Page 63 of Alien's Love Child

"Three times," I correct, helping him with the packages. "Remember the crystalline sculptures on Fur?"

"Or the liquid nitrogen containers on Entares?" Rena adds.

"Or the-" Paraxan begins.

"Okay, okay!" Taluk throws his hands up. "Can we focus on the birthday boy instead of my past mishaps?"

Leo beams at the attention, already eyeing the pile of presents. "Can I open them now?"

"Cake first," I say firmly. "Then presents."

"But Mama..."

"Listen to your mother," Davin says, ruffling Leo's silver hair. "Trust me, some things are worth waiting for."

The look he gives me makes my chest tight with happiness. Three years ago, I never imagined we'd be here - safe, together, surrounded by family. Different species, different backgrounds, but bound by something stronger than blood.

"Make a wish, little captain," Rena says as we gather around the cake.

Leo screws up his face in concentration, then blows out all three candles in one determined puff.

Smoke curls from the extinguished candles as Taluk leans forward, his scales catching the afternoon light. "So what'd you wish for, little man?"

"Taluk!" Rena swats his arm. "You can't ask that. If he tells us, it won't come true."

"Human superstitions." Paraxan's whiskers twitch as he begins cutting the cake. "On Odex, we believe sharing wishesmultiplies their power. The more beings who know, the stronger the intention grows."

"I wished for a real spaceship!" Leo bounces in his seat, silver hair flopping. "Like Papa's, but bigger! With lasers and-and a jump drive and-"

"Whoa there, pilot." Davin's hand settles on Leo's shoulder. "Maybe we start with something smaller. Like a training simulator?"

"But Papa-"

"Your father's right." I catch Leo's disappointed pout. "Besides, what would you do with a whole spaceship?"

"Take everyone on adventures!" Leo spreads his arms wide. "Mama can drive, and Papa can shoot bad guys, and Uncle Para can fix the engine, and Aunt Rena can do the maps, and Uncle Taluk can..." He pauses, scrunching his face. "Uncle Taluk can carry stuff!"

"Hey!" Taluk protests as Rena doubles over laughing.

"At least he knows your strengths," Paraxan says dryly, sliding a piece of cake onto Leo's plate.

The purple frosting already stains Leo's fingers as he digs in, spaceship dreams temporarily forgotten in favor of sugar. I lean into Davin's side, watching our makeshift family crowd around the table, trading jokes and stories like currency.

My chest tightens as I watch Rena help Leo lick purple frosting off his fingers. The encrypted channels we used to contact them might've been secure, but nothing's truly safe anymore. One slip, one traced communication...

"You're doing that thing again." Davin's voice breaks through my spiral. His blue fingers brush my shoulder.

"What thing?"

"That worry-crease between your eyes." He taps my forehead. "The one that shows up when you're overthinking."

"I'm not-"

"Remember the time Jesse triple-checked the nav computer during that milk run to Sector Four?" Rena cuts in, wiping Leo's sticky face. "Nearly drove me crazy with the recalculations."

"That milk run turned into a chase with three patrol ships," I counter.

"And we lost them." Taluk grins, his scales gleaming. "Because you planned for every contingency."

---