“I believe there are emergency rations of some sort back there,” he told me.
“Yeah, I know. I saw those. But there’s just one tiny problem.”
“Which is?”
“I don’t actually want to eat them.”
“We will not be home for a while yet,” he told me. “You will have to choose which sort of suffering is most preferable to you. Eat the rations you are not excited about, or remain hungry for now.”
“I don’t like those options.”
“I’m afraid I have no others for you at the moment.”
“Can we stop at the saloon on the way back?” I asked him. “I won’t complain about being hungry on the ride again if you promise we can go get some of Rivven’s cooking before we go home.”
“That is fine. Are you happy now?”
“Yay! Yes, I am, thank you.”
“Good.” There was a gruff warmth in his reply that drew me up short, made my breath stutter in my throat. I clapped my hands onto my hot cheeks and turned quickly around, pretending to be suddenly very interested in the tubing of the nearest urinary catheter.
I’d barely recovered by the time we reached Rivven and Shiloh’s, but I did my best to put on a brave, not-affected-by-Warden-Hallum face. I was pretty certain it sucked, but it seemed to convince Warden Hallum just fine. Or maybe he just thought any weirdness going on with me was due to the fact that I was moments away from starvation.
Alright, that might’ve been a bit dramatic. But I was definitely ready to eat.
I followed the scent of roasting meat like a hungry cartoon doggy, hustling through the saloon doors. Inside, Rivven, Shiloh, Tasha, and Warden Tenn were seated around one of the round dining room tables, food heaped on platters before them.
“Hi, you two!” Tasha said with a wave. “Come in!”
“Have something to eat,” Shiloh said. “There’s loads!”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear,” I said happily, dragging a chair over to the table. I squeezed in between Tasha and Shiloh. Their husbands were seated on their other sides. When Warden Hallum found his spot, it was directly across from me, between Warden Tenn and Rivven.
“How did the ambulance work out?” Tasha asked. Rivven handed empty plates to Warden Hallum and me. I placed mine down, wanting to answer Tasha before I started stuffing my face.
“It was great!” I exclaimed. “It worked out exactly as I was hoping it would! The trip was very smooth. And fast! Darcy was doing well, too!”
“That’s so great to hear,” Tasha said. “She spends so much time being sarcastic, or complaining, that I can never quite tell with her.”
“No, she’s very healthy,” I said, giving a firm nod. “And the baby, too. He looks absolutely perfect. Gorgeous little face on him, and the sweetest Zabrian ears!”
“Oh my goodness.” Shiloh clasped her hands tightly together in front of her chest. “So Zabrians and humans really can have healthy children together!”
“It certainly looks that way,” I said. “I have every reason to believe that their son will be born a healthy, happy little guy!”
I expected a few more questions, but none came. Instead, each couple went very quiet. Shiloh and Rivven shared a silent, secret look between them. Tasha and Warden Tenn did the same. Warden Tenn brought Tasha’s hand to his mouth in a tender kiss.
I knew what they were sharing in their wordless ways. Hope for their own futures. Their own families.
It hit me then, painfully so, that I might not be around to deliver their babies when the time came.
Even more painful?
I didn’t have anyone of my own to share a look like that with. Terrific loneliness sucked the air from my lungs. And not terrific like great. Terrific liketerrible, like a storm, like lightning. I wasn’t hungry anymore.
But I needed to distract myself. I reached for my plate.
It wasn’t there.
