“Yes, but it’s for being matched to a male Mylos, so if you’re not gay, simply opt out by ticking the No box.”
Oh, I was gay, alright. Just very inexperienced when it came to dating. A few hook ups, sure. Nothing that hadn’t been casual and meaningless. I’d hoped someone would want to exchange numbers and try to get to know me, but nope.
“Does it really have a hundred percent success?” I asked.
He blinked. “For those who are the rare ones to actually get matched, yes.”
I ticked Yes and then signed the bottom once more before handing him back the form.
“Then let’s go for it,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I mean, I’d either get matched or not, right? And if I wasn’t, I still had a chance to make something of myself with this training and job gig. No more Mr. Wash Out looking for a job, any job at all that wasn’t a gig.
“They’ll pick you up at five, then, at your home address, and you’ll take the matching test aboard ship as part of your inprocessing.”
I grinned. “Thanks. Floof and I will be ready and waiting.”
I stood up, my soul feeling much lighter than it had for quite a while. And to think I’d been worried that this job fair was going to be yet another waste of time. I hummed happily all the way to my car, already thinking of what I’d tell my folks when I got back home. Forget calling. I’d be home in twenty minutes, and some things were best said in person. I couldn’t wait to see their faces when they found out I’d not only gotten hired today, and it came with college credit courses that could lead to a degree, but it was aboard the Mylos Fleet!
5
ALEC
“You sure about this, son?” Dad asked, looking as if he wasn’t certain what his feelings were on the matter.
“You should have waited to sign up for the matching service,” Mom said firmly. “Taken the job and training and seen if you liked it up there. What happens if you don’t and you’ve gone and gotten yourself an alien husband?”
“Perfect match means I’d like it just fine,” I countered.
“And you believe that’s true and not just propaganda?” she pressed, wringing her hands.
“I do,” I replied firmly.
“All those people coming and going, and their families down here, if it wasn’t we’d have heard about it some which way,” Dad pointed out.
“I know, I know, it’s just that it’s one thing to believe when it’s someone else and not your child,” she sniffled.
I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a hug that was to reassure myself as much as it was her. “I’m not a kid anymore,” I reminded her. “Not for a long time now.”
“You’ll always be my baby boy,” she replied, hugging me tightly back. “Feels like it was only last week you were that little boy picking dandelions and handing them to me as the finest bouquet. Then I blinked, and you were a man.”
Dad sighed. “Time moves so fast once you have children. And you’re right, you’re a grown man, and if we did our job right, you know what you’re doing, and we should be supportive.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’m just taking Floof and my clothes and a few pictures.”
Mom let go of me and took a step back. “So you’re not moving completely out?”
I smiled at her. “I’ll need a place to stay when visiting, right?”
“Like when we thought he’d be home on leave from the Army,” Dad added.
I winced, but quickly smoothed over my expression so they’d not see how much that failure still poked at me, no matter how unjustified that was. Besides, he wasn’t wrong.
“Just like that,” I confirmed.
Mom nodded, then pressed her lips together in thought. “If you get matched, we’ll need to get you a bigger bed in there.”
I blinked.
“Shirl, let’s not get ahead of ourselves there,” Dad said, his expression mirroring my own sudden feeling of embarrassment.
