“Hmmm. I’m hoping we can reuse most of the decorations from the last ceremony. So, we’ll just need flowers. The food replicators can handle all food and drinks again; that worked well the last time.”
“The decorations were boxed up and put into storage in one of the cargo bays. We decided not to put them into a reprocessor since we are hoping to use them often. I have their location and inventory saved in my system,” D’Merx says while typing notes into his computer.
“You rock, D’Merx,” I say with a grin. D’Merx ducks his head slightly, and his cheeks darken with a blush.
“I will miss you, Miss Trinh.”
“Wait. What?” I gasp. “You’re leaving? Oh no, I don’t want you to leave.”
“Yes, I am a Warrior of Ceraste first. My primary duty is to protect my people. And now yours too,” D’Merx says with evident pride.
“Who will work in the Requisitions Office when you are gone?”
“I’m not sure. Most of the Cerasteans who are staying behind to protect Earth will be spread thin. They will each be in charge of several tasks. Requisitions for non-essential items will be considered a low priority job, so you may not be able to do the amount of shopping you are used to.”
“Maybe one of the bride volunteers will be willing to train for the position,” I say, already mentally shuffling through my friends. Maybe Natasha would be a good fit here. I don’t think she has a job on the ship yet. Plus, I have noticed how D’Merx never misses one of Natasha’s yoga classes. It might be the perfect solution to the problem. I make a mental note to talk to Natasha after Chancellor L’Forn makes his announcement later today.
I’m one of the few original bride volunteers who hasn’t gotten some type of job here on the ship. I spend so much of my time helping L’Corte with the brides that I don’t have time for some monotonous nine-to-five drudgery. Besides, if I get a job, it needs to be something fun and I haven’t found anything that would utilize my skill set.
The only other woman from the original bride volunteer group who doesn’t have a job here is Sara. I only just found out that she was here hiding from an abusive ex-dirtbag and trying to keep a low profile. I wish she would have trusted me enough to tell me what she was going through. I would have happily castrated that flaming pile of dog shit. However, I’d probably have had to get in line, and I imagine General D’Annon would be at the front of that queue. I’m so happy that my quiet, shy friend has such a fierce and protective mate in D’Annon. He’s a conundrum, that one. At first, I was worried he was too scary for Sara, but it turns out that he only looks frightening. I’ve seen him with her, and I swear he would carry her barefoot over hot coals if she asked.
“You believe one of the volunteers would want to take over the job?” D’Merx asks with a hint of disbelief. “It was my understanding that most of the unmated bride volunteers would leave the program and return to Earth, where it is safer.”
“Ack! You guys give us too little credit. I’m not leaving. And while I am sure plenty of unmated women will go, you’re gonna be surprised at how many choose to stay.”
“I hope you are right,” D’Merx murmurs.
“I’m always right! You’ll see.”
“Of course, Miss Trinh,” D’Merx says, probably just to placate me. “As soon as I hear back from our vendors, I will send you a message.”
“Sounds good. I have to go. I need to call my parents. If I don’t call them at least once a week, they start hounding me.”
With a wave, I head back to my dorm room and the dreaded weekly call with Mom and Dad.
When I get home, I check, but neither Yasmin or Natasha are in their rooms. Ugh, I can’t put off the call any longer. Sitting on my bed, I take a steadying breath and pick up my tablet. It’s not that I don’t love my parents, and I am thankful I can stay in contact with them. It’s just that my mom… My mom’s a lot. Frankly, she’s exhausting.
Before I got cancer, my mother was all about pushing me to get good grades, to go to the best college, and to excel in some prestigious career. I was expected to set the right example for my little sister Anh. Perfect grades, perfect clothes, perfect behavior… but that last one never really worked out for Mom. Sometimes the pressure she put on me and my sister was overbearing, but thankfully, it was always tempered with her love.
When my parents realized the cancer was killing me, it was like a switch flipped inside my mom. She’s still the same crazy-ass woman, but her priorities for my life changed completely. That same drive to push me to succeed is now focused on making my life happy. This would be nice, if it weren’t for the fact that mom is under the impression that she knows best what will make me happy. She’s decided I need a man and dozens of babies to accomplish that goal. It doesn’t matter if I tell her it is up to me to determine what makes me happy.
After two rings, my mom’s face shows up on my screen. Her makeup looks flawless as always, and her hair falls in a straight gleaming wave. It’s strange to see the gray peppered throughout the black strands. In my head, she will always be the younger version of herself from my teens. Seeing these signs of aging are disconcerting.
“Trinh! My baby! How are you? Wait… Let me get your father,” Mom says.
“That’s not necess–”
“Pham! Trinh’s on the line!” Mom bellows. “Pham! Where are you? Come here! It’s Trinh! Pham!”
“I’m sure he will show up eventually. Why don’t we just talk until he gets on the line?”
“Ugh, that man! I think he’s on the toilet. You know how long he takes in there!”
“Mom! Gross! I don’t want to hear about that,” I complain, feeling like a fifteen-year-old as usual with my mom.
“Psssh. Hush you. When did you get so squeamish? Using the toilet is perfectly natural,” Mom lectures, waving her hand at me. “Pham! Pham! Trinh’s on the phone!”
I hear my father’s voice respond in the distance. A moment later, I see my dad’s sweet face squeeze in next to mom’s.
