"I know." Dana glanced at Er'dox, her expression unguarded for once. "But we're allowed to build new lives. To find happiness in impossible situations. The people we lost—they'd want that for us."
Would they? I didn't know. Couldn't know.
But I wanted to believe it.
Bea's face appeared on my comm display, interrupting my spiral. "Weekly dinner tonight? My quarters, 1900 hours?"
"I'll bring dessert," I promised.
"Actual dessert or your sketches of dessert?"
"Why not both?"
She smiled—a rare, genuine expression that transformed her usually serious features. "Bring Zor'go. And tell Dana to bring Er'dox. Zorn's cooking for eight."
"Eight?"
"Maya, Garrett, and Prisha are coming. Building community requires regular social interaction. I read a study." Her expression went slightly mischievous. "Also, Elena's coming. Vaxon will coincidentally arrive thirty minutes late."
Dana groaned. "You're meddling in their disaster of a relationship."
"I'm a doctor. I see a patient with symptoms, I treat them. Their symptom is unresolved sexual tension. The treatment is forced proximity in a low-stakes social environment."
"That's not how medicine works."
"It's exactly how therapy works." Bea's image flickered slightly as she adjusted her comm. "1900 hours. Don't be late."
She disconnected before Dana could argue.
I looked at Dana. She looked at me. We both started laughing at the same time.
"Elena's going to murder Bea," Dana said.
"Vaxon's going to murder Bea."
"It'll be the first joint human-Zandovian homicide."
"At least they'll finally be working together."
We were still laughing when Er'dox and Zor'go rejoined us, both looking confused by human emotional responses as usual.
"What's funny?" Zor'go asked.
"Bea's matchmaking," I explained.
"That's not funny. That's psychological manipulation."
"Exactly. Which is hilarious when it's not happening to us."
His markings flickered with resigned amusement. "Humans are complicated."
"You love it."
"I love you. The complications are simply part of the package."
Er'dox made a sound that might have been an agreement. "Dana brings sufficient complications for both of us."
"Excuse me?" Dana's voice went dangerous.
