Page 82 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

“You’ve got something here. Let me...” I reached for it before giving it a thought.

He stilled as I moved closer. I swiped the icing with my thumb and glanced up. His eyes were on me, searching. His familiar scent invaded my senses. The effect of his proximity seemed that much stronger because there was nothing standing between us this time. No Walter on my side, and no lies on his.

“How long are you planning to stay on Neron, Maya?” he asked softly and appeared to hold his breath waiting for my answer.

“I...” I cleared my throat, shifting away in need of some distance between us to be able to think clearly. “I haven’t decided yet. There is a spaceship leaving for Earth the day after tomorrow, but I haven’t confirmed with Alcus whether I want to be on it yet.”

“What can I do to get you to stay longer?”

I stuffed another huge bite of cupcake into my mouth, just to give myself some time to think. After finishing the entire cupcake, I still had no definite answer to give him.

“I honestly don’t know, Kear. On one hand, there is no rush for me to leave. On the other hand, I don’t think I should linger, either, as not to...you know, prolong the inevitable.”

Now that I got to see him again, leaving him seemed harder than ever. But should I be staying for a man who had deceived me so gravely?

I grabbed another cupcake in desperate hopes of eating away my dilemma and checked on Anika.

“She’s sleeping so well.” I changed the subject.

He exhaled a brief laugh. “During the day, she does.”

“Not so much at night?”

He sighed, running his hand through the overgrown fur on his head. “At night, she woke up more times than I could count.”

“Was she hungry?”

“She ate.” He nodded. “But it’s more than that. I think she just wants to play or socialize. She’d just be looking at me, wide awake, alert and happy.”

That explained his disheveled appearance and the thick veil of exhaustion shrouding his eyes.

“She’s so cute,” I cooed, watching the baby. “So peaceful right now.”

“Mhm.” He smiled. “Hard to believe she could ever be a tool of torture.”

After lunch, we strolled around the park a little. The bassinet with the sleeping baby silently flew over the ground next to Kear.

When it was time to leave, I walked him to the parking tower.

“I’ll fly you back to the Liaison Committee’s building,” he offered.

The baby squirmed, making soft sleepy noises.

“It looks like she’ll be up soon,” I noted. “Do you have more milk?”

He checked, lifting the lid of the basket.

“Some.” He sounded uncertain.

“Just go straight to the hospital, then. I was planning to take a taxi back to my building, anyway.”

He paused at the bottom of the stairs that led up the tower with its many parking levels above.

“Maya. I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.”

His somber voice tugged at my heart with realization. I didn’t want this to be my last time seeing him, either. But I was scared, so scared of another heartbreak. How many of those can one heart take?

Afraid to meet his eyes, I stared straight ahead at his chest instead.

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