Page 57 of Secret Twins for the Alien Dad

Maybe when one of them is a teenager, they can get a job washing dishes for Trill at the diner. Or one could get a job at the premier’s office. I can easily see them spending their first paycheck by catching a holo-film with their friends.

Regardless of what the future holds, I know they’ll be safe, happy, and surrounded by love. That’s the promise I can give them by staying here in Mairg. I once dreamed of leaving this rock and being able to see the stars, but now I hope I’ll never have to leave.

28

ZAIR

“How do I look?” asks Myra, spinning on the spot to reveal her dress.

“Absolutely stunning,” I reply, my heart melting at the sight.

She throws herself into my arms and sweeps me up in her enthusiasm, and together we turn about each other.

Her eyes are twinkling the brightest blue I have ever seen. I swear they change color with her mood. They match the color of the flowers in her hair. I am mesmerized by her beauty, as I should be on our mating day.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask her.

“I am more than ready,” she replies with a brilliant smile.

Together we step out into the assembly, hand in hand. Our friends are all there to greet us, and they stand and cheer as we enter the garden clearing. The lights swirl and dip around us. They chase Myra and land in her hair so it looks like the stars from heaven have alighted there.

There is a strange energy in the air. It’s as if the night is buzzing and alive. We chose the ‘long night’ to have our mating ceremony. It is the point of the calendar when our small Glimner is eclipsed by the planet Ivora VI. Fireworks and lasers can already be seen on the skyline as the festivities begin.

Traditionally, a Kaleidian mating ceremony is a long drawn-out affair starting in the middle of the day. The couple sit within a designated area and look deeply into each other's eyes until the sun sets. We decided to create our own ceremony.

“Please, step into the circle,” says Eva.

The circle is lit by colored lights and surrounded by our friends and loved ones. Myra’s dress sparkles like blue ice as she steps beside me into the circle of light, and our audience falls silent at the sight.

“Now please turn to face one another and seek your union in one another’s gaze.”

I turn and look into the eyes of my beloved woman. They are two deep pools and I find myself instantly lost in their depths. I cannot say how long we stand and stare. It could be an hour, it could be five minutes. All I know is that I don’t want the moment to end. I could stay here forever, trapped in one moment of perfect bliss.

I am aware of the lights twirling faster and faster around us, charged by our emotions. Slowly more and more of them adhere to our skin. Little pinpricks of brilliance, positively charged by the joy we both feel at our union.

“They look amazing,” says a voice from the audience. “Look at how radiant they are together.”

I am buoyed by their words, but not surprised. Right now, my emotions are running so wild I feel as if my feet could lift from the ground.

Slowly,our emotions wind back in. I wrap my arms around my beautiful human woman and kiss her to the cheers of our assembled guests.

“I love you,” I whisper in Myra’s ear.

“I love you, too,” comes the reply. “With all my heart.”

I lift her up and spin her around. I will see her laughing face forever. The joy in her eyes, her hair flying out behind her, and the lights dancing and swirling alongside us. It is blazed onto my memory indelibly.

I set her on her feet and look around at the smiling faces that surround us.

“Let the party begin!” I cry.

There is cheering all around, and for a while, we are consumed by our well-wishers. We are swept through the beautiful gardens and into the waiting pavilion. It is a grand structure created of glass and mirrors.

“This is amazing,” says Myra.

Even though I have visited the venue before, I have to agree. I had not realized its grandeur in the cold light of day. The mirrors and windows are placed in such a way that the night sky is reflected in all directions, including the floor. The lighting enhances the effect, sending tunnels of luminescence away into the starry void.

At the center is a rotating tower of food. Slender arms of crystal-cut glass weave about one another, each ending in a plate of delicacies.

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