Page 27 of Sworn to the Alien

With two young girls to raise and giving up her blossoming career to be a stay-at-home mom, she could barely get by as it was.

She worked part-time but it was nowhere near enough to pay for the cost of living on Earth.

“How are the kids?” I asked.

“Fine,” she said, her eyes drifting over to a corner of the room. “Besides the times when they’renotfine.”

“Thanks for telling me about Aunt Agatha. Buy a wreath in my name, won’t you?”

“I will.” Then her tone turned sharp. “Laura, I swear, if you drop that—”

Smash!

She growled. “Sorry, Layla. I’ve got to go before they destroy the whole house. Drop me a line sometime. It’s been too long since we caught up.”

“I will. See you.”

“Bye.”

I ended the call and leaned back in my chair.

My stomach was stuffed as I realized in my effort to annoy her, I’d eaten more than I planned.

I stumbled over to the bed and perched on its corner.

I leaned forward and let the gas belch from my mouth in a loud roar.

I was glad the Governor wasn’t around to see me likethis!

It wasn’t exactly the sexiest I had ever been.

Auntie Agatha…

I didn’t think I’d seen her since I was a teenager.

When she made the prediction I would never amount to anything good.

She might have not been the most pleasant woman in the world but you couldn’t diss her accuracy!

When Raymond took off, I trulyhad beenworking at an intergalactic corporation.

It was soul-destroying and I saw no future in it.

I fully intended on quitting but when no other opportunities presented themselves, I ended up staying far longer than I expected.

When Raymond passed away, I realized I needed to up my game and earn awhole lotmore.

For the first time in my career, I had actually put some seriouseffort into my work.

But it was too late.

I was passed over for promotion and, for the first time in my career, I had actuallycared.

I needed to findanotherway to support her and her kids.

I heard about a program called Elinz'ang, applied, got accepted, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I had to tell her a small white (or maybe it was a little gray, but definitely not black) lie that I had been promoted and would be transferred to Enchor’s Heart — the jurisdiction Elinz'ang had placed me in.

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