“But in all seriousness,” Mom continues, “I miss being able to spend time with you and sharing some of our mutual hobbies, like puzzles and spatial logic games.”
Okay, I’m now full of all the warm fuzzies—and it’s really damn nice. I haven’t felt this way with my family for far too long.
My mom studies Gemma. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, tell us more about your plans moving forward with our daughter.”
Gemma throws her head back and laughs. “Is this the parentalYou better not hurt my daughtertalk? If so, that’s cool. Hit me, Kae. I’m ready for it.”
My mother bites her bottom lip, fighting back a laugh of her own. “I suppose it’s something along those lines, although I don’t need to be a mechanical engineer like Luna to see how radiantly happy she is with you.” She turns a warm smile in my direction. “We’ve always wanted you to be happy and find apartner who could be an equal and loving companion to you in all the ways you need most.”
An unexpected knot forms in my throat, and I valiantly fight back tears. “I never would have met Gemma if I hadn’t left home and followed my heart. The fact that we were able to meet in this wide, wonderful universe is practically a freaking miracle. Or maybe fate. Whatever the case, I’m sure as hell not going to take it for granted.”
Gemma leans over and kisses me on the cheek. “Ditto, babe. Until you, I’d given up on the idea of ever finding a love like the one I yearned for, the kind of deep and intimate connection my grandparents had and maintained throughout their many decades together.” She focuses her gaze on my parents. “With Luna, I’ve found that. I sincerely believe that we’re meant to be and can weather any storm that comes our way so long as we’re together.” She looks at me. “I know it might be a little cheesy but?—”
“I love cheesy,” I tell her eagerly.
She smirks. “I know, babe. What I was going to say, in full-on cheese mode, is that we fit like two pieces of a puzzle that have been trying to find each other. You’re my puzzle of love piece, Luna.”
Dark matter and dammit, I can’t help it. I turn all kinds of sappy at that and decide to go ahead and embrace it.
I fling my arms and a tentacle around her. “You’re my puzzle of love piece too, Gemma. Now and forever, gorgeous.”
When I finally tear my gaze away from her, I find my parents are watching us with matching looks of parental contentment on their faces.
“You two are so sweet together,” Mom says, a sheen of happy tears in her eyes. “Gemma, I can see how you’ve captured Luna’s hearts.”
“All three of them,” I agree cheerfully.
“Well, she’s captured mine as well,” Gemma replies. “And never fear, I won’t be mooching off your daughter or the rest of the Sleigh Belle crew for long.” She beams at all of us, her face glowing brighter than the jelly creature floating above us. “It just so happens that another perfect twist of fate brought me into contact with a commanding officer here at the space station who’s besties with the head of the Intergalactic Alliance’s medical school.” Gemma flashes a toothy grin. “I’ve been accepted into the program and will start in about a month, or lunar cycle, as you all call it.”
My chest fills with pride as I smile back at her so hard my cheeks hurt.
“That’s amazing,” Dad says. “Congratulations. That will bring you all that much closer to making the plan you told us about a reality.”
“That’s the goal. It’ll take a while for me to complete the program, but fortunately, I can do most of it remotely and will only have to come in person every few months for some labs and other hands-on training sessions. And I’m confident my experience as a doctor on Earth will come in handy, maybe give me an edge on some of the practicum components of my assessment.” She leans forward on the table, eyes sparkling. “I also got some great advice I intend to follow. Namely, networking and building connections with some of my colleagues in the program who are likely to be better versed in species differences than I currently am. I think we could form some mutually beneficial relationships based around sharing knowledge and expertise that will make all of us better doctors.”
My mom’s tentacles undulate with obvious satisfaction. “You’re ambitious. I like to hear that.”
“We both have bright futures, Mom, and you guys have nothing to worry about. Well, apart from the usual unpredictable nature of life. Sure, something could happen tome while traveling the universe.” I shrug. “It’s not always a hundred percent safe here, but the same goes for if I’d stayed on Draveth, especially with the frequent invasions we have. And since I had no intention of marrying a warrior and relying on someone else to keep me safe, I would have been at even more risk if you think about it.”
My mom sighs. “That’s a hard truth I have finally accepted. Wanting to protect your children is a natural instinct for parents, and when you become adults it can be very hard to let go, knowing that you’ll face certain challenges or dangers that we can’t shield you from once you’re on your own. You always wanted something else, and I am ready and prepared to work on better supporting those desires and the choices that you make.” She smiles softly. “What I have to say so far is that I think Gemma is a wonderful choice as a life partner, and I look forward to having her become part of our family.”
“Thanks for saying that, Kae. I also look forward to becoming part of your family. Luna knows this already, but before my brother Felix and I joined the Sleigh Belle and its crew, we were the only family we had. While we both love each other to pieces, we missed having a family support network after our grandparents passed away.”
“We would be honored to become family with you,” Dad says solemnly, as if making a formal vow.
At this moment, I can honestly say I’m really damn proud of my parents. They’re not bad Dravethians. That’s why what happened between us hurt so much. For most of my life, they had been there, supporting me all the way, and I had known I could rely on them. But the moment I started talking about a life path that deviated so radically from what they were familiar with and what Dravethian culture endorses, things went sideways. Time and distance have helped. My feelings and theirs aren’t as sharp and raw as they were, and the fact that my parents are herenow, working to make amends and rebuild our relationship, tells me a lot. No matter how much my decisions might have scared or even bewildered them in the past, they do value my wishes and are working to better understand me. At the same time, I plan to keep showing them how happy I am with the choices I’ve made.
Hell, I basically experienced my own lesbian Hallmark Christmas movie romance but extraterrestrial and a lot kinkier—hello, my fabulous tentacles—and right now I’m walking on stardust. It’s magical. The possibilities ahead of Gemma and me seem limitless.
She’s starting on the path toward her own future as an intergalactic medical doctor, and our entire crew are going to become an emergency rescue team. I’m already excited about helping stranded vessels because I know I’m going to get to work on some engines I’ve never seen let alone touched. Who knows, I might even become a legendary mechanic hero across the universe! All the while we’ll also be exploring so many new places, experiencing other cultures, and meeting new people. But the icing on the cake is that amid all of this, Gemma and I are going to begin building a life together—and I can’t fucking wait.
The conversation shifts gears, and my parents ask about what I’ve been doing and where I’ve traveled over the last year, something they didn’t want to discuss in our sporadic and brief conversations until now. I don’t hesitate to make up for lost time and regale them with our exciting and sometimes delightfully comedic adventures, wowing them with all I’ve done in one year.
“There’s always something new and exciting on the horizon,” I explain animatedly, “and I love the fact that I can be in one galaxy one day and in another the next. I love meeting other travelers and learning more about other cultures that have never even come to our little quadrant of the universe, and vice versa. I’m one lucky lady to be able to see the many wonders of theuniverse rather than be stuck or settled in one place. For me, that’s too stagnating. Out here among the cosmos, I’m free, and it’s basically to infinity and beyond!”
Gemma snickers. “You like cartoons too.”
“It’s called animation and it’s an art form, my dear.”
