Page 105 of All You Need is Alien Love
Having children had been a long-term possibility in the back of my mind. Before I met River, I doubt I would have ever even entertained the thought of being a dad by myself or withanyone else. Work had always been more important to me than anything.
That is, until River Sullivan came into my life and turned my world upside down in ways I never knew I needed. Together, we somehow defied the biological and scientific odds. While the prospect of what lies ahead does scare me a little, more than anything, I find myself eager and excited to share this new journey with River.
I turn to my mom again. “If everything goes well with the gestational cycle, then our children will be born part Iyaran, part Quintharian, and part human—right?”
River gasps. “Oh my freaking gods, you’re right. I hadn’t really thought about what all that might mean. Are certain genetics likely to be more dominant?”
Melody, who’s been quiet so far, takes a hesitant step forward and raises her hand almost guiltily. “Um, maybe I could shed some light on that?”
River’s head whips toward his mother. “What?”
She gives a weak smile. “Well, you see, Quintharians are a rare species in that we’re highly fertile. When it comes to cross-species procreation, there’s something in our genetic makeup that makes us able to reproduce with a wide range of species.” She turns to my parents. “My guess is that any offspring River and Kai have will possess a stronger share of the Quintharian and Iyaran genetic data rather than the human.” She gives Chris an apologetic look. “Sorry, hon.”
He shrugs. “It’s all good. There are plenty of humans on this planet alone. The universe really doesn’t need a whole lot more of us.”
My mind starts to wander off into imaginary visions of what our children might look like.
“Galactic gods, I hope our kids have your gorgeous curly hair,” I tell River before I can stop myself.
He gapes at me. “Oh my freaking gods. Just when I think you can’t get more adorable and precious, you totally manage to!”
I pull him closer for a long, tender kiss. Right now, my hearts are full to bursting with love.
When we come up for air, I search his eyes and find nothing but unwavering affection and determination. My precious mate.
“I can’t wait for us to meet our children and create a safe, loving home for them.”
River’s eyes well with tears. “Right in the motherfucking feels, boo.” He starts to tremble. “Whoa, okay. It’s really hitting me now. Holy crap, we have so much to do. And I’m barely twenty-two. Fuck. I hope I have enough time to prepare.”
Chris steps forward and pats River’s back. “I don’t know if anyone is ever fully ready to be a parent. No matter how much you prepare, the reality is always more than you can ever anticipate. But your mother and I have every confidence that you and Kai will be outstanding parents to any children you have.”
Grandma throws her head back and laughs heartily. “Fear not, River. You won’t have to don your parenting hat all that soon.”
He squints at her in confusion and I groan. This is something I haven’t really taken the time to talk to River about just yet. Not that we’ve had an opportunity let alone a reason to until now.
I clutch his hand. “Remember how I told you that the Iyaran version of pregnancy tends to last a lot longer than the human kind?”
He cocks his head to the side. “Oh, yeah. I kind of remember that. So what are we talking about here? Twelve months?”
I try not to grimace. “Uh… not quite.”
Grandma puts her hands on her hips. “Just spit it out, Kai. River, hon, you’ve got about five years to get ready.”
I shake my head.Smooth, Grandma. Real smooth.
“Fivefreaking years?” River whispers, looking like he might pass out again.
“Don’t worry, River,” my mom offers, trying to comfort him. “Like we’ve said, Iyaran reproduction is just… different. The gestational period takes a lot longer. Our DNA composition is complex, and the transition from embryo to fetus takes years.”
River is practically hyperventilating now.
“Don’t worry, babe,” I tell him, my tentacle petting him gently. “It won’t be like a human pregnancy, so there won’t be a lot of signs that I’m going through Tentaculum Gestarium until closer to the end.”
My mom hurries to explain further. “Kai’s right, we don’t have the same kinds of biological responses of humans. There are no intense hormonal fluctuations while gestating. That only happens during Tentaculum Calefaction, when implantation can occur.” She shrugs. “After that, it’s pretty smooth sailing.” She laughs. “Hell, when I was gestating Kai, I kind of forgot about it for a while because it takes so damn long! By the time things started to change demonstrably, well, the rest is history.”
River gapes at me, wide-eyed. “Oh, my god. You have to explain a lot more of this for me. Right freaking now!”
I recall one of our much earlier conversations, and I hasten to reassure him again. “I promise you, no ass babies. No ass babies at all.”
