Epilogue
___________
Lyra
One year later
A knock on my office door woke me up. I was dozing in my chair, as usual. Baby Zalan had kept me up all night, and I was catching a quick power nap before my afternoon meetings.
”Who is it?” I called out, sitting up as I rubbed my eyes.
”Only me,” said Charlie, sticking his head around the door. ”Room for a small one?”
”Yeah, for you, always,” I said, smiling brightly.
Charlie stepped inside carrying a medium-sized brown box. I took a second to admire his new look. His face and frame were slimmer, and his light gray suit fitted perfectly. But what stood out most was his bright, pure white eyes. He was free from alcohol, just like me and so many others we had helped since arriving on Earth.
Charlie placed the box on my desk with a thud.
”What”s that?” I asked, frowning as I peered at the label.
”I think you know,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
”Oh, of course,” I said as a blast of joy powered through me.
Once we returned to Earth, I dived straight into my next project. With the help of Mom, Al, and a large number of purple beings, I set up my own private company, Nectar Free, and we began to help people suffering from alcohol addiction.
Some people we rescued from planet Mesoterra seamlessly integrated into Earth”s society, each forging their own path and purpose. Some found fulfilment by joining our company, utilizing their unique abilities to assist others on their journey towards recovery from addiction. Together, they formed a diverse and inclusive community united by a shared desire to make a positive impact on the world around them.
”Open it then,” said Charlie, giving me a nudge.
”Sorry, I was miles away.”
I opened the box, and my heart lifted. There, in its new binding, was my self-help book, Eternal Freedom, an intricate guide to quitting Nectar of the Gods.
”Looks great. Can I get a signed front cover?” said Charlie as he grabbed a copy.
”I”m sure I could manage that.”
”Let”s hope it kicks ass just like you did to that freaky alien dude. What was his name again?”
”Mesothraxus.”
”That”s the one. Have I thanked you for saving my ass, by the way?”
”Only several thousand times.”
We shared a smile, and he leaned down and hugged me.
”I”m proud of you,” he said.
”For what?”
”For so much, for being honest about your drinking, for being so brave and writing this book, and for starting our company.”
”It was a team effort.”
”Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, could I ask a favor?”
”Anything for you.”
”Well, I was wondering if I could knock off early. I got myself a hot date.”
Charlie smiled widely, showing his new-found confidence.
”You do? Who”s the lucky girl?”
”Just someone I met online. It”s early days. She”s no hot and sexy purple alien, but she seems fun and into exercise. Oh, and her favourite drink is cranberry juice, without vodka.”
”A perfect match,” I said, laughing.
”Yeah, maybe,” he said, nodding. ”I”d better get going. Oh, I almost forgot, your Mom called. She asked if you could call because Zalan is on his third bowl of cereal, and she wasn”t sure about overfeeding him.”
”I”ll do that.”
”Thanks again,” said Charlie as he walked towards the door, looking back to wink appreciatively.
As I”m sure you”ve probably guessed, that magical night with Al produced a baby almost immediately. I found out I was pregnant two weeks later and haven”t looked back.
Being a Mom is hard work, especially with my business to run, but I”m so in love with my little boy, and my big boy.
I picked up my cell and called Mom on a video call. She”d already called me ten times, but I”d had my cell on silent during my power nap.
”There you are,” she said, huffing as she flicked her hair while wiping her brow.
”Hey, Mom, you okay?”
”I”m fine, just fine,” she said, out of breath. ”It”s this little dude that”s the problem.”
”Why, what”s up?”
She moved the camera so I could see him. Even though he was only three months old, he was already sitting straight in his feeding chair.
”How”s my little baby?” I asked, waving at the camera.
”Mama,” said Zalan, whacking his empty plastic bowl on the table.
”He seems okay,” I said.
”Oh, he”s okay, all right, especially with the amount he”s eating. I was wondering, you know, does he really have to eat this much? It”s not normal for a three-month-old baby to have grown so quickly and be gobbling back more calories than a herd of bulls.”
”He”s a growing boy,” I said, chuckling. ”He”ll be big and strong like his Daddy one day.”
”Oh, is that right?” asked a familiar voice.
I looked up, and, for the thousandth time, my heart rate sped up, and my stomach fluttered. Standing in the doorway was my hero, lover, and son”s father, Al.
”It is right,” I said.
”What”s right?” asked Mom.
”Oh, Al”s here.”
Al came rushing over and stuck his head by the camera.
”How”s my little baby?”
”Not even a baby anymore,” said Mom. ”He”s going to grow out of his clothes again.”
”That”s fine, we”ll just get some more,” said Al.
”So I can give him another bowl?” asked Mom.
”Sure,” said Al. ”Feed him up, make him big.”
”Okay,” she said. ”If you say so. I”d better go.”
”Thanks, Mom.”
”It”s fine. I can deal with Zalan better than I did you when you were a baby, but I guess that”s because I have more energy now. Oh, and I”m not hungover.”
”I”m proud of you, Mom.”
”Thanks, and I am of you.”
Mom hung up, and I placed my cell on the table. I gazed into Al”s eyes, and a blast of nerves shuddered down my spine.
”Hey, you,” I said, reaching for his hand.
”Hey,” he said, pulling me up.
Our mouths met in a fiery kiss, and my nipples hardened. I loved these moments in the day when my purple healing being came to remind me how lucky I was.
”How”s the morning going?” he asked, leaning back to catch his breath.
”Great, I just got these,” I said, nodding to the box.
”Oh wow,” he said, looking at the cover as he picked up a copy. ”Let”s hope it”s a bestseller.”
”Well, as long as I can help a few people, that”s all that matters.”
”True,” he said. ”Talking of helping people.”
”Yeah.”
”I was just chatting to Malantha. He had a favor to ask you.”
”What”s that?”
”He”s outside. Can I bring him in?”
”Of course.”
Al paced to the door and let in his friend. Malantha strolled in and smiled at me.
”How”s it going?” I asked.
”Good, just perfect.”
”What can I do for you?”
”I was hoping I could help some more around here. I”d like more responsibility.”
”Well, I need someone to help with the book launch.”
”Sounds good.”
”Here, have a look.”
I handed him a copy, and he smiled as he opened it. But then a pit formed in my stomach as his face changed.
”What”s wrong?” I asked.
”Have you read the inside?”
”No, why?” I said, frowning.
I grabbed another copy and opened it up. Inside, printed in Tahoma font, was a message.
Dear Lyra, you must be proud of yourself. I”ve been watching you from afar as you try to make Earth a better place. It”s all very humble and honest, but you”ll have to push yourself and your employees, who are, in fact, my prisoners, to work harder.
A plan is in place to bring down your Nectar coaching world. Beware, because I am fitter and stronger than ever, and so is my army of warriors.
Until another day,
Say hi to Zalantha for me.
With love,
Mesothraxus.
”That”s bullshit,” said Al, ripping out the page.
”How fuck did he get in there?” asked Malantha.
”I don”t know,” I said, in shock. ”I thought we”d finished that monster.”
”So did I,” said Al. ”But don”t worry,” he added, pulling me close. ”When he comes, we”ll be ready, isn”t that right, Malantha?”
”Oh yes, we”ll be ready, all right,” he said.
”I hope so,” I said, thinking of Charlie, Mom, everyone on our team, and baby Zalan. ”For all our sakes.”