Page 81 of Owned By Two

I was suddenly overcome with emotion and placed a hand on the ice-cold reinforced glass. “Daddy… Daddy, no…” I said softly — and to my ears, weakly — under my breath, feeling every bit like the little girl he had once discarded to take off for the stars and make his fortune. “Daddy… Don’t go… Please…”

The outer door whirred open and the chamber depressurized.

A second light flashed — this one red — and it did so five times before the casket was released and it floated slowly out into the dark depths of space.

Blor held me close.

It wasn’t only my father leaving me for a second time that clawed so harshly at my heartstrings but what Uhti had told me right before we left for the funeral…

He’d whispered in my ear, telling me there was something he needed to speak with me about.

He took me to a side room and informed me:

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you after the funeral. There are some… things I need to take care of. Personal things. I’m very sorry and I hope you understand.”

I was going to ask when he would be back but I could tell by the way he refused to meet my eye and just stared at the floor that therewas nocoming back.

I immediately crossed to him and took his hands in mine. “Why?” I asked. “Why do you have to leave?”

I was afraid I wouldn’t see him again, that once he was gone, there wouldneverbe a time when I would look upon his impressive frame and speak with him about business and work.

“How can I run the business without you to instruct and guide me the way you did with my father?”

It wasn’t only the loss of his expertise that made me sad but the loss of him himself.

The way he looked at me, the way I liked to touch and kiss him…

I didn’t want to lose that.

Not for a moment.

“If I’ve done anything wrong, just tell me,” I said. “I’m sure I can fix it.”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing you’ve done wrong,” he said, still failing to look me in the eye. “It’s somethingI’vedone, something I can’t come back from it. I’m sorry.”

Then he had turned and left the room.

Shortly after that, we stepped aboard the private shuttle and joined the larger AfterLife ship where the guests had already begun to congregate.

Now the funeral was over and my father, and soon Uhti would leave me.

Blor took my hand and led me away from the other guests and back toward the platform where our shuttlecraft was stationed.

Blor stopped only when Uhti approached and looked at me sadly.

He looked me over, and words played on his lips that I thought he needed to say, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to voice them.

“I wish you all the best in your future,” he said. “You have more than a touch of your father in you and I know you’ll do very well.”

Then he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before turning on his heel and marching away.

I watched his fleeting back, afraid I would never see him again.

“Come on,” Blor said. “Let’s get you home.”

He ushered me toward the shuttle and drew the harness over me to lock me in place.

I sat there, numb.

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