by Tasha Black
He hesitated. There was probably nothing on the bag that he could touch and trigger anything, but…
Buck grabbed Cecily’s bag from her. “I’ll hold that for you,” he said.
She frowned and headed off after Bea.
When the bill was paid, the other four went outside to explore the dinosaurs.
They were incredible, though up close Solo could see that their paint was flaking in places and a bit of rust showed through here and there.
Bea pulled out her sketchpad and began to draw, her hands moving quickly.
Buck leaned on a dinosaur behind her, looking over her shoulder as she worked.
“It’s interesting, isn’t it, brother?” Kirk asked. “That humans are half in love with a species that didn’t live in their own time?”
“They are fascinating creatures, humans,” Solo nodded.
“We are fascinating creatures,” Kirk corrected him.
Solo nodded, though it wasn’t entirely true. At least not for himself yet. Kirk had clicked permanently into his human body the moment of his mating with Kate, as Buck had with Bea.
But Solo was still free to slip the bonds of this flesh if he were sent back to Aerie.
He was determined not to do so. After living in the sensory excess of this marvelous planet, he wanted to stay.
And more importantly, he was bonded to Cecily whether she reciprocated his feelings or not. He could no longer imagine life without her.
“Are you guys ready?” Kate called to them.
Cecily did not look at Solo as she walked quickly past.
“Sure,” Kirk said. He strode up to Kate and wrapped an arm around her.
She looked up at him with shining eyes, as if she had missed him horribly during their few minutes apart.
Cecily was already entering the RV, right behind Bea and Buck.
“I’ll take the next shift driving,” Kate said.
Cecily tossed Kate the keys and climbed into the back.
Solo followed her in, already dreaming about how nice it would be to share a seat with her. They would gaze out the window together and talk. And though he would not touch her, her closeness would enfold him in the euphoria he felt each time she was near.
5
Cecily
Cecily marched into the back of the RV and sat in the only single seat. She pulled her datebook out of her bag and pretended to study it so as to avoid making eye contact with Solo when he got in.
She knew she was being ridiculous. She didn’t even want a relationship.
But Solo refusing to hold her bag for her in front of those flirting women had really hurt her feelings.
For all the puppy dog eyes he was giving her, he really didn’t care if it was her he bonded with or some random floozy in a dinosaur diner. He was just another dumb, horny guy, whether he could reverse engineer a human body or not.
Maybe it was for the best that she take a step back and remember that. They had become close, but if her jealous feelings were any indication, Cecily had let things go too far. They were more than friends, whether they had ever touched or not.
Solo sat on the double seat opposite her. He had scrunched his big body all the way to one side, as if to demonstrate that there was room for her beside him.
He caught her in his blue-eyed gaze and for a moment she was tempted to smile or to say something.
But she was kidding herself if she thought that would go anywhere good.
Instead, she buried her nose in her planner again, trying not to notice the look of dismay on his handsome face.
Kate turned the key in the ignition and the RV shuddered for a moment, then rumbled to a start.
Kirk crowed victoriously, as if they were taking off on horseback and Kate laughed with him.
Buck tucked his arm around Bea in the double seat they shared while Bea hunched over her notebook, sketching furiously, as if she hadn’t noticed that she’d been plucked out of the field and into the vehicle.
Cecily only wished she had her friend’s focus. She stared at the planner until the words began to blur in front of her eyes.
The datebook was always brimming with upcoming adventures, and that was how she liked it. Another day, another week, another month, another wild scheme. From monster make-up to CG effects, Cecily fed at a smorgasbord of creative opportunity - no two days in her world were the same and that was what she adored about her career.
There was certainly no room in it for settling down with silly men.
She looked out the window as the scenery streamed past and tried not to think about it Solo’s way, tried not to dwell on how each rooftop was the home and shelter for a family, the likes of which she would never have.
But it was no use - he’d gotten into her head.
He’d even made her curious about seeing her own hometown again.
She thought idly about the old glade. After her dream it almost seemed possible that it was still there.
Determined to push the thoughts aside, she snagged her e-reader out of her bag and clicked on a favorite book.
RVs, hotel rooms, and hometowns aside, she always felt at home in a book.
6
Solo
Solo climbed out of the RV and stretched his legs.
They had only been driving for an hour or two but it felt like an eternity with Cecily’s nose in a book and Solo alone with nothing but his thoughts and the sights and sounds of his brothers happily in love. He’d had to content himself with reading an old driver’s manual he’d found under one of the seats in the RV.
He expected they would all pair off to get coffee together, but instead Cecily marched off for the restroom, Bea and Kate in tow.
Solo sighed and headed toward a picnic table under the shade of a large tree. He leaned against the trunk to think.
Kirk and Buck approached him.
“Are you okay?” Kirk asked without preamble.
“I’m fine,” Solo said.
“So polite,” Buck teased. “What happened with you and Cecily?”
“I’m not sure,” Solo admitted. “She was angry at me from the minute she left the bathroom back at the diner.”
“Maybe Kate can tell me what’s wrong,” Kirk said.
“No,” Solo said. “I don’t think Cecily would like her friends to inform on her feelings.”
“That is a wise thought,” Buck said, eyebrows lifted in admiration. “You are becoming more skilled at understanding humans.”
“Unfortunately, the only one I want to understand doesn’t want to be mated,” Solo said.
“How do you know?” Buck asked.
“She told me,” Solo said. “And she meant it. I can feel it.”
Buck sighed.
“Maybe we can find someone else,” Kirk offered carefully. “Someone who is ready to be your mate.”
“How would you have felt if I’d said that to you a few days ago about Kate?” Solo asked.
Kirk frowned and nodded. “Then you will have to bring her around.”
“Why doesn’t she want to be mated?” Buck asked.
“I’m not really sure,” Solo said. “She’s more complicated than a bio-ship’s engineering manual.”
“This is because you expect everything about her to be logical and orderly,” Buck said. “But her feelings don’t have to make sense from the outside.”
“Then how am I supposed to understand?” Solo asked.
“You must try to understand her feelings from the inside,” Buck said. “Learn more about her life and her past, and maybe you will learn why she is attracted to you but won’t act on it.”
“How can I do that?” Solo asked.
“Well, for the rest of us, the only answer would be to ask a lot of impertinent questions,” Kirk said. “But for you, you would just have to—”
“—I won’t do it,” Solo said.
“You love her, don’t you brother?” Buck asked.
Solo nodded.
“If you love her and you wa
nt to know her better, I think it might help to use your gift,” Kirk said. “Just a little.”
“It doesn’t work the way you think,” Solo said. “I can’t just touch her and watch her life unfold like I’m watching a movie. And besides, it’s an invasion of her privacy. It’s like stealing.”
“Well then, brother, you have three options,” Buck said.
“Not this again.” Kirk rolled his eyes.
“Flowers, jealousy, and space,” Buck counted off on his fingers. “Kirk gave Kate space and she came around. I made Bea jealous…”
“You tried to make her jealous,” Kirk put in.
“Yes, I did,” Buck said. “Or you could bring her flowers and chocolates, win her over with sweetness.”
“I don’t think any of those things will work,” Solo said sadly.
“It can’t hurt to try,” Buck said. “You can use some of our emergency money to buy them - maybe they have flowers or chocolate in the shops inside.”
Solo shrugged. He had no better ideas, and if flowers or treats made Cecily smile they couldn’t hurt his cause. Maybe he would give them a shot.
“We’ll see you inside, brother,” Kirk said.
Solo nodded.
He jogged back to the RV, climbed in quickly and grabbed Kirk’s navy blue backpack from beside the table.
A shiny silver star hung from the zipper. He’d never noticed that before.
Without thinking, Solo took hold of it.
He had just enough time to realize he had grabbed the wrong backpack.
Then the vision lowered its ghostly curtain around him. It was too late to stop it.
A small girl lay on her belly in bed. Her face was hidden in her pillow, but Solo could see the curls on her head.
Cecily.
An unknown, but somehow familiar woman sat on the edge of the bed.
I know Father’s Day is hard, the woman said.
I don’t want to talk about it, the girl sniffed.
Uncle Ray is coming to the Father’s Day breakfast with you tomorrow, the woman said. He’s excited to be your guest at school.
I want a daddy, the girl said quietly.
The mother bit her lip.
I at least want to know who he is, the girl continued. Why won’t you tell me his name?
Because it doesn’t matter, the mother said. He’s not really your father. He’s just a man. You and I are a family.
I need to know, the girl sobbed.
Solo watched as the mother slid something out of her pocket.
I was going to keep this until tomorrow, she said. But I want you to have it now.
What?
Just a little present.
The girl sat up and Solo was surprised to see how much little Cecily looked like her grown-up self. She had the same constellation of freckles across her nose.
Her mother smiled and held out something that shimmered in the lamplight. It was a charm bracelet with a sparkling silver star.
Little Cecily took it and read the inscription on the shiny pendant out loud, We Are Enough.
We are enough, Cecily, her mom said. Always remember that. Some kids have to share their mother’s love with a father or siblings. But you are my everything, my star, Cecily Page. And I will love you forever.
Cecily smiled slowly.
Suddenly she flung her arms around her mother’s neck.
Can we make hot chocolate?
I don’t see why not, her mother said with a smile.
Cecily slid the bracelet onto her wrist.
Solo watched intently but the vision was already fraying at the edges, fading into nothing.
He managed to drop the backpack where he’d found it.
He sank into a seat, deep in thought.
Cecily did not know who her father was. He wasn’t part of her life, part of her family.
Solo had read Cecily’s memoir, Make-Up Sex. The references to her many romantic conquests unfailingly made him wild with jealousy even though she was careful not to name names. But the book was mostly an interesting story of what it was like to be a make-up and special effects artist. Solo had noticed that although Cecily mentioned a variety of subjects in it, she did not mention her family, except for one reference to her mother’s death.
Now she had no mother. And she had never known her father.
And she wanted - needed to know who he was.
Could the disappearance of her mother’s mate be the reason Cecily didn’t want one of her own?
An incredible idea began to occur to Solo.
If he could help Cecily to locate her father, perhaps he could give her closure. Maybe it would be enough to allow her to move on.
Solo knew that if he found her father, the man would be overjoyed. Anyone would be proud to have a daughter as accomplished as Cecily.
If Solo could give Cecily back a family, maybe she would even feel ready to begin a family of her own.
Solo forgot about the flowers and chocolate and began to formulate a real plan.
Maybe reading that driver’s manual hadn’t been a total waste of time after all.
7
Cecily
Cecily sat in the cafe at the truck stop, using a spoon to eat the whipped cream off the top of her frozen cappuccino.
Bea and Kate sat on the opposite side of the table, earnest expressions on their faces.
“I’m fine, guys, really,” she said.
“You’re not fine,” Kate said. “And we’re your friends - we’re supposed to help you.”
“No offense, but I kind of know what your advice is going to be,” Cecily said. “And I’m glad for you guys, I really am. I can see how happy you are with them, but marrying an alien is not for me.”
A woman at the next table looked over at them in a scandalized way.
“Figure of speech,” Bea said to the woman.
The woman turned back to her own coffee.
“Listen, we are one hundred percent behind you, whether things work out with you and Solo or not,” Kate said.
Cecily looked into her friend’s brown eyes. She could see that Kate was telling the truth. Their friendship would survive this.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Obviously we’re hoping things do work out with you guys,” Kate added.
“He’s clearly really into you,” Bea said.
“I’ve had plenty of guys into me before,” Cecily said. “I literally wrote a book about it. But where are they now?”
The other two didn’t answer right away.
Cecily stabbed a straw into her drink.
“Besides, he wouldn’t even hold my stuff in front of those other women,” she said. “He likes me until there’s someone else to preen in front of.”
“I don’t think that’s what happened,” Bea said.
“Then what did happen?” Cecily asked.
“I’m not really sure,” Bea said. “But I know he isn’t into impressing other women. He cares about you. He told Buck he loves you.”
The thought gave Cecily pleasure, even though she didn’t want it to. She tamped it down as best she could.
“No matter what they say, they all leave,” Cecily said. “They burn out fast or they fade away. Guys are not a permanent fixture.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Kate said. “But have you ever stayed in one place long enough for a guy to have a chance to stick around?”
Cecily sighed. Her friend had a point.
“Just think about it,” Kate said.
8
Cecily
Cecily stood with her friends in the lobby of a small roadside zoo. She was holding a small paper tray of fruit cups and a tiny baby bottle and wondering what she was doing with her life.
The lobby smelled like urine and sounded like a baby shower, with grown adults squealing over the kitschy items for sale.
They’d been on the road, making pretty good time, until Bea had spotted this place and swerved into the parking lot like a stunt driver fo
r an action movie - all screeching brakes and spraying gravel. Cecily swore the RV had been balanced on two wheels at one point.
“I can’t believe this, can you?” Bea asked Cecily excitedly for about the tenth time.
“It is unbelievable,” Cecily assured her.
Bea didn’t notice her sarcasm. She was too excited about examining the tiny food containers and wondering to Buck about what kind of animals she would be feeding them to.
Cecily gazed down at the small plastic cups of fruity stuff in her own hands. Somehow, not knowing anything about the creatures that would be eating the food made the whole thing feel even more sinister.
“Do you like animals?” Solo asked.
“I like cats and dogs,” she said. “You know, normal pet animals.”
“Was that a snake on the sign for this place?” Solo asked.
He sounded genuinely interested.
“Yes,” Cecily said. “It was definitely a snake.”
The line in the lobby began to move toward an unremarkable door in the wall. It looked like it should lead to a janitor’s closet. Instead it opened into a narrow hallway.
On either side, so close she could have reached out her hands and touched both at once, were plexiglass cases holding an assortment of large snakes.
Cecily shuddered and kept her eyes on the back of the person in front of her.
She tried not to listen to the guide ahead explaining that Shirleen, the proprietor of the zoo, had built all the exhibits herself. If Cecily thought too hard about that, she might start to worry about how much Shirleen knew about zoo safety and snake containment. And that way madness lay.
“They are very beautiful,” Solo said. “But how are we supposed to give them their snacks?”
“Um, I don’t think these snacks are for them,” Cecily said. “Snakes are meat eaters. And most of them prefer live prey.”
There were delighted squeals from the front of the group as the hallway opened up into a larger room.
“Now what?” Cecily grumbled, expecting to be greeted by some new, scaly thing.