Page 9 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

He seemed pleased with my answers. And I was glad to have something to think about that didn’t involve Walter’s letter. The news from that letter was hanging over me like a black cloud, but I did my best to ignore it, studying the Voranian professor instead.

Most of my previous encounters with Professor Thormus had been with me lying on the examination table, his attention focused mostly on my lower body. I hadn’t had a chance to interact with him face to face before.

He ate unhurriedly, picking up the food with his utensil in measured movements. I couldn’t tell whether he liked any of the pieces better than others. He spent an equal amount of time chewing each of them, and his expression remained the same.

The sleeve of his coverall stretched over his bicep as he lifted the utensil to his mouth. I never paid much attention to his body before, but the professor seemed to pack some serious muscles into his lab clothes. He also appeared younger than I’d thought. His face and hands had hardly any lines yet.

“What did you think of the food?” He asked, gesturing with his fork at my empty tray.

“It’s boring, like always,” I said without thinking, then added quickly. “But nutritious, I guess.”

“Very nutritious,” he said with emphasis. “And the dessert? Do you like it?”

I took another sip of the drink.

“The dessert is a welcome change.” I licked my lips, savoring the taste of something different for once.

His tablet dinged with a notification. He glanced at it but didn’t pick it up.

“Do you need to go?” I asked.

Of course he did. He was a medical professor, the supervisor of an extensive study, and the owner of a prestigious medical clinic. He must be busy up to his horns. And here I was, wasting his time.

“It can wait,” he assured me.

But I finished my drink quickly.

“We can go.” I got up from the table. “Thank you so much for having lunch with me. It’s not every day I have company.”

I ended up forcing my company on other people lately, like I did with that nurse from the twenty-seventh floor. The prolonged loneliness had actually made me approach people. Who knew? Back on Earth, I used to be more than happy to spend days on my own. But that was days, not months. There was just so long a person could be left on their own, even if they were an introvert like me.

Chapter 4

Kear

He walked Maya to her apartment after their lunch together, made sure she was safely inside, then finally went to his office.

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