by Zara Zenia
Cara snickered, jumping up from her spot and moving toward the large, decorated tree. Suddenly she stopped and, with her body facing the living room window, she screamed. Everyone's eyes widened, tracing her gaze to see a figure moving quickly away from where he had been peeking in at them.
17
Egrix moved quickly to Cara's side, his eyes jumping back and forth between the now empty window and her shivering back. He wrapped her in his arms looking at her shocked face.
"Someone was watching us," she mumbled with a terrified expression.
"Should we call the police?" Dennis asked.
"I'm not sure, they may have just been lost and we spooked them." Cara's mother moved closer to the window, peeking around the yard.
"I'm going to set the alarm and check the locks either way." Her father left the room hurriedly.
"Egrix, maybe you shouldn't go back to your cave tonight." Her mom looked at him with concern. "Since we don't know who that was and they may have seen you, I don't think it's safe. You can stay in the guest room here, please."
Egrix nodded, not taking his eyes off Cara.
"We should take her to her room. That was a hell of a fright right before bed." Her mom rubbed her temple with her fingers, letting Egrix worry about Cara while she thought of what to do next.
"Come on, Cara," Egrix beckoned.
Cara had listened to the conversation, but she couldn't speak through the flurry of thoughts flooding her mind.
"Yeah, that scream really made me tired," she finally managed to get out, looking at Egrix apologetically. "Thanks."
Egrix and Cara made their way to her room, but Cara stopped them when they got to the darkened hallway just before her door. She felt like crying, but no tears would come to her eyes. She looked Egrix in the face like a deer caught in headlights.
"It was Oscar," she whispered to him, her voice shaking.
He placed a hand on either side of her face, searching her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm positive."
Egrix sat at Cara's desk with his chest against the back of her desk chair. Car sat cross legged on her bed, staring at him in disbelief. She was scared. He crossed his arms on top of the chair and leaned his head on them, watching her as she sorted through her thoughts.
"I don't like it when you make that face. It really makes me worry."
Cara looked at him, surprised as she came into reality from her thoughts. "Was I making a face?"
"Yeah," he smiled gently, "you looked afraid."
"Oh."
Cara thought about it for a moment. She saw the image of Oscar's face in the window, watching her.
"I-I am." The tears finally leapt to her eyes, pouring over the edge and onto her cheeks. "Oscar really scares me."
Egrix jumped up from the chair as Cara began to cry, sitting beside her without hesitation and pulling her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Cara. I'm really sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair. Her shoulders shook against him as she sobbed silently.
"N-no, you d-don't need to be sorry, this… this isn't anything you did. He used to c-come around when we broke u-up, but I b-blew it o-off." Cara took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "He followed me a lot when I dumped him last year. I started to hate being alone, but I never really thought about it. I'm just realizing how afraid I've been."
Egrix unwound Cara's hair, loosening the braid as he ran his fingers through the soft strands.
"I told you yesterday to stay here and that I would think of a plan. I actually came up with an idea."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember those barrier probes I told you about that can sense movement, record video, and deter trespassers."
"Yeah, that's what went off in the pod the other night, right?"
"Yes. I brought some. I could set them up around the house and program them to scare Oscar away. They don't have to stay afterwards if you don't want them to, but please let me set them up. I want to protect you, Cara."
"Okay." Cara pushed away from him to look into his eyes. "That would make me feel so much safer."
Egrix nodded getting up and pulling some of the probes from his pocket.
"I'll be right back, dove." He activated the cloaking device and left the room to set up a perimeter for the night.
"Thank you," Cara whispered to him as he left.
Her parent's came into her room to say goodnight and were still there when Egrix returned.
He explained the probes to Cara's parents.
Her mom, said, "Thank you so much, Egrix for helping," before yawning widely.
"I'll show you to the guest room," her dad murmured.
"I'm gonna say goodnight to Cara first, she was really upset earlier. I'll only be a minute," Egrix promised her dad.
"Alright, no funny business though!" He pointed a finger at Egrix, making him chuckle.
"Of course not."
Egrix turned to her, pulling her into his arms and then stroked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, my dove." He gently pressed his lips to hers and Cara sighed. "Sleep well."
"Goodnight, Egrix." She smiled up at him. "Thank you." She watched him join her dad in the hallway, and then gently closed the door.
Alone in her room, she decided to take a quick shower, and then head to bed.
18
Cara felt warmth all around her as the morning sunlight penetrated her eyelids. She attempted to move from under her comforter when her hand touched something warm and smooth behind her. She slid her palm across the surface, caressing Egrix's abs while still half asleep. Her hand began to slide down when she was shocked awake by a sudden voice in her ear, forcing her to realize what she was doing.
"Cara, you should be careful. You're going to get me excited." He gently bit her earlobe and she gasped, rolling to face him.
"Egrix!" Her face heated as she met his soft yellow eyes.
"Good morning, dove." He kissed her nose gently. He had his arms wrapped around her, holding her lovingly.
"You were supposed to sleep in the guest room," she insisted, although she wasn't actually complaining.
"I tried to, but I was worried about you." His lips grazed her shoulder. "I promise I didn't do anything to you while you were sleeping."
He grinned devilishly at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. She rolled fully over to face him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Are you ready to get up? Christmas morning is kind of a big deal."
"Yeah, I think your parents are already up."
"Okay, but you should go get dressed before they realize you snuck in here." Cara giggled. "I'll see you soon."
They parted to get ready for the morning festivities. Cara put on some warm pajamas and skipped into the dining room.
"Good morning, Mom," she sang. "And good morning, Dad."
She hugged both of them before pouring herself a cup of coffee. Egrix joined them, greeting her and her parents.
"Are you two hungry? Your dad and I were thinking of just having cereal to do something easy."
The four agreed, getting their food and heading to the dining room table to eat. The winter's morning air was filled with voices as they enjoyed each other's company.
"Present time!" Her dad announced jumping up from the table and moving out of the room before anyone had time to react to his outburst. The three still sitting in the dining room burst into laughter.
"I guess he couldn't wait another second," Her mom teased him, collecting the dishes to stick in the kitchen sink.
Cara grabbed Egrix's hand to lead him to the living room. "Come on." She smiled brightly, dragging Egrix to join her dad.
They found him at the fireplace, tending a small blaze he had just started.
"I'm setting the mood," he said dramatically when he noticed them enter with her mom following close behind.
Presents were passed between the family members while Egrix looked on. The whole family opened their gifts at the same time, flingin
g wrapping paper into chaotic piles. They talked animatedly about why they bought certain items or how they might use others. Cara gifted her parents a set of artistically edited family photos, talking about how she had a dream about a photo arrangement and was inspired to try it. She hoped they would let her set up the display for them as an addition to the gift. Her mother had made her a stuffed bunny from old t-shirts she'd save from Cara's childhood. Her father gifted her a book on photographing space phenomena that he hoped she could use when they had family times at the telescope.
Egrix watched as the family exchanged material items, handmade and store bought. When he had done his research, this was what he noticed as a primary cultural resource for the holiday, but he had learned something new about the gift exchange. Alongside each gift wrapped package the family exchanged smiles and stories. There was a priceless kind of joy that wafted through the air, and Egrix could no longer deny the positives of the experience.
Her hand on his knee brought Egrix away from his thoughts to gaze at Cara.
"I have a gift for you too, but you have to close your eyes. I didn't have time to wrap it."
He looked at her, surprised, but followed her directions, waiting while she ran from the room quickly. When she'd returned she tapped his shoulder gently, signaling him to open his eyes. Cara had both arms jutted out in front of her with something resting in her hands. Egrix took the gift, looking at the simple wood frame and the picture it held inside. He smiled widely, looking at the memory from a few days before, captured by the woman he loved. The picture was the first gift Egrix had ever been given, and he no longer felt any confusion at the draw of the Christmas holiday.
"Cara, it's beautiful, thank you. I will treasure it always."
Cara's enormous smile filled his heart with even more pleasure than he'd ever experienced in his life.
19
Christmas day was relaxed as the four simply enjoyed each other's company. Dennis took him on a tour of the house and talked about his time as a professor, reminding Egrix of his days training for the union. Bonnie invited him to look through old photo albums, claiming that she had been the family photographer when Cara was young, and she'd taken it over for her. His eyes sparkled as he learned about Cara's childhood and how different it was from his own. He and Cara enjoyed time together just sitting and talking on the back deck, admiring the beautiful view of the Big Sur landscape. Egrix felt relaxed and happy beyond any hope he could ever have imagined.
Dinner was a potluck of dishes from the night before which the family devoured happily while they talked together.
"How old did you say you were?" Dennis asked again in disbelief.
Egrix chuckled at the man's shocked expression. "I'm 146, which is pretty young as Daxians go."
Everyone at the table was shocked at the difference in lifespan, but no one could resist laughing at Dennis's dramatic overreaction to the news.
Through her laughter, Cara suddenly heard a scream coming from outside, morphing her face instantly to one of horror.
"What was that? Did someone scream?"
The whole family rushed outside to figure out what had happened. At the bottom edge of the yard the four could make out a familiar figure fallen on the ground. Oscar lay in the grass in shock, scooting fearfully away from holographic visions that seemed to be appearing from the ground all around him. He shrieked again, racing clumsily to his feet and beginning to sprint out of the yard. The family, who had stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing the horrible man in their yard, all looked at each other and laughed.
"What was that?" Bonnie said, wiping tears from her eyes after laughing so hard.
"I just programmed some visions to deter him from bothering you guys anymore. I understood from what Cara had mentioned, that the man was a wastrel. So I programed the holograms specifically for him. He heard voices telling him to get a job or he would meet an untimely fate and stuff like that."
Cara giggled. "Egrix, isn't that kind of mean?" Despite her claim though, she couldn't stop laughing.
"Mean or not, I don't think he'll be coming back."
"Here, here!" Dennis cried, herding the group of goofily chucking people back inside.
Egrix grabbed Cara's hand, squeezing it gently.
"Do you feel safer now?"
She smiled comfortably. "Yes, very. Thank you!"
"That incident is recorded. I can give it to you guys if you want to report him. If not, it's at least a funny home video that you can watch later on."
This Christmas, his first, had truly been something really special. The warmth of a family that Egrix didn't have experience with had been unparalleled. The joy of making other people happy, particularly the person he cared about most, was unprecedented. The kindness he felt from the people who had only just met him was genuinely priceless. It wasn't the type of thing he could explain in a report to the Spacing Guild, but it felt, somehow, like the most valuable resource the humans had to offer.
Epilogue
Cara stepped out of the cold shower, thankful for the refreshing chill the cool water droplets left on her skin. She ran her towel through her hair to soak up the water, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. Today was a big day.
"Don't be nervous," she muttered to her reflection.
"What do you have to be nervous about," a deep voice called from outside the bathroom door.
Cara pulled the door open and glared up at the handsome alien face on the other side.
"Are you eavesdropping on me?" she asked with her hands on her hips and her eyebrow cocked.
Egrix intentionally ignored her question, noticeably running his eyes up and down her naked body.
Cara pouted at him, annoyed. "I have to get ready, Egrix," she insisted, trying to leave the bathroom past him. He put his body in her way, blocking her exit.
"Am I not allowed to eavesdrop on you?" he asked teasingly, leaning down so that their noses touched.
"Well not if you're going to pick on me for it." She frowned.
"But I meant what I said. You don't have anything to be nervous about." He snaked his arm around her waist. "You are beautiful, talented, intelligent, sophisticated, and strong." He planted a kiss on her skin for each word he said.
"Okay, yeah, sure," she spoke feverishly, diverting her gaze from the golden, cat-like eyes staring at her.
"Don't you believe me?" He sounded heartbroken, drawing her eyes to him despite Cara's better judgement. "Then should I prove it to you?" he whispered against her lips before scooping her up and racing into their bedroom. Cara's heart raced as he dropped her gently on the bed, leaning down over her and splitting her hair around her face with his hands. The familiar scent of his hormones flooded her senses, and her body began to quiver with heat.
"Egrix, I'm gonna be late," she said, still trying to weakly resist the temptation.
"It's your studio, Cara, they can wait."
Two hours later Cara arrived, flustered, at her studio. She smiled proudly at the sign above the store that read, Big Sur photography, happy to have left Oakland and come back to a place that really inspired her. A small honk of a car horn drew her attention to the only other car in the parking lot as an unfamiliar man stepped out.
"Are you Ms. Cara Mathison?" he asked, extending his hand professionally.
"Yes, and I assume you're the buyer?" She smiled at him, squinting her eyes shut.
"That's right. Is the gallery due to open soon?"
"Any minute now," she assured him, stepping away to get the building ready for the event.
She walked through the gallery aisles, admiring the results of her work. Her long exposure works from six months prior hung as the focal piece of her display. They made the world feel still and calm for most people who saw them, but they were so alive and full of memories for her. She knew it was time to open, but she just wanted to stand there and admire them for a few seconds longer.
The gallery exhibition was set to last several weeks with rotating photogr
aphy up for sale throughout. Many of Cara's friends from Oakland came to give her support, and she even saw some familiar faces from high school and college. Egrix came to join her after he finished his meeting with his client for the day.
"How did it go?" Cara's eyes searched his inquisitively.
"It was good, apparently the last company spoke very highly of me, so he jumped on the recommendation. His business could be a good candidate for space trade eventually too."
"That's amazing. I'm really proud of you, Egrix."
"And I you, my dove." He smiled lovingly at her. "You are truly a magnificent person to behold."
"Don't be overdramatic." She laughed overflowing with joy.
"I'm not. I promise. Of all the things I've found on this planet, you are the most amazing. I wouldn't trade you for anything."
She knew he meant it. Although he could be coy and grumpy, Egrix was a genuine romantic. The rest of the night went smoothly, with Cara managing to sell several pieces and impressing a local photography critic. After years of studying and practicing her craft, finally running her own studio with her landscapes felt like a dream.
Cara burst into the bedroom, surprising Egrix so much he nearly spilled the cup of tea he cradled in his hands. Cara apologized, snickering a bit at his cute, surprised expression. She held up her hands which collapsed tightly around a magazine, smiling brightly at her boyfriend.
"What's this?" Egrix asked, taking the offering and reading over the cover. It advertised a section on up-and-coming photographers in one corner and his eyes nearly burst out of his head when he realized the example image was Cara's. "Is this…?"
"Yes! That's my sunset. They put me in the article. Mom said she had to stop working on her project for the day because she was getting so many phone calls for me." Cara sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. "It doesn't feel real, does it?"
Egrix laughed, reaching out to pull Cara into bed with him. "Of course it does. Your photos are amazing so of course they should be recognized."