18. Doran
DORAN
That escaped hop-a-long was having the time of its life, and damned if anyone could find where it had decided to hole up.
I knew where it had been eating, however.
It had breakfast on our front porch the morning after its escape, chewing through the cloth bag Kelran’s delivery boy had placed our potatoes and carrots in and helping itself.
It had left us a small trail of pellet shaped shits on the floorboards and steps as thanks.
Others reported similar. It had helped itself to part of a morning delivery to the tavern as well, and gotten into some of the bags Kelran had sitting outside on the general’s store stoop ready to be loaded into the trailer for delivery.
That one made Juckul, his delivery driver, the brunt of gentle jokes for a few days, as it had managed to do its mischief right under his nose as he carried out crates of milk and other goods to load into the trailer first.
Sweetie whined at the door, and I let her out. She went to go nose around under the porch, and I followed her, bending down to peer there myself. There were a few more bits of hop-a-long poop, no doubt left there after it had taken shelter there at some point. It wasn’t there now.
“Stop that!” I told the dog, who’d decided that the poop was a nice dog treat.
“What’s she doing?” Sarah called from the door.
“That hop-a-long’s been here again and left more dung, and she’s eating it like it’s canine candy.”
She made a face. “Eww, but to be fair, she’s a dog, and it probably is. I’ll add some of the breath freshener and tooth and gum stuff to her water I replicated yesterday. That was mighty nice of Jesse to send us a copy of that replicator pattern for it.”
I scooped up the stubborn dog and carried her back inside. “That it was. I already brought in the milk.”
“Thanks.”
“I left it on the table, as Sweetie wanted to go out.”
“That’s fine.” She pressed a kiss to my jaw, her hand trailing along my arm affectionately as she moved off.
Ever since we’d completed our bond and confessed our feelings for each other, the kisses and looks and touches from her had become more frequent.
Not that I was any less attentive. Quite the opposite, actually, but the initial sexual frenzy we’d shared had tapered off over the past four days.
She picked up the two gallons of milk off of the dining room table and carried them into the kitchen, and I followed her.
“I thought it would be nice if we had waffles today.”
I nodded, though I had no idea what a waffle was. I knew she wouldn’t serve me something inedible, and if I didn’t like it, I’d eat it anyway just this once.
“Did I hear someone say waffles?” Darren asked, his two sons sleepily following behind.
“You did,” Sarah confirmed, already opening a cabinet to pull a mixing bowl out.
“Can we have chocolate chips and a smiley face?” Matt asked.
“You make the face out of whipped cream,” Evan explained.
Sarah looked at their father in query, and he smiled. “Yeah, go on. I’ll take blueberry waffles if it’s not too much trouble.”
“None at all. I’m replicating the fruit and chocolate chips, and the can of whipped cream, so it’s easy peasy.”
She pulled out a small red appliance and set it on the counter before plugging it into the human power source type outlet.
“Grammie sent this along too. She used to make me and my cousins Snoopy waffles when we spent the night at her house. Good times.” She smiled at the memory and turned her attention back to the bowl, taking three eggs from the egg basket and cracking them into the bowl.
“Sarah?” Bob’s voice rang out suddenly. “You have a comm you need to take.”
She blanched. “Is something wrong?”
“Xero and I believe so, but your daughter won’t tell us anything other than she needs to talk to you.”
“Patch her through here.”
“Mama?” The word came out as a strangled sob.
“Baby? What’s wrong?”
“Grandma and Grandpa got into a big fight, and she left with Caleb and Lucy. She said she wasn’t letting her family fall apart, and no one is taking her babies to no alien planet. Grandpa’s gone to look for her.”
Sarah clutched the whisk she’d picked up tightly. I could see white around her grip, and she began to breathe heavily.
“Emma, this is Doran, your mother’s mate.”
“I know who you are,” Emma sniffled. “You’re my new dad.
Lucy called you that, and that’s what set Grandma off.
That, and she got a call just before from one of Grammie’s neighbors talking about a U-Haul truck outside her apartment taking stuff.
She called Grammie, who told her she was moving to Florida and hoped to be there before she found out. ”
“I knew she was moving. She’s moving in with two of her friends,” Sarah said. “It’s a retirement community where she can enjoy herself.”
“Emma, are you safe?”
“Ye-es, but Daddy, can you please come get me? I want to go home to you and Mama and have Caleb and Lucy back.”
Daddy. That was like Pata, a sweet note of endearment for a male parent. My hearts swelled, knowing this sweet young girl had just used it on me, despite not having met me.
“Xero has dispatched a Mylos security officer from the local center to her location,” Bob interjected. “Emma, when he gets there, please go with him.”
“O…okay. What about Caleb and Lucy?”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” my Sarah reassured her daughter. “Grandpa will bring them back.”
“Pinging their phones now and triangulating their locations,” Xero interrupted. “Your mother is sitting in the parking lot of a convenience store. I’m sending more officers there from the center.”
Emma began to cry anew. “Are they gonna arr-arrest Grandma? Please do-don’t!”
“Just bring me my kids, but don’t arrest my mother if you can help it,” Sarah agreed.
“Request forwarded.”
“I’m sorry this happened on your trip to Disneyland, baby,” Sarah soothed.
“It’s okay. We… we were going to go somewhere else today. Universal Studios. But I don’t care. She’s been weird ever since you left. I just want to be with you.”
“Commander Gundar wishes to extend the offer of using one of the Mylos long range shuttles to fly the children here directly. They can be here within two days,” Xero announced.
Sarah nodded frantically.
“Yes, thank you. Once you have Caleb and Lucy.”
“The ship will be prepped and readied. If they wish to go, do you still want your parents to come along?”
My first instinct was to say no, but Sarah looked at me with pleading eyes. I glanced over at Darren, who held his hands up in mock surrender.
“Nope. Family drama. I’m staying out of it, but if she does come, I’ll make damned sure she goes home peacefully and with the kids here safe and sound.”
I dipped my chin in acceptance.
“Yes. They can come, as long as she stops upsetting the children,” Sarah replied, once more finding her voice, her eyes looking at me in gratitude.”
“Mama, there’s someone at the door.”
“Look through the peephole, baby. You’re still at the hotel, right?”
“Uh-huh. Oh, it’s a Mylos, and he’s holding up an ID.” She stopped speaking to us as she went to open the door. “Mama, I’ve got to go now. He says they’re almost to where Grandma is and they’ll meet us at the shuttle.”
“Confirmed,” Xero replied.
“Okay, baby. Mama will see you soon.”
“Thank you for being brave and coming for us.”
“I found the number for the Mylos center on Google.”
“Love you, baby girl.”
“We’ll be waiting here for you,” I added.
“Okay,” she said, her voice sounding a bit steadier now. “Bye.” The voice comm ended.
“Lieutenant Hurthor reports they are gathering up the suitcases belonging to your young along with their souvenirs. And Lieutenant Jirok and Gith have arrived at the 7-11 and blocked your mother’s rental car in.
She’s just sitting there and not making a move to stop the young from getting out of the car.
And now they are out and secured. Your grandfather also answered his phone and has been informed of their location and is en route. ”
“Thank you so much, Xero and Bob. Never in a million years would I have dreamed she’d do something like that. Kick up a fuss, sure, using words, but this? Never.”
“Emotions can run high and make people do unusual uncharacteristic things. I’m glad we could help. Xero out.”
“I’ll notify you when they leave orbit. The long range shuttle is on its way to Anaheim now and should touch down in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Peace, out.” The comm call ended. Sarah turned and stared at the eggs in the bowl, not moving. I walked over to draw her into my arms. “It’ll be okay.”
She clutched me with her free hand. “I know. It’s just…”
I pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Are we still getting waffles?” Matt asked, and Darren shushed him.
Sarah laughed, brushing her tears off her cheeks with her forearm. “Yes. I think after that, a full carb breakfast with some bacon is just what we need.”