?”
“He has to put in for it, but that shouldn’t be a problem. It’s getting here that will cut it close. He can always join us at one of the stops, right?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Ahoy, mateys. We’re going to sea.
December 8 (early)
While I can help myself with stim tabs and coffee to adjust to the time change between the capital city and Aslada’s home, I do not want to screw with Anrel’s schedule via chemical means. It’s going to take a while to put her to rights naturally, so I anticipate suffering for at least a couple of weeks. Case in point: she woke up in the deepest dark of the early morning. I slept two hours. Groan.
I hauled my pathetic carcass up and dosed myself with a stim tab and coffee after changing and feeding my early bird. She was so sweet and chirpy that I couldn’t be grumpy. With the world outside still fast asleep, I played with her to make her giggle. Peekaboo was a big hit. I laughed as hard as she did when she went wide-eyed as I suddenly re-appeared from behind my hands. The look on her face was hilarious.
I set about opening the presents Clan Aslada had sent along with us, starting with the goodies for Anrel. Toys, toys, toys. She was delighted with them, more for their bright colors and musical noises than anything else. And chewability. Let’s not forget that. That child loves to exercise the two lower teeth she’s sprouted.
One gift made me particularly happy. It was a handheld computing device, constructed super durable for children. It would read from a huge trove of stories, both in Kalquorian and four Earther languages. It also played songs, presented counting games, and displayed floating vids from a vast library of educational files. I was impressed with the teaching device.
Other boxes held more clothes for her, no doubt lovingly chosen by Imdiko Snoy. I made a note to com him later so he could speak to Anrel. No doubt he was at a loss as what to do with himself this first day of her absence.
With Anrel happily occupied, I opened the gifts with my name on them. I had the sneaking suspicion the larger items would be gowns. Yep. A dozen Kalquorian-style gowns, the fabrics rich and flawless and impeccably embroidered. Goodness, when would Clan Aslada learn such things were impractical for me? Once in a while it’s fun to dress up…but I can’t pull off wearing gowns on a daily basis with the same ease that Kalquorian women do. Ah, but they were stunning dresses. I can’t say I didn’t imagine myself in each of them, preening before adoring gazes.
Ha! I am such a ridiculous creature.
Smiling as I mused on how Aslada, Meyso, and Jaon’s eyes would light up to see me gliding about in the sumptuous frocks, I opened a smaller box. I damned near yelled in my shock at what I found. I stopped myself from crying out for fear it would upset Anrel.
A necklace of red, blue, and green gemstones glittered at me, set in gold filigree. It was stunning. Utterly spectacular. Magnificent.
I thought, no way those were real rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. They couldn’t be. Because if they were, I was looking at what would have amounted to a fortune back on Earth.
I haven’t been lucky enough to have been in the company of many pri
cey jewels. Maybe it’s just really exquisite costume jewelry. As rich and extravagant as Clan Aslada is, I worry it could be the real thing.
I worried more when I spied five other similar-sized packages waiting to be unwrapped. My heart pounding, I opened them.
Earrings. Bracelets. Another necklace, a two-inch wide choker covered in what might have been diamonds. I shook my head, trying to convince myself they had to be fakes. Splendid, exquisite fakes. They had to be. Right?
“Please, please don’t be real,” I whispered to the dazzling array. I thought my head would explode.
Why was I so overwhelmed? It wasn’t as if I’d asked Clan Aslada to buy me a wearable treasure trove. This gesture was entirely their making. Maybe I’m a gold digger in that I’m looking for a clan suitable to raise my daughter, but that’s the long and short of what I’m after. Good, solid men to share our lives with is what I’m digging for. Love has to be the main ingredient, not money.
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