Surprised, I freeze. Moving is rare. Maybe to be closer to town—but that doesn’t sound like them. So that means…
“Meghan?” I ask, locking eyes with her.
“Yes!” she confirms, blushing, a dazzling smile spreading across her face.
“Thank Ares!—you’re pregnant!” I gasp. “Tell me everything!”
“She was conceived around the 1st of Adrastee,” she confesses.
“Whoa… so if I count five months, that’s Adrastee, Syliene, Himalia, Calyce… Elara!”
“Yup. End of Elara, you’ll be an aunt!” Kiran confirms, puffed up with pride.
Well yeah—he is the dad. And Iamgoing to be an aunt. Oh my stars!
My heart swells at the thought of their love creating this little life. My brother and my best friend, forever connected by someone I already can’t wait to meet.
“I wantyouto monitor the pregnancy,” Meghan whispers.
“You don’t even have to ask. Of course I will. But ifanythingseems off, promise me you’ll go to the specialized care unit. They’ve got better equipment, and I—”
“Everything will be fine. And I only wantyou,” she interrupts.
We enjoy lunch, chatting about how their life is about to change. They shouldn’t have any trouble getting a unit with an extra room in the area.
By month two, Meghan will stop tutoring and someone will take over. She’ll be off until the baby turns one. Then, she and Kiran will alternate shifts to care for the child. Weekends will remain theirs—two full days as a family.
So many changes ahead!
Mom would’ve been so happy. We never knew our father—he had a stroke when we were too young to remember. But we were lucky to have many good years with our mother.
She lost her way in a snowstorm and spent the night outside in freezing temps. She passed nearly two years ago.
My throat tightens, like it always does when I think of that extraordinary woman. Compassionate, kind—she’s the one who inspired me to go into medicine, just like she did.
She would’ve loved being a grandma...
“C’mon, little sister—no tears today,” Kiran says, wrapping his arms around me. “Let’s toast to the good news!”
We raise our mugs of herbal tea.
“To the baby—may Ares watch over them,” says Kiran.
“To our baby,” Meghan adds.
“To my future niece or nephew. And to your twelfth birthday!” I say to my big brother.
Oh, right—Did I mention we live on Mars, and here, a year lasts 687 days?
3-Prax
“Azkarra, give me a full rundown on this solar system,” I ask the onboard AI of the Bakartia, my sleek two-seater ship, as we drift toward the outer edge of the system.
“System SS-3954 contains several celestial bodies, including eight planets and two hundred and fourteen natural satellites. Two of these planets are considered viable for life.”
“Two?” I blink.
Just finding one life-supporting planet is rare enough. Two in the same system? That's off the charts.
