Dai’zee grew sleepy after eating and was ready to photosynthesize. She curled up in the grass between us and snoozed.
Jaeyoung nodded. “I was there when Levi gave birth. He wanted Dai’zee’s name to reflect both sides of her culture, human and Maeleon. His mother’s name was Daisy.”
The word sounded familiar, but also distinct from how he pronounced Dai’zee’s name.
“Do you know what a daisy is?” Jaeyoung asked me.
“I do not. Please tell me.”
He gazed at the plant life surrounding us. “It’s a type of flower. Generally, it’s small with white petals and a sunshine-yellow center.”
“That sounds beautiful.”
Jaeyoung smiled wistfully down at Dai’zee. There was a softness in his gaze I hadn’t seen before.
“This really isn’t as bad as I thought,” he mused. “I’m sure it’s not easy, but it seems...”
He trailed off. I listened patiently, watching his face. When he noticed my focus on him, he blushed.
“It seems... doable,” he finished.
A thrill of excitement surged through me. My feelers floated like wisps of cloud on a sunny day.
Did he mean...?
“Hey, you guys!” Paz called suddenly.
He ran towards us on the clear footpath, careful not to knock into any of the large stalks. As he approached, Jaeyoung gestured to the sleeping infant and put a finger to his lips, which I assumed was a human gesture for ‘please be quiet.’
“Oops, sorry,” Paz said in a hushed tone. “Levi told me you were babysitting, and I had to see it with my own eyes.”
Jaeyoung raised a brow. “Is it that hard to believe?”
Paz grinned at the sleeping Dai’zee. “Now that I’m actually witnessing it? Nah, not really. You’re a natural. See, didn’t I say you’d want one of your own? I was right, wasn’t I?”
“No comment.”
Paz’s eyes widened before breaking into muffled laughter. “No way. I called it!”
“Isaid, no comment. Shouldn’t a diplomat understand a neutral statement when he hears one?”
Paz shrugged. “I don’t know if I count as a diplomat anymore, seeing as I kind of lost my job when Levi crashed the ship and all.”
Jaeyoung snorted. “Tell me about it.”
I chuckled at their interaction. Humans were so amusing.
And I was happy to have one as my filum.
“Linn’ar. Would you still like me if I said something un-doctorlike, and very unprofessional?” Jaeyoung asked once we returned to his den.
“Always,” I promised.
He pursed his lips and clutched Dai’zee closer to his chest. “What if we just kept her and didn’t give her back?”
I trilled with laughter. “Dai’zee’s parents would have an issue with that.”
He sighed, shoulders slumping. “As they should,” he mumbled.
