Ben was waiting for me. “I wish to show you my parents!” By my handsome blond-curled beau were Lineas, who also had blond, and Keea, with dark hair. They had a lot of gray when I knew them, after losing five sons on diplomatic missions! Neither of them had his light yellow-green eyes, though. Lineabin, his grandfather, did. I hugged them. Lineas had bright blue eyes. Keea had medium brown with golden highlights in them. All of them were dressed up.
“Fa, I am so happy to see you!” I gave a formal bow.
He startled. “Molly, you know protocols for us?” His delight tingled on my skin!
I giggled. “I want to learn more. If I am going to run a healer colony, I need to always be polite.” I bowed to Mea, too. She wore a pretty, long dress in cobalt blue, Ben’s family color. Fa’s and Ben’s pinstripe suits and ties matched.
“O, such a wonderful sae I have! Welcome to our family! Bin, you nae told us she has such delightful manners!” I hugged both of ‘em.
My beau oranged. “I nae knew, Mea! Eae, she is surprising. This Molly enjoys romance!” He recited a love poem from Miter'han, a MarKuan from centuries before Fhiah moved from MarKu to Alb Seer. I blushed and looked away, like a maiden should. Smiled, big. Why didn’t I learn this stuff from Mia, in that other future? And, that wonderful full moon shone on us, like a sign from above.
Ben put a huge bouquet of flowers in my arms. All diff kinds, and all of my faves! Roses, sunflowers, tulips in every color, and a lot more! I waved up a floating vase so we could all enjoy 'em.
I didn’t see Deb or her mom. Briahh and Greg were asleep in their bedroom, just as it was in their apartment. Briahh had his arms around his brother, and he was more relaxed. So glad Greg doesn’t have to lose him! He and Greg were like my favorite uncles.
I ported to Angel's. She was riding her bike so I waved for mine and caught up. “Angel!”
She slowed down. “Molly!”
Ben rode on my other side. No traffic much, yet. “Molly, you should let me accompany!”
I flinched, and wobbled. “Sorry, Ben!”
“I am nae angry, I merely worry for your safety—”
“In our neighborhood? Crime rates are bad in metro Atlanta, but I haven't noticed anything here.” Angel giggled. “The full moon lights our way even where street lights aren’t lit.”
“See this home? Notice the number of cars near it.” He pointed. I know he's Zheien but he looked Earthan. Telepathy can do that. I smiled at him.
“That house always has lots of cars. Maybe they just have a big family.”
“They deal in illegal drugs. Police watch. This car is that of an undercover detective.” He casually waved towards an older green car. Led us riding the other way. I noticed a mean fella watching us by the front door. Creepy.
Angel's bike wobbled. “How do you know?”
“My father met new friends. One knew of them and warned him. We bought a house near here.” He gave the address. Angel nearly fell off her bike!
“Anderwood Ridge? That's a millionaire neighborhood! Our house is only worth maybe a half mil!” Wow! I rode over there and the people who used to live there called a policeman to talk to me. I’d been visiting one of Mom’s friends to try to get her to buy one of Mom’s houses. She was nice about it but not interested. I knew house values from Zillow, ‘cause Mom wanted me to learn about real estate. Angel’s folks were shocked at how much theirs was worth! Mom’s prices were over market.
“My parents and I dwell there, and we wish you to come there, Molly.”
A car came, so we got on the sidewalk. Stopped.
Angel looked from Ben to me. “Isn't this a little sudden?”
Ben bowed to her, like a split, and held his bike up with one hand! Came up gracefully. “I opened courtship with Molly earlier today. We plan to marry—”
“You can't marry a 12-year-old, it's impossible! Georgia made the minimum age 16 with parents' permission.”
Ben paled. Angel stared at him with a frown.
“Angel, they don't do what we do!”
She shook her head and black waves flew. “What are you talking about?”
“They aren't from Earth. Show her, Ben!”
He quit hiding with his telepathy. She looked at his twin-fingered hands.
“Ben is a Zheien. They don’t ever take their clothes off, and they don’t do what our parents do. It’s like marrying a big teddy bear!” Heat roared in my face, to describe Zheien that way, but it’s true. If any Elshar slut drugged him and did that to him, he’d never be the same. His work is risky. Gotta accept that.
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“My team came here to invite Earth to our trade networks. You heard our progress in the United Nations? Soon I shall assist my father in these negotiations. There are hundreds of us who shall participate, peacefully.”
“They will? I didn’t hear about that!” She reached her hand, and Ben took it, loosely. “Wow, you're warm!”
“I fear to harm you! I am Zheien and our body temperature is 107 degrees Fahrenheit.” She let go.
“One of his team, Adia, she sees futures. I saw my future as a healer. Ben and I got married when I was 16 in that future, on a world named Alb Seer. I hope you and your family will come with us! I'm going to have a house on a world named MarKu that moved to the Alb System. I'll be porting for 4 mins to work.” I looked around. “Want to come see their ship?”
“Would I ever!” I took her hand and Ben curled his hand around my arm. We stepped into a green swirl. Ben moved our bikes into my alt storage. I ported Angel’s to their garage and closed the door.
We stepped out, and Angel looked around. “Whoa!”
I put a green cube in her hand, waved, and white goo covered her shoes. Flowed up. “That’s an aandat! You’ll get telepathy--”
“Ugh! It’s gross! It moves?” She looked scared, so I hugged her.
“I’m sorry! But I don’t want you to get COVID. So many people don’t wear their masks--”
“This’ll protect me against that?” She giggled and I let go. “That’s—I’ll get telepathy?”
“Yes! And you’ll never need a bathroom again!”
“That’s awesome!”
“Now, you need to see a healer—Pas! Can you help my friend? She has a lot of stomachaches and headaches.”
The old healer ran across the ship, white robe flowing behind. Angel stared at his deep orange skin. Then he held out twin-fingered hands and she took one. “Daughter, I am Pas, a healer. Feel you unwell?”
She sighed. “My stomach hurts, but it always does. I’ve got an appointment with a gastroenterologist this afternoon--”
“You won’t need it! Pas can fix you!”
“He can?” Her light blue eyes opened very wide. Her other hand pulled at her black waves.
Pas nodded right and a bed appeared with an embroidered bedspread like the one in her room. This one had brighter colors and no stains. He picked her up. “Oh, I can walk--” She looked scared.
“Be calm, Daughter. One in this much pain must ne walk!” His red-gold eyes filled.
“But, I have to go to school—what time is it?”
I got up there and helped Pas bend her leiwege, a personal mattress, to hold her up.
“It is 6:05 am. Your mother just started breakfast and your father is in the shower.”
She looked at her pocket, where her mother’s voice came from. “You didn’t look, did you?”
“Nae. His location is in the bathroom and humidity is high.”
“Okay.” She giggled.
Pas held his twin-fingered hands above her head. “May I touch you, Daughter? I will ne read your private thoughts. But if you think of what is unwell, I hear.”
“Uh, where do you want to touch me? This is so weird!”
Pas looked sad. “I only wish to touch your head, Miss. I can see your unwell by looking at points where functions come close to the surface. We healers use our telepathy, so.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be rude.” Tears shone in her blue eyes.
“I am ne offended. You ne know me. I only wish to relieve this pain I feel in you.” His red-gold eyes filled.
“I think I hurt your feelings. It must be hard to be an alien.” Then she flinched. My poor friend, who never knows quite what to say.
He chuckled as he spread his fingercorners across her forehead. “I think it must be hard to be an Earthan, from your worries, Child. What is alegebera?”
She laughed. I stifled a giggle and Angel took my cue. “Algebra. It’s math. I’m not very good at solving problems that my teacher wants me to solve.”
“She will ne let you choose another subject to study?” Pas moved his fingers back in a line. Points Two.
“No. We don’t get many choices, if we want to graduate from high school. I wanted to join chorus but I missed the high note.” Tears dripped and I gasped. Poor Angel froze.
Pas smiled. “Daughter, we ne fear water now! We are ne harmed at all, just as other Zheien are ne harmed by it.”
“Oh, I’m glad! Will you have to drink water because of all the nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere?”
“Ne! We have progs to help us, here. Pirad helped us in many ways.” He smiled and moved his hands back.
“Angel, I’m so sorry about your audition. You could’ve hit it easily, if not for getting COVID. You were still all congested. They should’ve let you try again.” I rubbed her shoulder.
“You like to sing, Daughter?” Pas smiled.
“I love to sing, but a lot of students are at my school because they’re good at it, too. I wish they’d let everyone sing who wanted to.” Angel sighed.
Pas went through all her points. She talked about bullies and false friends and art and music things she couldn’t do because she couldn’t get in or her parents couldn’t afford it. He listened to all of it. Worked his way to the back of her head. “Daughter, I worry for you. May I speak with your parents? I wish to sing healing for you, but I fear you must sleep.”
“Sleep? But I have class—and Mama’s got breakfast ready. Can I come back later?”
“May I go with you to your home? I must speak with your parents. Young ones must have happiness, in their lives!” He hugged her. She hugged him back.
“My life’s not that bad. You should look at Molly! She can’t keep weight on her because her parents won’t leave her any food! Dad says we need to try to get her parents to just let her live with us!”
Pas gasped. “They ne provide foods for her?” He pulled me into his arms, too!
“Pas, it’ll all be okay when I leave Earth! I—uh--told Goes I’d move to MarKu. I’m sorry, Pas!”
He laughed. “Daughter, we shall see one another! Is only 4 minutes between the worlds of Alb.”