Page 97 of Cozy Prisons
Lorisum sounded a questioning rumble. “What was that like?”
“Wonderful,” Hale said, smiling at the memory. “Dimla liked to be on my chest, over my heart, but Sukla would always migrate to my back, right between my shoulder blades, where I couldn’t reach him. He hated being pulled off for feeding time. I had to walk to one of the parents' offices and have one of them pull him off for mealtimes. His stubbornness made us laugh.”
“Did it hurt?” Lorisum asked. “To have them clinging to your skin like that?”
“Sometimes I’d get some irritated patches, but it was worth it. When Fulmon babies sleep, they make the cutest little humming sound. Sometimes I’d lie down on my side and just listen to them. I loved them so much.”
“Did they grow up and leave you?” Lorisum asked. “I’ve heard that it can be a painful and trying process for both child and parent.”
The question sent a shaft of pain through Hale’s heart, but Lorisum couldn’t know what happened. When you say you lost someone, it could mean so many different things to different species.
“There’s a disease that is deadly to Fulmon,” Hale said, looking down at their half-empty plate and blinking hard. They refused to cry in this public place. “They have a vaccine, but it’s not foolproof. The station was owned and operated by Fulmon, so there were a lot of them there, living in close quarters. A new variant of the disease swept through. The parents and babies were some of the first affected. By the time they died, the station had it under control, but I’d lost everyone. Dimla and Sukla were starting to crawl around. They would’ve lost their half shell soon and started growing their back carapace instead. Now they never will.”
Hale’s hand was still resting on Lorisum’s. The Talin flipped his hand over to grasp Hales.
“I understand.”
Lorisum’s words were simple, but sincere.
“How do you understand?” Hale asked.
“When I was an older child, I would excel in all my studies at the cresh so I could choose my evening task. I always picked the task of helping in the nursery. That was where the children under three solars lived. After they reached four solars, they were introduced to the general population and expected to self-organize. Getting to assist with the youngest children was the only reward that would’ve inspired me to study and work hard. They weren’t inhibited yet and would say or do silly things. When no one was looking, I’d encourage them. To this day, they were the highlight of my life.”
Lorisum went quiet and stared off, lost in his memories.
“What happened?” Hale asked. Lorisum’s eyes snapped back to them.
“I was caught, and I was never allowed near the nursery again. I graduated from the cresh with a detailed note in my file that explained that I was a bad influence on young minds.”
“That seems harsh,” Hale murmured. Although the children hadn’t died, it was clear that Lorisum experienced distress from losing access to the children he’d loved so much. “Is that why you couldn’t get a job in a cresh after you grew up?”
He sounded a rumble of agreement. “They saw it as inappropriate, but we used to be a creative and joyful species. All you need to do is read the pre-space histories to see that we knew love. Children deserve to know affection and happiness.”
“You’ll have a child soon, I'm sure,” Hale murmured. “And you’ll get to give them all the love and attention you weren’t able to give the other kids in the cresh.”
“Yes,” Lorisum said with a joyful rattle. “And I won’t be alone. Palathum isn’t only giving me an opportunity to have a family, but also a community of like-minded individuals. It’s all a blessing from the ancestors.”
Lorisum’s enthusiasm made Hale consider their future a little differently. If they wanted, they could have a child. It wasn’t something they’d ever considered after losing Sukla and Dimla. What if Iris and Damascus came across an orphan? Or a single parent in need of help? They were still trying to track down the woman who was auctioned off with her infant child. When they found the mother and child, they’d bring them to Kalor. Babies needed a lot of attention, and Hale could give it to them.
There were so many instances where other children would need them. So many opportunities where they could let themself love again.
“Maybe Kalor will be the home we all need,” Hale murmured, then smiled at Lorisum. “Would you like to walk around with me? I’m not good at being still.”
“Finish eating first,” Lorisum urged. “Then we can walk and talk for as long as you like.”
Hale pulled out one of the packets in the built-in container in the table, tore it open, and offered Lorisum half the nutri-bar. “Sounds fun. I’d like to tell you about my babies.”
“I’d enjoy learning all about them,” Lorisum said with a purr. “Our journey will take at least five rotations. Will that be enough time?”
Hale smiled. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Chapter 30
Nataly
Despite the ferry being packed full of people and Talins, Nataly only had Daxus with her when she stepped off it. She could feel everyone's eyes boring into her back from where they stood, staring at her from the open ferry door.
It was disconcerting!
