Page 28 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

I would’ve loved to chat with the friendly woman, but the professor didn’t have that much patience.

“How about the pajamas?” he reminded her with a pointed look.

“Oh, yes. This way, please.” The woman led us out of the labyrinth of stands filled with pretty dresses and into a section of the store that displayed loungewear and lingerie. “What are you two in the mood for? Naughty or nice?” She swept her arm along the wall display of lingerie ranging from pink and frilly, to bright and see-through, to black and shiny.

“Wow...” I exhaled, taking in all this goodness.

The professor’s sharp cheekbones darkened with blush. He cleared his throat. “Something far more practical, please.”

“And comfy,” I added, then clarified, “We’re not married.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose to the thick curls of fur between her horns. “You’re not? Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her gaze darted from Professor Thormus to my belly, then back again. Recognition spread on her lively face. “Oh, how so very silly of me!” she exclaimed, grabbing his hand. “You’re Professor Kear Umhra Thormus! With Madam Maya Gupta! I should’ve recognized you two from the newspaper pictures right away. I’m a huge fan of your work.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, looking around as if searching for a place to hide.

“Please take a seat.” She gestured at an armchair in the fitting room area. “I’ll have the drone bring you some refreshments. Meanwhile, I’ll take care of Madam Maya. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

As the professor sat in an armchair, sipping the bitter Voranian tea, Lievoa grabbed a few pajamas and ushered me into a changing room.

Choosing a set of pajamas took me all of two minutes. However, Lievoa didn’t stop there. Before I could change back into my pantsuit, she’d stuffed the fitting room with cute maternity dresses, pretty bras, and sexy panties.

“I have shoes, too,” she informed me, scowling at my worn hospital flats. “I order quite a few styles for my sister-in-law and her friends from Earth. Well, technically, she’s my...what? Cousin-in-law? Since she’s married to my cousin? But she really feels like a sister to me. I love her. She’s great.”

I eyed the colorful treasures she’d hung up all over the fitting room. “But... We just came here for the pajamas.”

“Oh, I’m sure Professor Thormus doesn’t mind my making you look presentable, do you, Professor?” she called out to him from behind the screen blocking his view of the changing room.

He muttered something into his cup of tea. It could very well be, “Yes, I fucking do.” But Lievoa chose to interpret it as, “No, absolutely not. Go ahead, Maya, buy anything this nice lady throws at you and more.”

“See?” She beamed. “Let’s start with this dress. I’m dying to see it on you.”

After two rather exhausting hours, two more pots of tea for the professor, and his visit to a barber in between, Lievoa and I finally settled on three maternity dresses, two more pairs of cozy pajamas, and some loungewear for me to wear around the hospital without looking like I’d just jumped off the examination table. She also found me a pair of fuzzy slippers and adorable shoes with flower rosettes and cushioned soles that made the shoes feel as comfy as clouds beneath my feet.

I tried the shoes on and didn’t want to take them off. They felt so comfy, despite their heels. The cute kitten heels clicked cheerfully on the hard floor of the store when I took a few steps around the room, testing the fit.

“How do you feel?” Lievoa asked, giving me a once-over. “Because you look fantastic.”

“The shoes are so comfy!” I gushed. “And the dress... Oh, it’s simply gorgeous.”

I smoothed my hands down the soft, green fabric of the maternity dress I was wearing. It had see-through sleeves embroidered with tiny flowers, reminding me of spring. I smiled, admiring my reflection in the mirror. I looked pretty, fresh, happy. Glowing.

“Comfy shoes are important for people with feet,” Lievoa nodded, tipping her brightly painted horns. “Feet are very delicate. I’ve learned that from my sister-in-law. She loves the foot massages that my cousin gives her all the time.”

“Foot massages are nice,” I agreed.

Lievoa swung the screen aside, proudly presenting me to the world, even if the professor was the only one out there right now.

“What do you think, Professor Thormus?”

Dropping his tablet on the magazine table by his chair, he rose to his hooves. His violet eyes traveled from my face down to the cute heels on my feet then back up again, studying me as if he saw me for the first time. His gaze left me warm, a heat wave passing through my body in its wake.

I cleared my throat, fidgeting with the silky material of the dress.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Very,” he echoed, taking a step closer.

It felt warmer here than it was inside the fitting room. Or maybe it was because the professor came closer? So close, I could smell his cologne. I never knew he wore any, and maybe he didn’t back at the hospital. Was he wearing it just for me today? That was a silly thought, wasn’t it?

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