Page 15 of Varro's Human Bride
“Yes,” she admitted, “but I’m also excited. I hope I can remember all their names. You have a large family,Xerr.”
He leaned around her, pressing a kiss to her cheek and inhaling the scent of her floral shampoo. Three days had passed since Caylee had become his wife and now the time had finally come for him to introduce her to his parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews and nieces. His entire family had agreed to gather at his parents’ home for a feast in celebration of their new marriage. He hoped all his family members behaved themselves, particularly his father.
“You look perfect, little human. Now come, we mustn’t be late.”
He led her downstairs and out into the cool evening air. The sun was setting in the west, an immense orange glow on the horizon. The sound of nighttime insects was already thick in the air and combined with the music that was spilling out of his parents’ home. The wide front door slid open upon their arrival and he ushered his mate into the formal sitting room where his entire family was already gathered.
Keeping an arm wrapped around Caylee, he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I won’t leave you alone tonight. Not for a moment. I promise.”
“Thank you,Xerr,” she replied, gratitude evident in her voice.
Varro’s parents approached them first, his father in the lead as his mother trailed behind. To his annoyance, his father looked at Caylee as if she were a worker in one of their mines, appraising her to see what she might bring to the family. His mother, bless her, shot Caylee a warm smile as she came to stand next to his father.
“Father and Mother, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Caylee.” Varro squeezed her hand ever so gently, hoping to bring her reassurance. He would not blame her for feeling a bit overwhelmed in this moment. His father had a habit of intimidating even the fiercest Tarrkuans. “Caylee,” he continued, “I would like to introduce you to my parents, Araggos and Shannis.”
“I am so very pleased to meet you both.” Then, to Varro’s shock, she released his hand, stepped forward, and embraced his father as if he were a long-lost comrade. The look of surprise on his father’s face almost made Varro chuckle. Araggos was a hardened soul who didn’t hug anyone, not even his grandchildren. Varro stared at the scene, deciding not to interrupt. He’d thought humans usually shook hands when greeting one another, but perhaps when they were greeting family members, they hugged instead. He made a note to ask Caylee about it later.
“I am pleased to meet you, Caylee,” Araggos finally replied in a stiff tone. He lifted one arm and patted Caylee’s back twice, a gesture that left Varro further bemused. His father hadn’t exactly returned her hug, but he hadn’t spurned it either. A glance around the room showed everyone was watching in stunned silence. Yossa’s mouth dropped open and his eyes went comically wide.
Caylee withdrew from her greeting with his father and moved to speak with his mother. “Thank you both for hosting this celebration in our honor. I’m truly touched.” Her Tarrkuan was shaky, but thankfully his mother seemed to understand, for her face lit up and she drew Caylee in for a hug.
Kallem and his wife and their children stepped forward next, and Varro made the proper introductions. By the time Caylee finished meeting Gnoss and his wife and children, many hugs and cheerful greetings had been exchanged. Varro couldn’t help but smile at his little nieces and nephews as they peppered his bride with questions about Earth.
“Is it true everyone on Earth lives in a giant bubble?”
“How many people live in your dome-city?”
“What kind of animals lived near you?”
Caylee knelt down and readily answered every question that the children asked her, though she had to ask them to repeat their questions several times more slowly, so she could better understand them. The children were just as patient with Caylee as she was with them and the sight warmed Varro. After a while, their mothers ushered them away from Caylee and instructed them to start a game oftreechasin the corner of the room.
With a smile, Varro helped Caylee to her feet and laced his fingers through hers. “I would say you are the most popular person in this room.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Remani approached them with a polite smile. “You are the first full-blooded human they’ve ever spoken to. Unfortunately, my human mother, who was Erriss’s mother too, as we are sisters, passed away before any of the children were born. They have been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time now. Tell me, do you have a brother or sister on Earth?”
Caylee gulped hard and her smile wavered, but before she could answer, a servant entered the sitting room and announced that dinner was ready, saving her from having to answer the question. Her reaction didn’t sit right with Varro and he resolved to ask her about her family on Earth soon, chiding himself for not asking her more questions about her life on her home planet. But in his defense, they hadn’t spent very much time talking these last three days. Much of their time together was spent in bed.
He grasped her hand, leading her out into the hallway where the music was louder. His parents’ house musicians were set up in the hallway playingpumakasandrosslins. While he appreciated the graceful sound of the string instruments, he personally believed it was a great extravagance to keep musicians as servants.
When he became the Head of House Rantholl, he vowed to make many changes. The divide between the lower classes and the ruling class kept growing every year. He believed if it went unchecked, civil unrest could occur, perhaps in a generation or two. He’d studied the history of his people, more thoroughly than anyone in his family, including his father, and he knew such unrest had last occurred about ten generations ago.
They entered the formal dining room and he forced such thoughts from his mind, intending to enjoy the celebration feast his parents had thrown in honor of his marriage to Caylee, even if he felt it a bit extravagant.
* * *
Julie walkedhand in hand with Varro through the darkness. The party had been a huge success, in her opinion. She felt she’d done a more than adequate job of charming his family members, especially that rigid father of his.
While she truly enjoyed the time spent with his family, particularly the children, she thought perhaps if his family liked her, then Varro would more easily fall in love with her. So, she’d kept her smile in place the whole time, minus the brief moment when Remani had asked whether or not she had a brother or sister on Earth, and tried her best to fit in with his large Tarrkuan family.
To her delight, she’d found that as the evening wore on, she’d had an easier and easier time understanding his native language. Yossa had practically jumped over his siblings and cousins to make sure he scored a seat next to her, and she smiled at the memory. The little boy had taken an interest in helping her learn his tongue and gave her several helpful pointers as the dinner party progressed, and in return she’d taught him how to say several phrases in English.
She gazed at the starry night and felt in awe of the twin moons, shining so full and bright high above. She mused that they looked so large that she might very well reach up and touch them. Even during the brief times she’d glimpsed the night sky on Earth, in between the long-lasting dust storms, she could not recall the sky ever appearing so majestic as a typical Tarrkuan night.
“I enjoyed meeting your family,Xerr.” Her voice was nearly drowned out by the chorus of nighttime insects, but when he leaned closer and she saw his smile in the light of the moon, she knew he’d heard her.
“I believe they enjoyed meeting you as well,” he replied, amusement threading his deep voice. “I hope you were not offended by my father’s rather frosty reception of you. He treats everyone that way.”
