Chapter Five #2
Keska took a single scoop out of the centre of the mango pudding after she pulled the spoon from between her lips. She slid the spoon and the dessert over to Sorooth, and he grinned and destroyed the dish in four bites.
She ate her own dessert, and Kessie explained, “If they can’t kiss because they are in public or around my grandma and grandpa, then he steals her spoons.”
Dmitri looked at Sorooth and said, “Your family is not happy about her?”
“They want more grandchildren, and Kessie is exceptional, and for me, it must be Keska.” He smiled. “She marked me and everything.”
Keska smiled. “That was an accident.”
“But it was a lot of fun.”
She sighed and covered her face. “You are responsible for so many of the BDC regulations, it isn’t even funny.”
He chuckled and moved his hand from her thigh to rub her back. “I know. Caska told me about it in depth.”
She sighed. “And Avagail set the pricing based on the housing and medical treatment. Plus, the maternity wardrobe.”
He rubbed her back again.
Kessie looked at them and smiled. “They have pictures together until they are holding me.”
Khytten blinked and wiped away a tear. “That is so sweet.”
Sorooth smiled. “Neither of us regretted her, so we wanted her to be celebrated. We meet in Daycross four times a year, but now, we can see her much more often.”
Keska grinned. “That we can, but I still own the house on Daycross.”
Kessie smiled. “I made a friend there, so that is good.”
Sorooth nodded. “Lii. Vallu’s niece.”
“Oh. Right. Khytten knows Vallu.”
Khytten grinned. “The family is very nice. Val is a healer, and she was number five on the capitol roster.”
Kessie looked at her. “What number were you?”
“Um, Eleven.”
Keska chuckled.
Nelith asked, “Keska, what number were you?”
“Um, I was before numbers. I was Escort Tek. There were three of us. Tek, Tal, Tak.”
Nelith laughed. “Really? All Uraddan?”
“Yup. You should ask Zera about how the BDC got its start. It was not a one-woman show.” She looked at Sorooth and said, “Ready to travel?”
He nodded and left to pay.
Keska looked at Jienne. “Enjoying being around actives in a family?”
“Yup. You were right. Pushing you was not a great idea.”
“Yes. Next time you get to find out how close me and Nelith actually are.”
Kessie whispered, “Can you do the thing?”
She folded a napkin quickly and handed it to Keska. She looked at the paper and started to flick her fingers, and when she was done, there was a strand of snowflakes.
Nelith stared at her with her mouth open. “You have blades?”
Keska winked.
Nelith looked at Salat. “Where are we going?”
He laughed. “I know the house well.”
Keska looked to Nelith. “May I have your com code? I can send you the address.”
They opened their coms and did an exchange of data. “Oh, nice rings.”
Nelith smiled. “The crowd offered them. We are planning an island family gathering, and I am wondering if you would attend?”
“Uh, sure. That sounds like the right way to have a gathering.”
“Kessie, would you come, too?”
“I have to ask Dad.”
Sorooth asked, “Ask me what?”
“Can we go to Nelith and Dmitri’s family gathering in the islands?”
He asked, “When is it?”
Dmitri smiled. “Next Sunday.”
“How long is travel?”
Nelith snorted. “If Mirror is being helpful, about three minutes.”
Dmitri smiled. “To bring one of your daughters and granddaughters to you, he will be helpful.”
“And me. My daughter does not travel without me.” Sorooth smiled.
Dmitri nodded. “Of course. Many of Nelith’s daughters are there. Most of them, actually. The ladies will be surrounded by relatives for the day.”
Keska smiled. “That sounds like fun.”
Sorooth asked, “Will you wear a dress?”
“Of course. It’s a party.”
Sorooth nodded to Dmitri. “We are definitely going. I miss those legs.”
Nelith covered her grin, and Kessie let out a stream of giggles.
Keska shrugged. “They are spectacular. Well worth a look.”
Kessie laughed. Sorooth sighed. “We need to get going, bug.”
Keska smiled. “I have asked my car to turn into a four-seater. I can drive if you like. Jienne, Sorooth has to be up front because he gets car sick, and I don’t want puke hitting the back of your head.”
Jienne laughed. “It’s a short drive. I hope he can manage.”
Sorooth sighed. “I can drive us there.”
Keska looked at him. “Do you trust me with Kessie?”
“Of course.”
“Then, you take your car with Jienne and tell her about lessons and treatment options, and I will take our daughter to her aunties and Nigel.”
Sorooth nodded. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“Good because I didn’t really expand my car to a four-seater. Come on, Kessie. Your other aunties await.”
Kessie looked at Nelith. “Bye, Grandma. See you soon!”
Keska smiled at the small tear in Nelith’s eye. “It is only the start of our association. Caska can explain our origins a little better.”
Nelith nodded. “Can I have a hug there?”
“Yes, of course. I am just grimy from the workshop. I didn’t want to get you dirty. I will change when we get back to the house.”
Nelith nodded. “We will see you there.”
Jienne smiled and waved.
Kessie took her hand, and they left the restaurant with staff calling out as they exited.
Upon seeing the car, Kessie said, “How fast can we go without getting in trouble?”
“We will save the racetrack for another day. Today, we are getting you to my house safely.” She opened the door for Kessie and made sure she was fastened in before she walked around and buckled in. “That being said, I do know streets with higher speeds.”
She started the engine, and Kessie grinned at the sound. Keska laughed. “Definitely my kid, little one.”
“You made me. You have to deal with me.” Kessie chuckled.
They saw the others leaving the restaurant, and Kessie waved while Keska kept her hands on the wheel. Safety first today.
They get home in twelve minutes, and Caska and Avagail are waiting for them with open arms. Nigel was watching Kessie get out of the car with his tail wagging.
Hugs began all around, and Keska saw Zera’s vehicle still parked. The consortium was gone, but Zera and Torun were still on site.
Keska headed inside to change, and once she had her clean clothes on, she wandered downstairs, nervously assembling tiny drones with her fingertips. She walked into the living room, and Zera was there looking over some tablets.
“Hey, Zera. Company’s coming.”
Torun looked up from his own tablets. “Who?”
“Khytten, Salat, Nelith, Dmitri, and Sorooth. Oh, and Jienne.”
“Right. Sorooth is going to instruct her?”
“Yup. He’s going to be teaching at the academy.”
Torun smiled. “You look very pretty.”
“Thank you.”
Zera nodded. “You can still come back to the BDC.”
“Oh, I look that good.”
Torun grinned and nodded.
Zera snorted but shrugged. “Yes. Absolutely.”
“It’s just a sundress. You folks have low standards.”
She heard a laughing shriek and darted to the front door, where Nigel was nuzzling Kessie and talking to her quietly.
“Mama, Nigel says he can take me for a ride around the yard. Can I go?”
Nigel chuckled. “She’s the perfect size and able to carry on a good conversation at the same time.”
“Fine. No speeding. Keep an ear out for any discomfort, and watch for if she starts slipping off. One bruise on her, and I start shaving you.”
Nigel chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Fine, but you are going to wear a strap she can hold onto.”
“Fair.”
Keska picked up a rock, and her fingers wove it into a belt two inches wide and long enough to go around Nigel’s barrel.
Nigel stood, and she wove the belt behind his legs and crossed one band in front of his legs, fastening them into a grip point.
“Mama, how do you do that?”
“I had to learn how to do it to escape the lab.”
Caska chuckled. “She can do a lot with her fingertips. She rescued me, made a hole in the wall for us to slip out of, and then made us all the tools we needed. We crossed the country in thermal-repellent jackets, and we got to the road to Aksalla. When someone stopped for us, I took over, citing precedent for foundlings and listing all the resources that we could access. The couple who stopped for us were startled, but they had kids and brought us straight to the peacekeeper offices and walked us inside.”
Keska chuckled. “And that was how we met Salmet and Riko coming back from their cabin vacation. They brought us in, and Caska did the rest. She’s really smart.”
Caska grinned.
“And then we met Ava, and Ava is also really smart. Nigel is also smart.”
Kessie patted her hand. “You are smart, too, Mama.”
“I know, sweetie, but it is a different type of smart that folks don’t see coming.”
She lifted Kessie and put her on Nigel’s back. He crouched a little, and Kessie got settled and gripped the straps. “That’s good. Are you comfortable, Nigel?”
Nigel said, “Your mother is good at assuring my comfort, so yes. Shall we?”
Kessie patted him. “Yes, please. Is this place really big?”
“Really big. We will be back in an hour.” Nigel looked at Keska. “She is safe with me.”
She scratched under his chin. “I know. Have fun.”
He nodded, Kessie grinned, the beast lumbered to the side of the house, and the laughter from Kessie indicated he was putting on the speed.
Ava looked at her. “Did you forget to open the gate?”
“Oops.”
Caska laughed and then said, “Why are you downplaying your intelligence?”
“Because mine doesn’t show up on paper, and I know that from our time at school.”
“You are a master mechanical engineer.”
“But law and finance are so much safer,” Keska said. “I get injured a lot.”
“But you heal.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want Kessie to feel that kind of pain. She deserves a bright life with happiness and joy. She started in joy. I want her to stay there as long as possible.”
The other cars pulled up.
Caska grinned. “Nice dress.”
“My jeans were grubby. I don’t like to hug Kessie when I am wearing shredded metal.”
Ava said, “You don’t feel that you are a worthy parent?”
Keska smiled. “She deserves better than me.”
Sorooth said softly, “So that is what my mother said to you.”