When Ktak entered the room, ducking to clear the door jamb, she marched straight to Ames, winked at him and waited to be introduced.
Ames had been momentarily rendered speechless, but the wink pulled him out of it.
"Mother, Father, this is my wife, Commander Ktak." Ames announced stressing her rank and took her hand to show off their matching wedding bands he had made.
He was staring to enjoy the situation. Mother was in awe. He had never seen his mother so classed out and confused about how to behave. She was usedto haughtily lording over everyone, but to do this to a Space Commander in full regalia who was much taller than her... did not add up. She was still trying to find an alternative when Ames's father stood up, shook her hand and greeted her politely.
Then, using mother's temporary distraction whispered to Ames, "Im happy for you, son. I wish I would have had the guts to bail, boy, when they hiched me to your mother."
To Ames this admission finally explained all the dysfunctionality of his family and he smiled to his father.
His mother had finally realized that her only face saving option would be to copy her husband approached cautiously, greeted her hastily and retreated back to her seat.
They did not stay long and the Space Command transport took them back to the port city.
Ktak explained to Ames that they have a small budget for impressing alien species and any Commander, even if the command is an old beat up freighter can use it. She had never felt the need before, but now it seemed... appropriate.
The next day they met Ames's sisters for lunch at a Tamare friendly restaurant. The height of door frames mattered.
Ames's sisters were ... very different from his mother. If they had learrnt anything from her, it was a list of things they did not want to be as people.
They found it quite amusing that Ames had managed to pull off a stunt, no man had to date and marry a Tamare hybrid and made Ktak quite welcome in their company. They left the lunch with two invitations to dinners with their families they looked forward to attend.
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Ames had not met their families. They had both been unmarried and actively hiding their private lives from the family when he left. With Ames gone, mother had gone after both of them to hich them up to someone she found suitable. Neither was interested in mother's choises and to get her off their backs had eloped with men of their choosing - their long term boyfriends.
Ames had become a double, soon to be triple uncle while away. Alissa, his oldest sister had a new baby at home and his younger Ree sister had a rambuncious 2 years old and one on the way as well. The dinners offered an opportunity to meet the new members of the family.
Their first dinner was with Ree's family. They had laid it out on the terrace because their house was uncofortably low for Ktak. It was pleasant evening, but Ktak felt distracted by the two years old girl they had named Amae, running around and creating havoc as kids do. She found her body doing some things quite automatically, like catching the little critter when she was about to fall on her face and wiping food of her sticky fingers. Ames noticed this too and was somewhat surprised. Her being a clone, he would not have expected her to have mothering instincts really. He figured they must be part of being human then and she had that part in her genes.
Ktak also felt a bit intrigued about Ree's baby pump. They were sitting on the garden swing keeping an eye on the Amae and drinking coffe when Ree noticed Ktak trying to not look at it, but constantly side glancing anyway. She understood the curiosity...
"You wonder what's it like to have a baby inside you?" she started the converation.
Ktak froze for a moment with guilt of being caught, but then nodded. "I do."
Ree sighed. "It's hard and stresfull and when they get bigger they hit you from inside. It's even worse when they are born. The process hurts like hell. But you will still do it again." she laughed.
"Give me your hand..." she said.
She placed it on her tummy and waited. Ktak's eyes went wide when she felt the kick. She had hard time identifying the feeling in her. But finally she did. It was envy. She wished she could have this experience.
At Alissa's dinner she felt similar distraction. She was drawn to the newborn like a moth to flame. The little boy was so small and fragile. When Alissa got up to take her away to nurse and then sleep, she asked what nursing meant. Alissa looked at her for a moment oddly and then realized she really did not know. She invited her to come along to see and leave the men to themselves. They went into the house, with Ktak carefully minding her head. Ktak watched Alissa settle down in her nursing chair and latch the baby on while explaining the true function of breasts to her. Ktak had indeed wondered why female human bodies had these nuisances and in her youth, before being introduced to bras she had even considered having them removed. The wonder gradually gave way to another feeling. This time it was easyer to recognize. Envy again.
When they were driving back to hotel Ames asked her why she was so quiet. Ktak admited that she had finally seen something that being a hybrid deprived her from ever having - babies.