Page 19 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

When he went to bed again after that, he finally fell asleep and slept soundly for the whole twenty-three minutes until his alarm went off.

Chapter 8

Maya

“Dear Maya... Sorry, I made a mistake.”

I’d dreamed of seeing these words from Walter, but getting his letter that morning didn’t make me feel much better. The letter was too short and sounded too formulaic, though I had no time to ponder what that could mean.

Alcus Hecear knocked on my door shortly after, about one hour before my morning exam. Dressed in the Liaison Committee’s gold-and-white uniform, his long horns painted with yellow polka dots, a bright smile on his face, he was the picture of cheerful friendliness.

“Tea?” he asked, lifting the tray with tea and breakfast patties that were on the list of approved foods for me.

I blinked at him in confusion. “Isn’t our meeting supposed to be next week?”

“It is. But I was in the area and decided to drop by for a chat, if it’s alright with you?”

“Of course, it is.”

I liked Alcus and wouldn’t mind his company even if I wasn’t generally starving for interaction as a result of this study that kept me in isolation. After a few minutes of chatting over tea, however, I realized it wasn’t just a friendly visit. Alcus was too focused with his questions.

“Do you feel sad? Lonely?”

“Any signs of homesickness?”

“Do you wish for closer communication from back home?”

It sounded like a therapy session.

“Is it about the meltdown I had yesterday?” I finally asked.

He shifted on the cute, round couch in my small living area.

“Professor Thormus is worried,” he said carefully. “He called me last night...”

Oh boy. As much as I’d tried not to make a big deal out of my personal life, it somehow had gotten out of control. Now, more people were involved.

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