Page 20 of Alien in the Attic

He smiled. There was that optimism he so admired.

They kissed. It wasn’t a starving, passionate prelude to sex. This was a pure expression of understanding between them. As their mutual warmth collided, Arccoo envisioned a life spent with her. He saw them living in the mansion, aging side by side. The life he imagined was a happy one, but it ended the same as all the others, in death.

Even if we could be together,it wouldn’t be forever, he realized.A day will come when we have to say goodbye.

For eons, lives were spent together with both parties knowing that the ending of their story would be a devastating one, and they still agreed to embark on their final journeys together. Human marriages even mentioned this by reminding the couple that death will part them. All romances were doomed.

“I don’t know when the sentry ship will come,” he told Carmen. “Until then, I swear to make every moment with you as precious as a lifetime. You are my mated soul. Our story may end sooner than others, but I would be a damn fool to deny myself the pleasure of reuniting with my other half among the star idols. Including the Big Dipper.”

Carmen laughed through her nose and he smiled.

He felt her shiver. “Would you like to go back inside?” he asked.

“In a minute,” Carmen answered. “Let’s stay like this a little longer.”

“Of course,” Arccoo replied. He held her in his arms and returned his eyes to the stars. There appeared to be a new star that was moderately brighter than the others.

It could have been a satellite, an asteroid, or a ship coming to take him home. He would find out eventually. Until then, he would push it out of his thoughts.

Chapter 9

Carmen

Carmen woke up to gray and dreary skies greeting her through the bedroom window. She sighed, wishing she could have at least a little sunshine to brighten her mood. She grabbed her phone off the charger and opened her weather app. The little sad-faced cloud icon gave her the bad news that it was going to be like this all day.

She lay back down against the mattress with a heavy thump as she contemplated what the point even was of getting out of bed.

Maybe things would be different if she had woken up next to Arccoo. To spend an entire night with him and greet the morning in his arms was all her heart craved these past few days. Stolen kisses and whispered affections always ended abruptly with heavy hearts full of apologetic woe.

Arccoo was going to leave. Soon, probably. The stronger her feelings grew for him, the harder it would be to watch him leave. She knew this. He told her as much, several times. But she couldn’t dampen her feelings.

Try as she might, her heart knew what it wanted. Whatshewanted. No amount of deluding herself for her own good was going to change that.

She wondered, if she asked him to stay, would he? If she demanded he choose between his people and her love, would he pick her? Would he even hesitate before getting on board the rescue ship?

Carmen slapped her palm over her face. As if she’d ever do that. As an oldest sister, she didn’t have an ounce of selfishness in her body. She never had the time or energy to put herself first, especially since they lost their parents. She certainly wasn’t about to start doing so now.

With a deep breath, Carmen lifted the covers up and slid out of bed. She would bravely face the new day as she’d faced allof them—with a kind smile and open heart. If her and Arccoo’s days together were numbered, she’d just have to make the most of them.

Carmen stepped into her bathroom and started running a hot, steamy shower. As she washed herself, her mind took her away to the last time they made love. She felt his hands brush against her in place of the loofah, his lips taking hers where instead steam whispered against them.

She toweled off and dried her hair, put on a little makeup, and dressed in comfortable clothing. They had work to do on the house, and she couldn’t let anything like an impending breaking heart get in the way.

Besides, she reminded herself as she descended the stairs to the kitchen, they still had some time.

“Geez, took you long enough,” Sofia said as Carmen walked into the kitchen. The smell of sugar and hot coffee hit her immediately, making the tension in her muscles melt away. “I taught our friend here how to make pancakes. I know you want some.” Sofia gestured at a plate of pancakes sitting next to a jug of real maple syrup.

“It was fascinatingly simple,” Arccoo said while washing out a pan. “Your sister was telling me how every culture on your planet has their own version of this one basic recipe.”

“That’s true,” Carmen said, feeling a strange sense of pride in her humanity. She poured a dollop of the thick amber liquid overher pancakes and sat down next to Elena. “Some people make it savory and serve it with fish eggs.”

Elena stuck her tongue out in disgust. Carmen laughed at her youngest sister’s childishness and cut into her stack. They were fluffy, warm, and delightfully perfect.

“You don’t normally cook,” Carmen said to Sofia. “What’s the occasion?”

“Oh, you hadn’t heard? Today’s a special day I call ‘Carmen slept in and I was hungry.’ The whole town is celebrating!”

Elena snorted a laugh, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. Arccoo turned around from washing and looked between them as if trying to discern whether Sofia’s statement was sarcastic or genuine. Elena’s fitful giggling seemed to clue him in on the truth of the matter.

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