Page 48 of My Christmas Alien Mate

"Boat?" Adred asked.

"Nora and her mom live across the lake," Amber explained. "We always visit each other by boat."

"Is that safe?" Adred looked skeptical.

"Why don't you go with her to make sure?" I suggested.

Amber seemed to like that idea. "Yes, Adred has never been on a boat or a lake, he'll love it."

"You'll need some warmer clothes," Nora cautioned.

"He can take my jacket," I offered and grabbed it off the hook.

Amber, my father, and I walked the pair to the pier where a small boat bobbed, anchored on the water. Amber boxed me in the side and grinned up at me when I turned to her. She winked. "Nora is my best friend. She and her mother have been alone for a long time." She nodded meaningfully at my dad.

"Maybe Dad and Adred will find their own Christmas mates," I suggested in a low whisper.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

I wasn't sure. I didn't think my father or Adred were the type to settle down on Earth like me, then again, I had never thought of myself as the type either. The idea, though, warmed me.

"I love you, Amber."

"I love you too, Galexor."

EPILOGUE

Thatwaslastyear.Much has happened since. Galexor and I married in the summer, right before the tourist season began, and I have never been happier.

Our bakery in Charming was a hit and our online store even more so. I'm not exaggerating, but it's Galexor and I who keep our post office in business. We already hired five people and have to turn orders away.

Galexor and I talked about expanding our business. We could have bought the store next door when it went up for sale, but we're happy the way things are. We don't want to get bigger. Financially, we'll always be secure thanks to his father, who gave us even more diamonds before he left, promising he and Adred would be back for the wedding and next year's Christmas.

Even if it weren't for that, our business is doing well enough to support us and pay for all the little additions Galexor made to our cabin.

It turned out that he isn't just a good baker, he is also very good at building things.

He added two bedrooms and an office to the cabin, so we have plenty of room for any guests coming to visit, and next he will be working on our nursery.

Yes, I'm pregnant, wondering if life could possibly get any better.

The only worry we have is the baby's skin color. Galexor and the others can camouflage whenever they're in town, but this would be very hard for a baby, especially right after I've given birth.

Thankfully, Stella, Nora's mom, is a nurse and has promised to be by my side when the baby comes, which won't be here on Earth, but on Kzod's flagship. I'm not sure how he has pulled off staying here for this long, but thankfully he did.

His medical team there is also working on something to change their blue skin tone permanently, or at least for longer periods of time so the aliens don't have to use the camouflage device every time a member of Galexor's family or any of the other members of the Galactic Union come to visit.

Oh, I forgot to mention that part. I guess Grandma's cookies were such a hit that Earth, Charming in particular, has becomethetravel destination for members of the Galactic Union. Of course, they have to keep this from the other humans, who have no idea who is roaming in their midst. But Charming has been booming even more ever since. And it's considered something like an adventure vacation.

I'm not sure how I feel about Charming being the buzz of alien visitation even though nobody knows about it, but I'm happy Galexor isn't the only alien around here.

Life is good, and I can hardly wait for our next Christmas together as one big happy family and to hear from Nora about all the adventures she and her mom have been part of.

When Galexor and I are not busy baking, we've been decorating the cabin just the way we want it, putting some of Grampa's things on shelves to make it easier for me to part with others. Like Ol' Nelly.

She's still around, but I'm only allowed to drive her into town during the day and in the summer. For all the other trips, we use Galexor's truck. It's probably not that surprising that Galexor picked the biggest, most obnoxious looking truck he could find, but I do have to admit that all the safety features are nice, especially with a baby on the way.

Some days, I hardly recognize my old cabin any longer, then, on other days, it looks like nothing has changed. Probably because when we bought new couches, we kept them in the same colors as the old one had been.

Grampa's recliner is still there too, in a corner, unused, with its small round table sitting next to it with Grampa's old pipe on top. Some days I feel like I see him sitting in it, grinning from ear to ear and congratulating me on my new life.

His old room, however, is hardly recognizable. Galexor even added a walk-in closet that's almost bigger than the nursery. It turned out that my new husband is quite the clothing snob.

After wearing the same uniform all his life, it's probably not too surprising that he takes up more closet space than me, but I don't begrudge him an inch.

I love how every morning begins and ends withI love you.

THE END

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