He reclined in the overstuffed chair that had become his favorite respite when proprietorially confined to quarters. The coffee in his cup tasted Colombian, the sugar was cane, and the music floating in the air sounded like Gershwin with a modern arrangement. Rianya joined him, climbing into the extra wide chair and making herself comfortable in his embrace.
Her mane encircled him; he put his face in her silky hair and inhaled the soapy citrus perfume that always dropped his shoulders and enticed him to breathe deeply.
“This is nice,” Tom said, stroking the locks of Rianya’s hair, sweeping the same few that always seemed to fall in her eyes to one side. She settled in deeper; he held her tighter.
“I had an idea,” Rianya said quietly.
“Hmmm?” Tom drifted, closing his eyes.
“Why don’t we take Honey into our family? Make her a sister to Zalara?” Tom opened his eyes and immediately thought about what Dr. Adams told him in the morning. She might have well asked him not to think about it.
“You want us to adopt her, legally?”
“I don’t know. I thought she could just live with us.” Tom lifted Rianya away from him a bit so he could see in her eyes.
“I have to talk to Mills. He’s in charge of notifying family about changes in status of a crew member. He keeps all the personnel records. She likely has grandparents on Earth.”
“It’s going to be a long time before we get back to Earth. What about until then? She’s just a little older than Zalara, and I had an older sister. It was good for me, and I for her, too.” Tom thought about that a moment. Honey was only six years old. She’d only be eight when they got back to Earth, barring any time travel issues, of course. Eight, not eighteen.
“Why don’t we ask her to think about it.” Rianya’s eyes flickered a wee bit.
“I knew you would have the smart answer,” she said and snuggled back down on him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her warmth upon him like a blanket.
“Is something bothering you?” He was caught! Quick, don’t think about Honey, think about zebras or quasars or the plague.
“Just thinking about the plague again. Sorry.”
He loved her so deeply it physically hurt to imagine a future without her. Adams had to have mixed up one sample with another, and that answer was the one he was going with.
“When do we get to Kinnae?”
“Oh, um, six weeks. Depends on our speed. We have to contact the science team and let them know we’re on our way, finally.”
“Tonight, Bailey put together a special celebration dinner. I helped her and so did the girls, and Zoe. She had some fresh foods brought up from Cinco on the last run.”
“Oh, joy,” Tom muttered. “Cinconian food.”
“No, not the bad food, just eggs and some of their plants. Our water garden is getting sparse.”
“Think of all the things we can get on Kinnae,” he said, and finished his coffee. “I bet the science team is ready to go home, though.”
“I’m more excited than I show right now.” She lifted her head and looked directly in his eyes. The scalloped edges of her pupils seemed to mesh with the slivers of amethyst, mulberry, lilac and grape. Her eyes were the most intoxicating vision in his life, even after competing with every celestial body and phenomenon in the galaxy.
“I bet you are.”
Rianya thought excited might be putting it softly, but she didn’t have a better word in Human. Ecstatic might be a good one, or Euphoric. She yearned for her parents and sister to see Zalara, to hold them and show them how good Tom had been to her. She almost quivered and jumped forward to kiss Tom on his cheek, his jaw, and if he would just drop that shoulder she could get in there and kiss his neck too. She at least made him smile and hold her tighter.
That feeling started washing over her. That inexplicable need to be closer than touching, closer than bare skin, crept up quickly and engulfed her self-control. Tom accepted her kiss but he didn’t return the passion she wanted. He broke their bond and dried the mist from his lips.
“There are two little kids in the next room,” he reminded her.
“What does that matter? Zalara sleeps in our bed half the nights. That never stops you.”
“But Honey doesn’t.” Rianya didn’t see what the problem was. They are children, not other adults. “This is between us, just you and me, and I don’t want to share.” His need for privacy could be irritating at times. She felt his aura shrink and vanish from her; a cool fog settled between them.
“What’s going on, Tom?”
“Maybe they can both go to Bailey and Keith’s tonight, after the dinner?”
“You are not here. What going on?” She could feel a brick wall drop in front of him. “It been hard many days and I only want love you.” Tom got out of the chair and took his coffee cup to the kitchenette.
“There’s a time and place, and this isn’t it. It’s not private.” An empty hole opened up in her chest and it terrified her. He had never once turned her away before. Then she began to fill with anger.
“So, what is right for now and here if not passions?”
“I just have something else on my mind. I don’t want to worry about interruptions or disappoint you because I can’t stop thinking about that mummified…person.”
“The commander? He won’t interrupt us. I’m certain he’s dead.” She moved around in the chair until she was comfortable. No longer thinking about intimacy she wanted to know what had come up between them. How could the corpse have anything to do with it?
“Rianya, I’m not sure about keeping Honey here with us. I feel terrible about Cat, worse than terrible, but I’m not sure it would be the best idea. She doesn’t belong here.”
“What does Honey have to do with the mummy?”
“Nothing!” he asserted. Tom turned away from her and poured himself another cup of coffee. He took a sip without his customary sugar deposit and spit it back in the cup. “Blech. Sugar, it needs sugar.” He pulled a container off the shelf and fluxed in a significant quantity.
Rianya got out of the chair and marched up to face Tom where he stood. He took a step backwards from her and bumped into the countertop.
“You want some coffee? I have creamer cubes.”
“What does Honey have to do with the mummy?”
“Nothing. They’re two separate issues on my mind. I just have so much distracting me.” She considered that was plausible. She also considered he was lying. “What time is the dinner tonight? I seemed to have missed the announcement.”
“Eighteen hundred.”
“I’m going to take a shower and get ready.” Tom left the room promptly and Rianya stood alone with Gershwin drifting above her head.
So many things had happened in the last month, all starting with that dried-up body that made her so deathly ill. It was still screwing up her life. Although she’d been excited about it at first, now it was just a big problem. She followed Tom into their bathroom and shut the door. The water was running.
“Um, yes?” Tom said with a smile. He abandoned his shirt on the floor.
“Now it private.” Her dress slipped to the tile and she stepped into the shower without taking her eyes off her man, shaking her shoulders just a bit. Tom took the bait.
“This is really good.”
“I know something better.” He looked at his final bite and then up at her.
“You’re certainly feeling energetic today.”
“Umm,” she cooed. “Maybe I let you rest until morning.”
“This is nice,” Tom said, stroking the locks of Rianya’s hair, sweeping the same few that always seemed to fall in her eyes to one side. She settled in deeper; he held her tighter.
“I had an idea,” Rianya said quietly.
“Hmmm?” Tom drifted, closing his eyes.
“Why don’t we take Honey into our family? Make her a sister to Zalara?” Tom opened his eyes and immediately thought about what Dr. Adams told him in the morning. She might have well asked him not to think about it.
“You want us to adopt her, legally?”
“I don’t know. I thought she could just live with us.” Tom lifted Rianya away from him a bit so he could see in her eyes.
“I have to talk to Mills. He’s in charge of notifying family about changes in status of a crew member. He keeps all the personnel records. She likely has grandparents on Earth.”
“It’s going to be a long time before we get back to Earth. What about until then? She’s just a little older than Zalara, and I had an older sister. It was good for me, and I for her, too.” Tom thought about that a moment. Honey was only six years old. She’d only be eight when they got back to Earth, barring any time travel issues, of course. Eight, not eighteen.
“Why don’t we ask her to think about it.” Rianya’s eyes flickered a wee bit.
“I knew you would have the smart answer,” she said and snuggled back down on him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her warmth upon him like a blanket.
“Is something bothering you?” He was caught! Quick, don’t think about Honey, think about zebras or quasars or the plague.
“Just thinking about the plague again. Sorry.”
He loved her so deeply it physically hurt to imagine a future without her. Adams had to have mixed up one sample with another, and that answer was the one he was going with.
“When do we get to Kinnae?”
“Oh, um, six weeks. Depends on our speed. We have to contact the science team and let them know we’re on our way, finally.”
“Tonight, Bailey put together a special celebration dinner. I helped her and so did the girls, and Zoe. She had some fresh foods brought up from Cinco on the last run.”
“Oh, joy,” Tom muttered. “Cinconian food.”
“No, not the bad food, just eggs and some of their plants. Our water garden is getting sparse.”
“Think of all the things we can get on Kinnae,” he said, and finished his coffee. “I bet the science team is ready to go home, though.”
“I’m more excited than I show right now.” She lifted her head and looked directly in his eyes. The scalloped edges of her pupils seemed to mesh with the slivers of amethyst, mulberry, lilac and grape. Her eyes were the most intoxicating vision in his life, even after competing with every celestial body and phenomenon in the galaxy.
“I bet you are.”
Rianya thought excited might be putting it softly, but she didn’t have a better word in Human. Ecstatic might be a good one, or Euphoric. She yearned for her parents and sister to see Zalara, to hold them and show them how good Tom had been to her. She almost quivered and jumped forward to kiss Tom on his cheek, his jaw, and if he would just drop that shoulder she could get in there and kiss his neck too. She at least made him smile and hold her tighter.
That feeling started washing over her. That inexplicable need to be closer than touching, closer than bare skin, crept up quickly and engulfed her self-control. Tom accepted her kiss but he didn’t return the passion she wanted. He broke their bond and dried the mist from his lips.
“There are two little kids in the next room,” he reminded her.
“What does that matter? Zalara sleeps in our bed half the nights. That never stops you.”
“But Honey doesn’t.” Rianya didn’t see what the problem was. They are children, not other adults. “This is between us, just you and me, and I don’t want to share.” His need for privacy could be irritating at times. She felt his aura shrink and vanish from her; a cool fog settled between them.
“What’s going on, Tom?”
“Maybe they can both go to Bailey and Keith’s tonight, after the dinner?”
“You are not here. What going on?” She could feel a brick wall drop in front of him. “It been hard many days and I only want love you.” Tom got out of the chair and took his coffee cup to the kitchenette.
“There’s a time and place, and this isn’t it. It’s not private.” An empty hole opened up in her chest and it terrified her. He had never once turned her away before. Then she began to fill with anger.
“So, what is right for now and here if not passions?”
“I just have something else on my mind. I don’t want to worry about interruptions or disappoint you because I can’t stop thinking about that mummified…person.”
“The commander? He won’t interrupt us. I’m certain he’s dead.” She moved around in the chair until she was comfortable. No longer thinking about intimacy she wanted to know what had come up between them. How could the corpse have anything to do with it?
“Rianya, I’m not sure about keeping Honey here with us. I feel terrible about Cat, worse than terrible, but I’m not sure it would be the best idea. She doesn’t belong here.”
“What does Honey have to do with the mummy?”
“Nothing!” he asserted. Tom turned away from her and poured himself another cup of coffee. He took a sip without his customary sugar deposit and spit it back in the cup. “Blech. Sugar, it needs sugar.” He pulled a container off the shelf and fluxed in a significant quantity.
Rianya got out of the chair and marched up to face Tom where he stood. He took a step backwards from her and bumped into the countertop.
“You want some coffee? I have creamer cubes.”
“What does Honey have to do with the mummy?”
“Nothing. They’re two separate issues on my mind. I just have so much distracting me.” She considered that was plausible. She also considered he was lying. “What time is the dinner tonight? I seemed to have missed the announcement.”
“Eighteen hundred.”
“I’m going to take a shower and get ready.” Tom left the room promptly and Rianya stood alone with Gershwin drifting above her head.
So many things had happened in the last month, all starting with that dried-up body that made her so deathly ill. It was still screwing up her life. Although she’d been excited about it at first, now it was just a big problem. She followed Tom into their bathroom and shut the door. The water was running.
“Um, yes?” Tom said with a smile. He abandoned his shirt on the floor.
“Now it private.” Her dress slipped to the tile and she stepped into the shower without taking her eyes off her man, shaking her shoulders just a bit. Tom took the bait.
~~~
Bailey had put together a buffet fit for an admiral with some help from the off-duty crew. On the long table, an arrangement of fresh seaweed supported small crusty bites of seasoned bread and little colorful vegetables or fruits, something resembling tomatoes. Small roasted birds, stuffed with bread and dried fruit began the food parade. A dark red fish poached and garnished with citrus followed. A square bowl of peas and corn, and a tray of biscuits, both accompanied by curls of white butter and a dish of relishes finished the main course. Another table of assorted pitchers beckoned the diners to imbibe with colorful, sparkling fragrant liquids. At the end – sugar cookies shaped like Saturn and a dense cake of some kind covered in white icing.
“Rianya, Sweet, I want to ask you something,” Bailey said coming up behind her at the captain’s table. Rianya invited her to sit. “It’s about Honey. She’s so terribly sad every night, and I thought maybe Zalara could stay with us tonight, try to keep her busy, keep her mind off her mother.”
Rianya glanced at Tom and turned back to Bailey.
“Yes, I think it would be good for both of them. Why don’t you ask Zalara and see what she says?”
“I will. I know she’s a little young for sleeping away, but they’re such good friends, and we’re like an extended family.”
“We are a family, Bailey,” Tom told her.
“Have you two had a night alone since she was born?”
“Oh, a few times,” Tom said. He glanced down, remembering Bailey had come upon him and Rianya in the galley when they'd pushed the stock pot off the counter. Her eyes danced above her grin and she left before another word passed.
Rianya watched Tom finishing off a slice of cake. He froze and looked across the table at her with the last bite on his fork.
“Rianya, Sweet, I want to ask you something,” Bailey said coming up behind her at the captain’s table. Rianya invited her to sit. “It’s about Honey. She’s so terribly sad every night, and I thought maybe Zalara could stay with us tonight, try to keep her busy, keep her mind off her mother.”
Rianya glanced at Tom and turned back to Bailey.
“Yes, I think it would be good for both of them. Why don’t you ask Zalara and see what she says?”
“I will. I know she’s a little young for sleeping away, but they’re such good friends, and we’re like an extended family.”
“We are a family, Bailey,” Tom told her.
“Have you two had a night alone since she was born?”
“Oh, a few times,” Tom said. He glanced down, remembering Bailey had come upon him and Rianya in the galley when they'd pushed the stock pot off the counter. Her eyes danced above her grin and she left before another word passed.
Rianya watched Tom finishing off a slice of cake. He froze and looked across the table at her with the last bite on his fork.
“This is really good.”
“I know something better.” He looked at his final bite and then up at her.
“You’re certainly feeling energetic today.”
“Umm,” she cooed. “Maybe I let you rest until morning.”
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