by Anna Lewis
“Don’t forget the strawberries,” it read with a smiley face following the statement.
It was the last thing he had sent her before the explosion. She assumed his arrest would prevent him from having access to his phone, so she hadn’t tried to contact him since. Above his messages were plenty from Elu which she hadn’t yet deleted. It made her stomach flip just to look at them, quickly closing the app and opening up her contact list. She clicked on her mother’s number and held the phone up to her ear. It rang briefly before clicking.
“Hi, Mother,” she said weakly.
“Hello, dear. What’s the matter? Is the flight making you sick?” she asked.
“No, I’m just upset over everything that happened,” Anna Leigh admitted with a sigh.
“That’s to be expected, my dear. I can’t imagine how I would feel if that happened to me,” her mother said. “The news made it seem much worse. How bad was it?”
“It was just a typical explosion. It’s nothing we haven’t ever seen before, but it really rocked me,” Anna Leigh replied.
“I understand. Is that why you’re coming home?” her mother asked.
“That’s part of the reason, yeah,” Anna Leigh replied.
“Well, tell me what’s on your mind, sweetie. You have plenty of time on your flight and I’m sure you have nothing to do,” her mother said.
Anna Leigh sighed, looking down at her nails. The red was chipping away and revealing the pale green skin beneath. She bit her lower lip.
“Yeah, I guess I could talk about it,” she admitted.
“I’m all ears, honey. Talk to me,” her mother said.
“It’s just... Elu and Xander. Do you remember me mentioning them?” she asked.
“Of course,” her mother replied. “They seemed like such nice boys.”
“We were so closely bonded and that incident with Elu where he was... where I found out he had lied made me feel hurt. I was really hurt. I feel totally betrayed by how he had deceived us,” Anna Leigh explained. “I don’t understand why he would do such a thing. It was awful.”
“Jobs like that can make people extremely lonely. Do you think he really meant to hurt you or was he just doing his job?” her mother asked.
“I feel like he knew exactly what he was doing and he hurt us anyway. That’s the worst feeling ever,” Anna Leigh replied.
“I know. You told me he was an agent and I’ve encountered those people before. It must have hurt him, too,” her mother said.
Anna Leigh scoffed.
“If it did, it wasn’t evident. How could he pull off such a thing and still feel emotions? It’s such a horrible thing to do to be in that business,” Anna Leigh said.
“It’s certainly not the most morally sound job, no. A lot of those people end up without friends because of their missions,” her mother explained. “Such isolation could really hurt a person.”
“Mother, are you taking his side?” Anna Leigh asked, rubbing her right temple out of frustration.
“No, never. I’m just trying to get you to see his perspective. Maybe he really did love you. It sounded genuine whenever you told me about them,” her mother replied.
“It felt genuine. I think that’s what hurts the most,” Anna Leigh said.
“Maybe it was genuine, dear. You never know. Have you spoken to him since the incident?” her mother asked.
“I’m afraid I’ll scream at him if I try to talk to him,” Anna Leigh responded.
“Well, that sounds pretty normal,” her mother said. “How is your head? Your skin?”
Anna Leigh looked down at her lap with a puzzled look.
“Why are you asking about my skin?” she asked.
“I want to know if you’ve developed any strange symptoms,” her mother explained.
“Well, I do have these weird scales on my back. I haven’t mentioned them because I figured they were from the heat,” Anna Leigh said.
“They are a symptom of your emotionally yearning, your body's reaction to being separated from your life mates. The scales won’t go away until you’re reunited with them. It is a rare but not unknown symptom that occurs among Kuhlarai women,” her mother explained.
“What do you mean?” Anna Leigh asked.
“You must have two life mates, not one,” her mother explained. “As you know, Kuhlarai children may be conceived by a triad bond of two males and one Kuhlarai female. When you were born, the sages of our people predicted that you were meant for such a triad bonding.”
“You know I don’t believe in that ancestor stuff,” Anna Leigh said. She knew the old ways and the sages, but until now she seldom paid much attention.
“Surely you don’t believe those two men just fell into your life for no reason, do you?” her mother asked.
Anna Leigh sighed.
“I don’t know what I believe,” she admitted.
“Perhaps it’s time to talk to the ancestors and see how you’re feeling. I’ll light a candle for you,” her mother said.
“No, mother. Please, don’t do that. I’m just confused,” Anna Leigh said.
“I know, darling, but your confusion will pass soon. Give it some time. I think it would be a good idea to talk to Elu very soon to see where you stand,” her mother suggested.
“I don’t know, mother. I don’t want to bother him,” she said.
“He must miss you like you miss him,” her mother said.
“I don’t miss him,” Anna Leigh said quickly, catching a sob in her throat before it could escape.
Silence came from the other line. Anna Leigh imagined her mother making the same knowing face she had always made whenever Anna Leigh wasn’t being entirely honest. She exhaled loudly.
“It has been difficult to sleep in an empty bed. I’ll admit that much,” Anna Leigh said quickly. “But that doesn’t mean I miss him.”
“Your body seems to indicate otherwise. It’s okay to admit you miss him, Anna Leigh. Anybody would in your situation, especially when your bond was that strong,” her mother explained. “Denying these emotions will only make it worse.”
A single tear ran down her cheek and she wiped at it, hoping no one could see her silently crying in the corner of the ship.
“I know, mom,” she said in a low voice. “I just don’t know how to express it.”
“Well, when you get back, I’ll make you a hot cup of tea and run you a hot bath. How does that sound?” her mother asked.
Anna Leigh smiled warmly.
“That sounds wonderful, mother,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I’m here for you, always. I just want you to be happy and I don’t want to see you suffering because of some complex emotions. You can get through it. I believe in you,” her mother said.
“Alright. We’re about to take off, but I’ll call you as soon as I land, okay?” Anna Leigh said, wiping at another errant tear.
“Have a good flight. Try to catch a nap,” her mother said.
“I will. Thanks, Mom,” she said before hanging up the phone.
She sat leaned back in her seat and placed her phone in her pocket, looking out the window pensively.
I still love him, she thought. But I’m not sure how to forgive him. Mother says it will take time and I don’t want to be without my sweet Xander. Why can’t this just be a simple thing like cheating?
Anna Leigh shook her head. It was far from simple. Nothing could change the fact that Elu had betrayed them, but the ache between her legs grew stronger each day and her scales were starting to tingle. She couldn’t deny her physical yearning for his touch, for them both to be pressed against her naked body in a heated embrace.
She wondered about the prophecy of the sages that her mother had mentioned. Surely nobody believes that stuff anymore?
The intercom rang and a voice politely explained they were about to take off. Anna Leigh followed the instructions to buckle up during their ascent and reclined her seat a few inches. Maybe a nap would clear her head, though
sleep was still difficult these days without her two lovers.
If only it weren’t so complicated, she thought. If only there were another way.
***
The cell was isolated. Xander could hear intermittent chatter coming from down the hall, listening to the bits of conversation he could discern. He knew no one else. The guards had kept him on strict lock down for the past three weeks, only allowing him to leave in order to go out into the yard while everyone else ate lunch. It was a lonely existence. He couldn’t bare sitting in silence while the other men went down into the common area. It didn’t seem fair.
A guard approached and turned off the electrical bars for a moment while holding out an intergalactic phone.
“It’s your lawyer. And no funny business. The phone has a tracker,” said the guard.
“Thanks,” Xander said while taking the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Xander. How are you holding up?” his lawyer asked.
“I don’t know, Jack. I feel like crap, Jack,” Xander replied.
“Well, I can’t imagine you feel great about being in prison,” his lawyer said. “Listen, I need to stop by and go over some court proceedings and paperwork. How’s this afternoon?”
“You’re joking, right?” Xander asked rhetorically.
Jack sighed on the other end of the phone.
“Sorry, I was just trying to make a light joke,” Jack explained. “Alright. I’ll stop by pretty soon.”
Xander hung up the phone and held it back out to the guard who stared at it.
“Is there anyone you want to call?” the guard asked.
“Why would I do that?” Xander asked.
“I don’t know. Do you have a friend or a girlfriend?” the guard asked.
“I mean, sort of,” Xander replied.
“Well,” the guard said while looking around. “Give them a call.”
“Is this a trap?” Xander asked.
The guard shook his head.
“I’ve seen you every day following directions and you haven’t acted out once. This is your treat for that. Keep it up and you’ll keep getting rewards,” the guard replied.
Xander pulled the phone back and looked down at the digital screen, starting to type in a familiar number. He shook his head.
Why was I just trying to call Elu? He asked himself.
After closing his eyes briefly, he tapped Anna Leigh’s number into the screen and held the phone up to his ear. It rang for what seemed like an eternity.
“Hello?” asked a small voice from the other side of the phone.
Tears immediately came to his eyes.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said before covering his mouth.
“Xander?!” she asked from the other side of the phone. “Oh, Xander! I haven’t heard from you in weeks!”
“I know, baby. I’m really sorry. I’ve been under lock and key,” he explained. “I just got the chance to finally call you. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to.”
“No, it’s alright. I understand. I’m just so glad to hear your voice. It’s been so long...” she trailed off into a small sob and Xander’s lower lip started to quiver.
“I’m so sorry. It’s such a mess and it’s all my fault,” Xander said.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s Elu’s fault,” Anna Leigh insisted.
“Anna Leigh, please. Don’t make it seem like he was the bad guy. I’m the one who has been stealing from our company for years,” Xander said. “I'm responsible for my actions, and now I’m facing the consequences of them.”
“But they’re going to crucify you. He shouldn’t have involved me if he was going to burn you, you know?” she pointed out.
“It wasn’t his intention to do that. At least I don’t think so,” Xander said.
“You know very well that’s what he was planning to do,” Anna Leigh spat.
“Anna, please,” he begged. “I just want to catch up and hear your voice and feel more comfortable.”
Anna Leigh sighed.
“I’m sorry. I’m just still angry,” she explained.
“I am, too,” Xander said. “But I miss you. How are you? What are you doing?”
“I’ve been alright. I just went back home to Kuhlarai to stay with my mother for a while,” she replied.
A voice chimed in the background.
“My mother says hello,” she said.
“Tell her I send my love,” Xander said.
“Of course. I miss you, too. I can’t sleep without you and Elu by my side. It’s the worst feeling in the world,” Anna Leigh said.
“I know. It’s the same for me here. I’m in a cell most of the day and I haven’t even spoken to anyone else,” Xander explained.
He looked over at the guard who tapped his wrist, indicating he needed to wrap it up.
“Look, I’m glad we got to talk for a moment, but I’m going to have to let you go,” Xander said.
“Wait, why?” Anna Leigh asked. “I barely had a chance to say a word to you.”
“The guard let me call you. I don’t think I was supposed to make any calls, but he was nice enough to let that happen,” Xander explained.
“Well, I’m glad I could hear your voice. It really makes me miss you,” Anna Leigh said.
“Me, too. It hurts, but I’m going to try to make this right. I’ll be good and serve my time,” Xander said.
“You should fight it. We can fight it together. Maybe we can convince them that Elu made a mistake by misleading us into a–” Anna Leigh was cut off by Xander.
“No, don’t you dare suggest we should throw Elu under the bus. He may have betrayed us, but he was doing his job. It isn’t fair to do that,” Xander quickly explained.
Anna Leigh sighed.
“Alright. I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll let you go. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you, too. And I love you. I’ll see you soon, alright?” Xander said.
“Alright, darling. I love you, too,” Anna Leigh said.
They said their goodbyes and Xander handed the phone back to the guard who placed it in his pocket.
“She sounds sweet,” he commented.
Xander nodded.
“She is,” he said.
“I’ll let you call her weekly as long as you behave,” the guard said.
“Thank you,” Xander said. “That means a lot to me.”
“I’ll let you know when your lawyer is here,” the guard said before turning the laser bars of his cell on again.
Silence again. Xander sat back against the cold wall and sighed, playing with a piece of his uniform. It was too quiet. Even though he had spent a few weeks adjusting to his new lifestyle, he still didn’t like the way the walls felt. They were cold, haunting and indifferent to his pain. His cell was small, but it gave him plenty of room to reflect on what had transpired. As he became absorbed in his thoughts, a familiar voice spoke from the other side of the laser bars.
“Hello, Xander.”
He turned to see his lawyer with a steel briefcase and a small grin. The guard turned off the laser bars, walked into the cell, and placed a steel cuff over Xander's wrists that had a blinking red light. These were typically placed on prisoners being transported. The lock was tight and had a transmitter inside which would sound off the alarms if he tried to run.
Not that he ever did, but he had considered it.
“I heard from the judge this morning,” his lawyer said. “I think we’ll get a little sympathy from the jury.”
“Is that so?” Xander asked as they were led down the hall and into a small room.
A camera was located in the upper right corner. Xander nodded at it before sitting in his chair.
“Can you remove these? They’re a little tight,” Xander said to the guard.
He shook his head.
“You know the rules, buddy,” said the guard.
Xander sighed and got comfortable in his chair, setting his locked wrists on the table. His lawyer procured a touch pad fr
om his steel briefcase and turned it on, pulling up a few documents on the table.
“So, we have a number of incidents documented of you stealing from The Coax Crystal Company. Several have no other evidence other than eyewitness accounts, and two of them are recorded on camera,” his lawyer explained.
“So, he’s just been watching me this entire time?” Xander asked.
“It seems so, yes,” Jack replied.
“I can’t believe it,” Xander commented.
“Well, believe it. You have quite a collection of evidence here against you. It might be a good idea to take the deal,” Jack suggested.
“But only two incidents can be proven with hard evidence, right?” Xander asked.
Jack looked through the documents.
“Yes,” he replied.
“How would the jury be sympathetic to my situation?” Xander asked.
“From tracking your money transfers, it appears you made some notable donations to a few charities on your home planet. Can you confirm those?” Jack asked.
Xander leaned over the desk and studied the document.
“Yeah, that’s correct,” Xander replied.
“And you had told Elu you wanted to take him and Anna Leigh on a vacation after your last steal, correct?” Jack asked.
“Yes, that’s correct. I feel like I’m being drilled here,” Xander replied.
“It’s just a few preliminary questions while I build more of your case. They might not seem important now, but if you want the jury to be sympathetic we’ll have to mention some of these things,” Jack explained.
“I mean, I’m not complaining. I did steal from the company for my entire time of employment,” Xander said.
“Sure, but you did it under certain circumstances that would sway a jury to believe it wasn’t all due to greed,” Jack said. “People love a handsome Samaritan in love.”
“I’m sure they do, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t do something wrong,” Xander replied.
Jack smiled warmly, folding his hands over the desk while leaning forward.
“Take the plea bargain. They want you to do ten years, eight if you’re really good. You’ll be on probation after that with community service obligations,” Jack explained.
Xander sighed.
“That’s such a long time without Anna Leigh,” Xander said.