Chapter 50
Tuvo
Tuvo was nervous as he went to dinner with Hattie’s family. Not about meeting the couple that had birthed and raised his female. He was happy to do that.
The older couple dressed up a bit after being given time to rest. Tuvo and Hattie went to fetch them and bring them to a smaller relaxation room that he had reserved for them to eat in.
It gave them privacy for the dinner that Hattie had planned – a human themed menu with domini ingredients.
Which she showcased to them, brimming with pride.
The couple were advanced in age – for humans.
Their hair had turned white, which Hattie explained was common for aged humans.
Both of them were soft and delicate, even more so than Hattie, but they smiled and greeted him warmly when he came to get them.
Candace was wearing a shapeless pink and white striped dress with a cute little cape around the shoulders, while Larry had put on a mismatched human suit with patches on the elbows, his glasses on a chain that hung around his neck.
They were so clearly out of place, gawking and staring at everything, especially at the moon that Hattie had chosen to display through the simulated window.
“Where will we be staying on your planet?” Larry asked as Hattie served them. He kept trying to make himself comfortable on the lounge cushion – such a big change from the human style, rigid chairs that he was used to.
“My clan has many buildings on large tree near palace,” he said. “A gift from Atem as reward for deeds. There’s home there that’s unused. I sent word ahead to have prepared for you.”
“Oh, how lovely,” Candace smiled. “Are we near you?”
“Can walk. You always welcome in our den, of course.”
“Den,” Larry chuckled. “How quaint. I’m excited to see it.”
“You’ll love it, daddy,” Hattie promised, beaming. “Calvitorum is beautiful.”
“Can’t wait, kiddo,” Larry smiled, taking an appreciative sniff of the food. “Well, now, that’s a sweet smell. What’s this sauce?”
“Sweet and spicy celti berry sauce. My own recipe,” she held her head up high. “Mom, I can’t wait to show you everything I’ve been learning to cook. It’s so great.”
“It’s good, sweetie,” her mother said, chewing thoughtfully. “A bit harsh on the pepper though. Have you thought about adding some brown sugar?”
“They don’t have brown sugar. But they do have this natural sugar syrup…”
Tuvo smiled as Hattie and her mother started talking about her cooking. She took the small criticism of her sauce – that Tuvo rather loved – with eager excitement. Her mother had been the one who originally taught her to cook. Her opinion was clearly important.
“Sounds like we’re going to be eating good, huh Tuvo?” Larry said, sharing a grin with him.
“The best,” he agreed, rubbing the small of Hattie’s back.
“I’m glad to see she’s doing well,” he said, smiling fondly as the girls continued speaking, too involved with their discussion of the various spices available on Turv to pay attention to them. “Look at my girl. She’s glowing.”
She was. Tuvo wasn’t sure if it was happiness, her pregnancy, or the beauty treatments she and the other females had undergone this morning, but she was even more radiant than usual. The sight made him smile, the tension that usually sat heavy in his chest easing completely.
His female was happy and healthy and strong.
How could he be fearful when she was so obviously okay?
If there was hardship to come, then it was his job to carry her through it.
Jump out of planes for her, carry her if she got too tired to walk, give her everything through this pregnancy so that she experienced not even a twinge of discomfort.
“Will always glow,” he promised her father. “Always happy. Promise this.”
Larry smiled, clapping him on the shoulder – needing to reach up to do so, even seated. “You saved her life. You brought her back to us. You’ve taken such good care of her. I know I can trust you to keep that promise, son.”
They had just finished the main course when Hattie took his hand and gave him a smile.
“Mom. Dad,” she looked at them in turn. “Tuvo and I have something to tell you.”
The couple gave her curious looks.
“So, I know I told you that I’m pregnant,” she brought up her hand and placed it over her belly. “But we also found out the gender. We’re having a girl!”
There was a beat of silence then-
“Oh, baby!” Her mother yelled, jumping up and running around to hug her. “A baby girl! I’m so excited! Will she look like Viktor? He was just absolutely adorable. If that’s what we have to look forward to, I can’t wait!”
“Well, we don’t know for sure yet,” Hattie laughed, sinking into her mother’s embrace. “But Holly’s baby is already looking more domini than human, so we’re thinking that the physical characteristics tend to skew that way. Want to see pics?”
“Yes! Of course!”
“A girl grandpa, huh?” Larry sniffed, his eyes glistening. “Didn’t think I’d live long enough to see this day.”
“You’re not that old yet,” Candace teased, smacking at his shoulder. “Oh, Tuvo! You’ve made me such a happy mom!”
Tuvo was somehow surprised to find himself being swept up in a hug as well. The moment her arms closed around him, he immediately knew where Hattie got her famous hugs from. Candace hugged with all the warmth and joy in her heart.
“Look at the little bean,” her father said as Hattie showed him stills of the circle that was their pup off her combot. “Got my eyes.” He threw his head back, laughing like he told a great joke.
One that Tuvo did not get, since their pup was little more than a clump of cells. And even when she did develop eyes, judging by Holly’s daughter and Viktor, she would have three of them that likely looked like his. But he said nothing as Candace cooed over the image.
The two asked a hundred questions, trying to learn what they could expect from a hybrid grandpup. Neither of them seemed at all concerned about the size difference between the two of them, they were only looking forward to Hattie giving birth.
“This is so exciting,” Candace clapped. “Our little girl disappears for a year, then shows up with an alien husband in tow and a baby all ready for us to love.”
“It’s much better than anything else,” Larry agreed. “Now, explain this mating thing to me Tuvo. I don’t think I’m getting it.”
“Mating most important bond,” he said, giving Hattie a long, burning look. “Forever. Hattie vi kyrya. Mine. As I hers.”
“I know that feeling,” Larry smiled at Candace who tittered, her lined face turning cutely pink, just like the other females.
And that small interaction, in that instant, softened something in Tuvo’s chest. He had only been seeing the worst of human males.
Even Inacio, for as much as he was loyal to his family, had not been openly affectionate with them.
Some part of Tuvo wondered if maybe human males couldn’t be affectionate at all and maybe that’s how so many could be terrible.
But seeing the way Larry smiled at Candace, like she was the sun in his sky, bright and brilliant and life giving, eased that fear.
They might be humans and mating might not work the same for them as it did for the domini, but that didn’t lessen the love they had for each other.
The love that these two had for each other.
There was something redeemable in human males, and it was this right here.
“So, Hattie is your family now? Like we are? Does it work like marriage?” Larry asked, oblivious to Tuvo’s epiphany.
“Not really,” Hattie answered for him. “I’m adopted into his clan via mating. But you two don’t automatically get to be family the same way. I mean, you are now. Because Tuvo adopted you into his clan, but it’s not an automatic in-law thing like marriage would be.”
“But we’re still grandparents, right?” Candace frowned, as though there was even a slight chance she might be denied that because mating did not mean they were his clan.
“Yes,” Tuvo said, firmly and without hesitation. “You clan. I make so. And you family always. Does not change. Never.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Larry smiled. “I’d hate to be imposing on someone who wasn’t family.”
“It’s all so confusing,” Candace agreed.
“But we’ll get used to it. Might need to explain it a few times though.
But you know, there’s all kinds of new relationships and stuff since we were young.
Remember the first time you met an openly gay couple, Larry?
I thought your eyes were going to pop out of your head. ”
“Yeah,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Feel bad about that now. Poor boys probably thought I was judging them. Couldn’t help but stare, you know. I remember when that kind of thing was illegal. Now we got same genders and switched genders and them, er, what are they called? Prollies?”
“Poly,” Hattie corrected, snickering.
“Yeah. All that. A bit much for an old man like me. But it’s fine. We’ll adjust. Won’t we, Candace?”
“More love in this world is never a bad thing,” she agreed wisely.
“Can I ask?” Tuvo started.
“Hm?” Candace tilted her head at him. “What did you want to ask, baby?”
The nerves flared again as he looked into their sweet, open faces. There wasn’t even a hint of malice or dishonesty in these two. It was no wonder that Hattie was as sweet and kind as she was if these were the people that raised her.
And that made this almost harder to ask. He wanted to do this right.
No, he needed to do this right.
Sitting upright, he looked Larry right in his eyes. That had been specified to him.
“Sir,” he started solemnly, using the human honorific. “I come to you, humble and honest.”
His tone must have alerted them that something was up. Hattie gave him a curious look as Candace’s head cocked. Larry, however, had an unreadable expression on his face. Though there was something in his eyes that made Tuvo think he knew exactly what he was going to say.