“Karo!” Drondia looked aghast. “You can’t just ask them about how luminescence went!”
“Why? Your sire asked me about our first luminescence.”
“He did?” Drondia’s eyes grew wide as she took in this old but surprising bit of information for the first time.
“Oh yes, he was very interested to know if he’d be having a grandchild soon.”
“I can’t...” Drondia shook her head in embarrassment. “What did you say?”
“I told him he could expect to have a grandchildverysoon.”
“You didn’t!”
“What? We had been very active, and you know as well as I, the first luminescence between a couple almost always brings about a sietling, and I was right. We had Axon five months later.”
Karo shrugged as if the concept of speaking with his father-in-law about making grandchildren wasn’t a big deal at all.
Axon and I did our best not to giggle at this charming exchange. His parents really were an amazing couple, but I knew that already. All of the elders here who joined their children in exile were good people. I felt really lucky to be here. Our community was small but I cherished everyone in it.
“Tell us, what happened between Beatrice and Rhaz last night?” Axon asked his sire, looking every bit of the gossip that I knew he was.
Most of the guys here were not well versed in the ways of information sharing in the form of gossip, while others, like Axon, Lumod, and Drovo acted as if they were raised on it.
“Rhaz left abruptly after he started to glow,” Karo filled us in. “Beatrice spent the night in one of the unoccupied private caves.”
“I feel so bad for her,” I admitted. “I couldn’t imagine being rejected so swiftly after glowing for someone.”
“I have a feeling Rhaz is going to regret that decision very much,” Karo nodded.
“Yay!” Julie shouted and everyone turned in her direction. “The baby!”
Tarak had entered the main cavern holding his new baby girl swaddled in one of the knitted blankets Karo had made for the new parents.
A small cooing sound came from the little oneand my heart nearly melted.
“We call her Tabby,” Tarak announced. “For she is of Tarak and Gab-bae.”
The new father wore a broad smile on his face as he looked down at his daughter.
“Oh my god,” I gasped aloud. “That’s the cutest name I’ve ever heard.”
“Right?” Taylor agreed.
Tarak slowly walked past each table and let us take in the sight of the newest member of our dekes.
“How’s Gab-bae doing?” I asked.
“She is well,” Tarak smiled, “and resting as she should be.”
“Let us know...” Julie furrowed her brow and then corrected her statement. “You know what no, I’ll be by your cave later today to collect any of your dirty laundry. I’m not going to ask you to tell me, I’m just going to take the initiative and do it.”
“Oh, okay.” Tarak looked a bit surprised by Julie’s boldness.
“I’ll bring your dinner to you,” Talia volunteered.
“I’ll make sure you have plenty of firewood,” Orsu suggested.
“I’ll be by later and tidy up your cave,” Taylor added.
