Page 40 of His Human Rebel
I smile. “The future?”
“Yes,” she huffs. “I’m staying. You know that.”
My female is very independent. She doesn't want to be beholden to anyone. Stella wants to make her own decisions. Which I respect.
This wasn't a woman I coerced. Originally I was going to pay for a possible mate, but it pleases me that even though she was sent here under duress, she didn't have to remain. She understands that I would have immediately sent her back after I had figured out where I could return her that would be safe. I like it that in the end. Stella will choose to stay because she knows this is good for her child. She's a teacher and is going to be an excellent mother. I can tell that already. She wouldn't stay somewhere she considered unsafe for her child.
Also, I believe she loves me as much as I love her. Not that either of us have proclaimed this out loud yet, but one day we will.
She tosses aside her tablet. “I can’t get Julia to answer any of my messages.”
“Julia?”
“My best friend from the school. She was the teacher next door and we used to talk every single day. We ate lunch together. I thought we were close. But I’ve been trying to get in contact with her and she’s ghosting me.”
“This means you need to let it go. You’ve done all you can.”
She pouts at me.
“You’re starting here fresh, amongst a new group of beings who are your real friends. This is better. It’s a good thing.”
“I still feel bad that I didn’t get to say goodbye to the students and they were left mid-year without the correct instruction.”
“But that wasn’t your fault. I believe you were set up with that red paint. In essence, there were other members of your community who caused the lack of instruction for the students to occur, not you.”
She brightens. “Oh, that’s true. They chose to start that chain of events and didn’t care if my firing would hurt those students. I didn’t do that, they did. That does make me feel better. I can’t believe how you’re normally such a quiet guy, but you’re good at counseling me.”
I let out a snort of white smoke and roll over to kiss the top of her head. Then I whisper in her ear. “Ready for your nightly relief?”
She smiles. “Ready.”
I toss out both cats, lock the door and service my female.
The next day the rain starts.
Stella squeaks with surprise at the heavy downpour that doesn’t relent.
“This is just a drizzle,” I comment. “This building is reinforced and the landscaping and drainage system is set up to prevent the flooding. We are used to this. We've always done this.”
She stands at the windows with her brow wrinkled with worry. “I was born and raised on New Earth, which is a semi-arid planet. This much water falling from the sky does not happen. There are parts of the planet that get a reasonable amount of rain, but the majority of the planet is pretty dry. There are lots of places where it's just sand and it's much more extreme and water is cherished and saved. I've never been in a rainstorm like this in my entire life and especially one that lasts for a whole month long.”
“I am glad that you are here with me during the season. Everyone on Tarvos is legally able to decide how they will choose to shelter.”
“Where did you usually shelter?”
“I sheltered with my family at the main ranch, but now that my own ranch is here I've sheltered in the bunkhouse. I did that one month. And then when my house was built this last time I stayed here alone.”
“You were alone the whole time. How was that?”
“It wasn't so bad. I enjoyed it.”
“Are you okay with having me as your partner to shelter with for a whole month?”
“I love this idea. How do you feel about being with me?”
“I am happy that I have you with me to ride out this storm.” She puts her hand on her stomach. “I’m just nervous because the due date is soon. Lucy and Mica said that the med labs are wonderful and I shouldn’t worry, but I can’t help but worry just a little.”
I nod. “Everything is ready. The only thing that concerns me is that the med lab is not embedded in the house and we have to go outside to access it. But I have my utility vehicle in the garage if necessary. If the storms get too bad I've also got these two arms and these two legs to carry you there. I remember once during rainy season having to carry my brother in the same way. He had broken his ankle and was passed out. I found him like that, in the middle of the night. He was playing rough and had fallen down the stairs in our house. This is my youngest brother. I didn’t even wake my parents, I carried him myself in the rain, through the lightning to the bunkhouse where I knew the ranch manager had all the equipment to fix his broken leg, in the ways of old.”