Tula frowned. "You never told me about that cousin. What's his deal?"
"He's a petty criminal, which is why I was embarrassed to mention him. But you should be aware that Junior might not be as brilliant as his father."
Tony was far from brilliant, but he was smart enough for Lord Navuh to desire his genetic material.
Tula surprised him by leaning over and kissing his cheek. "I'm sure he will be brilliant. After all, I'm his mother." She winked. "Anyway, you might try your luck in a different university, but even if you get a teaching position, you can't stay for long. Eventually, people will start noticing that you are not aging."
He would be young forever.
The concept was too vast to wrap his mind around, so Tony filed it away for later contemplation. Right now, he was more focused on the dry scratchiness of his throat, the dull ache in his muscles, and the strange tingling sensation that seemed to run through his entire body.
He was about to ask for more water when the door opened and Shira walked in.
She looked frazzled, her red hair a far cry from the artful curls she usually presented to the public, and her eyes frantic, but the moment they landed on him, her entire face transformed.
"You're awake." Joy and relief flickered across her features.
"He's back," Tula said, rising from the bed. "And it seems that it's for good this time. He knows where he is, and he's coherent."
Shira crossed over to his hospital bed and threw her arms around him, hugging him so tight that his bones made sounds they were not supposed to.
"Careful. I'm not an immortal yet. I'm a delicate human."
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Her voice was muffled against his shoulder.
"I can imagine." He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
"Don't apologize." She pulled back just enough to look at him, her green eyes bright with unshed tears. "Just don't do it again."
"By definition, transitioning into immortality is a once-in-a-lifetime event."
"You know what I mean."
He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "I'm okay," he said. "I made it."
Tula cleared her throat. "I should go. I was just waiting for Shira to get back. We've been taking turns watching over you."
Tony turned to look at her, struck by the strangeness of the situation. His ex-girlfriend and his current one were working together to care for him during his transition. It should have been awkward. It should have been uncomfortable. Instead, it felt right.
"Thank you," he said. "I feel so loved."
He'd intended it as a joke, but he realized that he meant it. Tula still cared for him, and Shira was growing to care for him. He had two wonderful women looking after him, and he was grateful.
Tula smiled, and there was understanding in her eyes, an acknowledgment of the journey they'd both been on since theirrelationship had ended. "Get some rest," she said. "I'll check in tomorrow."
She gathered her things and slipped out of the room, leaving Tony alone with Shira.
"She's been so much help," Shira said, settling into the chair Tula had vacated. "I don't know how I would have gotten through the past three days without her. I would have been forced to quit my job."
"I'm surprised." Tony shifted on the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Tula has a good heart, but she's not the nurturing type. She's the kind of person who will jump into a fire to save a baby but then quickly pass it to someone else to take care of. I hope she will do better with our son."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Shira patted her curls, trying to put them in some semblance of a hairdo. "But she'll be fine. Motherhood is instinctive, or so I hear." She reached for his hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Strange. It's like wearing a suit that was altered while I was sleeping. How are you holding up?"
"Me?" Shira chuckled. "I'm fine. I'm not the one who's been unconscious for nearly three days, running a fever hot enough to fry eggs on my forehead."
"That's not an answer."
