The door opened to reveal Sam, my younger brother. He looked at me before looking at my wife. He held his fist out and shouted, “Scarlett! Who’s my favorite foxwoman?”
Scarlett fist bumped him and smirked. “Sam, I’m the only one you know. Heck, I’m the only one in the galaxy.”
Sam laughed. “Don’t discount the galaxy having another! I’ve seen enough science fiction to know that aliens of all kinds live out there! With any hope, I’d find some hot alien girlfriend with green or blue skin and the physique of a supermodel!” We all laughed as it seemed that my story made others hopeful of finding another humanoid.
I looked at my brother with a smirk and shrugged. “Tough luck. Scarlett can vouch for me when I say that most aliens are not humanoid enough.”
“He’s right,” she said as she wrapped her arm around mine. “Captain Kirk here was upset to find out that most women in the galaxy were either taken or completely alien. Fortunately for him, he found the most beautiful lady in the galaxy.”
Sam shrugged and replied with a smirk, “I mean, I could dispute that, but you’re pretty cool.” Scarlett playfully punched Sam, making both of them laugh. It was nice to see that she got along with my family. It meant that she always had somewhere she could call home.
“This is nice and all, but I’d really like to enter our apartment,” I replied as I looked at my brother. He quickly stepped out of the doorway to allow us to enter.
As Scarlett and I entered my family’s apartment, my parents jumped up and hugged us. “How’s my little explorer?” my mother asked as she ruffled my hair. She then looked at Scarlett and asked, “I hope you’re taking good care of him.”
“Quentin’s a bit of a handful sometimes,” my father said as he further ruffled my hair. “I remember when he was six and would constantly take any box we got and cut it up. I still remember the fort he ‘hid’ in the backyard with until it rained him out. Or should I describe the random things he would fidget with.”
I groaned. “Dad! That was ages ago!”
“As in last year?” my dad countered as he laughed. Scarlett joined in on the laughter.
“This is embarrassing! And why in front of my wife?” I complained as I wanted to hide my face.
Scarlett looked at me and said, “Quentin, I find it cute.” Her tone shifted to teasing. “Should I give you a pencil so you can fidget with it?”
“Would you like a scratching post?” I teased back. We laughed together at our combined insults until she pondered for a moment.
“Actually, now that you mention it, a scratching post may be useful to keep my claws in good condition,” Scarlett replied as she thought about it a bit more. “Perhaps one big enough for me so I won’t have to sit on the ground for a cat one.”
I looked at her shocked, making her chuckle and reply, “Quen, I’m not completely human. There are some considerations I need to worry about that you don’t. Like the fact they don’t have dignified vulpine shampoo.”
“What have you been using to shower?” I asked as I was worried that she wasn’t cleaning herself properly. However, her fur always looked clean, so she had to be cleaning it. That and the fact that she never smelt like a fox.
She adopted a nervous expression as her ears went flat against her head and her tail fled between her legs. She looked away and admitted, “I’ve been experimenting on mixtures of human shampoo and dog shampoo to see which one cleans the best.”
I frowned as I replied, “I’m sorry for asking you, my foxy lady. I know it must feel embarrassing and humiliating to use dog shampoo.”
Scarlett’s expression shifted to a positive one as she caressed my face. “Don’t worry too much about it. It’s our personal secret that only your family knows about.” She then faced my parents and said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll like to take a nice, long bath. I went several days without one and I don’t want to start smelling.” She walked off, leaving me alone with my family.
Carl walked in from his room and saw me. “Hi Quentin, long time no see,” he said as he grabbed the TV remote and turned on the TV. There was only one station set up and it was just relaying news from the ship’s crew about their work on the city. I turned to watch it as well.
“As you can see from the work behind me, we’ve started making paved roads,” the reporter said as she moved aside to show the streets being paved with pre-packed asphalt. “Now, it’ll take some time to dry, which is why we made the sidewalks have underground tunnels connecting the entire city. If you really wanted to, you could just walk underground across the entire city, but why would you deny yourself some sunlight?”
Another reporter took the microphone and said, “The reason we built it was as a prototype. In colder settlements in the polar regions, we could consider using underground sidewalks during the winters where it’s just not feasible to walk outside. That’s assuming this planet even has seasons.”
The first reporter took back the mike and said, “Due to the lack of businesses to make commercial breaks, we’ll listen to another PSA by the Department of Energy.”
The TV screen changed to display a PSA about conserving electricity until the nuclear fusion plants came online. I tuned out the TV as I turned to look at my parents. “So, what have you been up to?” I asked.
My father smiled and answered, “I got a job with the ship’s remaining scientists. Apparently, I’m so experienced in my field that they want me to be their director. It means that I’m getting a bigger paycheck than I ever got on Earth. Which is good since I’ll probably only work for another decade before I retire.”
“That sounds nice. I should’ve gone for my PhD, but I lacked the commitment. I mean, it’s not like it mattered since I was abducted right after I graduated with my Master’s.”
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My mother frowned and crossed her arms. She pointed at the bathroom and said, “That abduction was the best thing to happen to your wife. In fact, while I don’t believe in fate, I feel like it was fate that brought the two of you together. You may feel like you wasted time, but that year was probably the best use of your time. You saved Scarlett from a life of torment and suffering. Besides, what other man would’ve picked up a girl like that? You could see past her furry exterior to see the woman underneath. And now you have someone that loves you as much as you love her.”
I sighed. “You want grandchildren, don’t you?”
Mom’s mood immediately lifted as she grinned from eye to eye and held her hands together. “Yes, Quentin, I’d like some grandchildren!” she shouted with joy as she looked back at me. “I don’t care if they’re covered in fur! You are Scarlett are the perfect couple! I know you may be worried about the child’s appearance, but I can assure you that we’d love the child as best we can!”
I looked out the window as the question got odd. To be honest, I didn’t really have any idea of when to start a family. I didn’t want to start it too late, but I also wanted some time to get settled and have a good job. “I’ll talk about it with Scarlett. We’ll see when we intend to start one,” I replied nervously.
My father pulled out a necklace and said, “As for your wife, could you give this to her? It’s a family heirloom passed down through the generations. While the heirloom is passed from father to son, you give it to the woman you marry. It’s a family tradition. While it’s normally passed down upon death, I think you should give it to Scarlett.”
I looked back at my father and asked, “Why did you skip Carl? Shouldn’t you give it to him?”
My father laughed and replied, “Quentin, I’m giving it to you because Carl didn’t want it.” My older brother gave a thumbs up to me.
I nodded and graciously accepted the necklace. As soon as I did, I could hear the tub in the bathroom draining and a hair dryer being turned on. Before my wife could leave the bathroom, I looked back to my parents and asked, “How do you feel about me moving out? As soon as we decode the language of the native aliens, I’m thinking about starting a second settlement. At the moment, the infrastructure here is insufficient to handle one hundred thousand people.”
My father sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Quentin, that’s a noble goal, but I’m afraid I’m unable to do that. As you can see, the scientists need me here to help them. Both promise me one thing.” I nodded, so he continued, “Don’t lose sight of who you are. Sometimes the moral answer isn’t the most advantageous option. Remember, pragmaticism is important, but it shouldn’t be your only consideration.”
“Being a bleeding heart isn’t exactly intelligent either,” I countered as I thought about situations such as the Second World War where pacifism wouldn’t be the answer. “Sometimes, we must commit acts of violence to ensure our survival and do what’s right. And ultimately, I care more about ensuring our survival than about being a nice person.”
My father nodded. “That’s the thing. I know you may have to do some morally dubious things to win us a home on this world, but make sure you find a good balance. I don’t know if you’ve had to do some things you regret, but please try to mitigate your misdeeds. While I’m not especially religious, the guilt you’ll get doing what has to be done is bad enough. Make sure you don’t do something that is wrong and doesn’t have to be done.”
I nodded. There was reason in what he was saying. If I could avoid doing something horrible, I should. I looked at him in the eyes and replied, “When Scarlett and I were coming back from space, we had to kill some aliens. It would be easy to brush it aside because they weren’t human, but I knew the truth. They were people just as much as Scarlett, me, and the rest of humanity. The fact I took their lives sometimes weighs on me.”
“My son, you were fighting in self-defense,” my father said as he pulled me back in for a hug. “We love you, Quentin. Remember, we’re always there for you.”
The hug ended as the bathroom door opened. Scarlett walked out wearing her full outfit. Her fur was as wet as her hair, though the water wasn’t dripping to the floor, so that was a positive. She smiled as she looked at us. “I apologize if I smell like wet dog,” she ashamedly admitted as we walked up to me.
I decided to smell her, which made me smile. “You know, for using that special blend, you actually smell like you just used human shampoo,” I replied before I grabbed one of her hands. She smelt like vanilla, which always made me want to eat some dessert. “I can sure go for some cake now,” I commented, earning a confused smirk from Scarlett.
She looked at me and replied, “Quen, you can be a weirdo sometimes.”
“Takes one to know one,” I retorted playfully, earning a playful slap to the shoulder. I slapped her shoulder back, making us laugh.
She winked at me and leaned back. “You are the one that fell in love with and married a literal foxy lady. I mean, if I’m the right girl to fulfill your deviant tendences, then go right ahead,” she teased with a smirk.
“I didn’t think she’d have more impressive facial hair than me, but here we are,” I teased back as I messed with the thin mustache that I grew. It was technically a lie since fur and hair are different, but it fit for the tease.
“Oh my, am I some big bad wolf?” she teased back before showing her sharp teeth. “Look what big teeth I have? And what big ears?” At the latter mention, her ears twitched.
I was going to laugh again when Sam shouted, “Go get a room!” Scarlett and I blushed before leaving to our room.
Once we were in our room, I asked her an important question. “What are your plans? I’m planning to start a new settlement. You don’t have to—”
“My love, I’m going with you!” she interrupted while her tail flicked in irritation. “There’s no way I’m going to let you risk your life alone!” She then calmed down as she held my hands. “Honey, we made a vow at the altar to never leave each other. I know it meant to never divorce, but I take it as more than that. While we don’t share everything, we will always have each other in this life. Remember that as my husband, best friend, and a future father.”
I looked at her and scratched her snout. While it may have felt odd to show her affection like this, she liked it. I sighed and asked, “But what will you do? You’re not a woman that’s easy to keep down. You have dreams and ambitions of your own. If you become a mother in the future, will you have the chance to fulfill your dreams?”
Scarlett giggled as she moved my hands off her snout. “Quen, who said that it was impossible to be a faithful wife and mother while pursuing my dreams?” She then looked out the window and walked over to it. She opened it and leaned onto the sill. “As you know, I inherited a fortune from my father. Unfortunately, it didn’t translate well when we fled Earth. I’m now living on government assistance, and I hate it! It makes me feel like I haven’t earned where I am! I feel like a leech!”
I walked up to my wife and petted her back. “Scar, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a way to help those that society would otherwise abandon. It’s a sign of a functioning society.”
“I hate being poor!” she cried as tears came to her eyes. “It reminds me of those years I spent in slavery where I had to rely on the generosity of others to eat! I know your family is only going to remain poor until they get the economy started again, but I lost my family’s fortune and have no prospects! Who’ll hire a woman that looks like an animal?”
“I know a few places,” I teasingly replied before she sent me a glare. I held up my hands as I tried to make myself seem as small as possible.
She looked back out. “No, there’s only one option to do. I need to rebuild a business empire for the Campbells. I was thinking about real estate where I’ll start selling real houses to people. Perhaps I can use this cashless period to gather the resources to start the operation. Perhaps I can become as wealthy as my father.”
“Make sure you always remember who you are, Scar. I don’t want you to be consumed by greed,” I warned as I walked up behind her and massaged her shoulders.
She looked at me and smiled. “With you there, you can make sure of that.”
We watched over the city as the day turned to night. While it would take a month to get everything in order, we had missions to fulfill. The future waits for no one.