Page 91 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly
“He tried toownher, Freckles.”
“I know.”Callie looked at her fingers.“I know Sparx would tell me that I’ve killed people too, but it feels like a life-or-death situation thing.I can’t imagineplanningto kill someone.”
“You can’t imagine the shit Talia’s been through.
“Because she won’t tell me!”Callie whined.“I know it’s been two weeks, but I thought we were on some sort of fast track, given all of this!”Callie gestured broadly and then winced.
Sesi placed a hand on her leg.“That’s fair.And having known Talia for this long, there’s a good chance she never will.”Sesi lowered her head.“And,” she added, “if that’s a dealbreaker, I completely understand.”
“Wait, what?”Callie panicked.
“I understand if you can’t do this.”Sesi repeated.“Talia and I, we’re a lot.We’re not exactlygoodpeople, like you.There’s gonna be more violence, more blood.Probably more threats on your life…”
“I thought you needed my egg?”Callie interrupted.
Sesi stopped.
Her face relaxed in awe, as if she had caught the first rays of spring sunlight after a long, dark winter.For several moments her mouth hung open.Callie had never seen her like this.“That is the most selfless, foolish thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?”Callie wondered if she might have a concussion again.
“Thereisno agreement anymore.We have the Natalist’s equipment and Siku will be using NovAITech’s resources to train doctors, butwedon’t have to be the ones to do it.”Sesi took Callie’s hand.“And please don’t tell me you were going to stay because you felt obligated.That would be the worst third-act breakup ever.”
“The what?”
“I forgot, you don’t read a lot of romance novels.”Sesi squeezed.“I did promise to show you my book collection, but I guess I never got around to it.”
Callie sat motionless for several seconds, gazing off into space.The seconds turned into minutes and Sesi couldn’t help the growing feeling of dread that crept up her chest and into her neck.Callie had brought more joy into her life than she’d experienced in the past decade and she couldn’t lose that.
But she knew that was a lie.Shecouldlose it.She would lose Talia as well.She would continue to run Rhea, plus the profits from NovAITech.The earth would be free to heal after they had departed, but she would be doing nothing more than running out the clock, along with the rest of humanity.
“What if I want to?”Callie’s question snapped Sesi out of her thoughts.
She braced herself.It had been too long and she’d forgotten the subject.“Want to what?”
“Give you an egg.”
Sesi burst into laughter, tears flowing again freely.“Are you asking me to have a baby with you?”she teased.Callie couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment.She would have hit her with a pillow if she could move her arms without hurting.
Sesi climbed on top of the bed and straddled Callie.“How about,” she kissed her forehead, “we wait until all this shit settles down?There’s no rush anymore.”
“Well, you’re going to have to explain that to my mother then.”Callie grew increasingly frustrated with not being able to use her arms.Sesi assaulted her with kisses.It wasn’t fair.
“You’re threatening me with in-laws?”Sesi slipped her fingers under the hem of Callie’s oversized shirt.Callie squirmed and wriggled.“Stop it!”she squealed.
Sesi withdrew, a self-satisfied grin on her face.Callie was right – ithadbeen only two weeks, but she couldn’t help that her heart fluttered at the possibility.
It wasn’t as though she had put aside the idea of kids in order to avenge her mother.It hadn’t been some noble calling that caused her to cast aside the dream of a family.Sesi hadneverwanted them.She didn’t consider herselfmaternal.She felt no hole in her life that only a child could fill.Humans, to her, had always been a plague on the earth.
But now, she had to confront the idea that she had never truly examined her feelings on motherhood because it had never been plausible.She certainly wasn’t letting a man anywhere near her and after twenty-four, she had let nature decide for her.
Except that now that they knew the cause,naturehad nothing to do with it.Nature hadn’t quite made up her mind and a woman who was far too good for both her and Talia had upended their entire lives.
“Okay, but…” Callie kept getting interrupted by Sesi’s kisses.“I had to tell someone and my mother got all excited and I’m not going to be the one to ruin her day over this.”
“You told her you were going to give us your egg?”Sesi sat up.
“Not exactly,” Callie shrugged.She wasn’t as much help as I had hoped, but it still feels nice to talk to your mom.”
