25
“With no more Centaurs, why do you still have to fight?” Kat asked.
Rev had fought humans before: the Children of Angels. And Kat was still pretty sensitive about that. Her biological parents had been killed in the fighting, but not before they offered her up as a suicide bomber. Rev tried to choose his words, but Neesy came to his rescue.
“Silly. Rev already said so. There’re pirates and other bad guys out there. Rev fights those guys, right?” Neesy asked, looking at Rev for confirmation.
“We just want to make sure that everyone is safe,” Rev said as he pulled her head in and kissed the top. He didn’t want to get into the nasty side of human conflict where other humans were your target.
His dad looked up from where he was sitting in the front seat and caught Rev’s eyes in the mirror. “I saw the news about that ship. The Nightingale.”
“Nightingale’s Song.”
“You’ll have to tell me about that later.”
“What’s that?” Neesy asked. “Tell us.”
Rev’s father was still looking at him in the mirror, and Rev gave a slight shake of his head.
“Give him a break, girls. He just got back from the home system. Let him catch his breath.”
Rev put his arms around the girls on either side of him. “And I’m happy to be home. A whole week.”
And Rev was happy. He missed his family. He missed his friends. He had new friends, of course, but Enceladus wasn’t home, and it never would be.
Normally, Rev wouldn’t be due his home leave for another seven months, but with the new policy of units returning from deployment slipping into an alert unit status, it was now or not for close to another year before he could take leave. He’d chosen take this leave slot while Fox company was in a logistics stand down in prep to become part of the alert force.
He’d probably regret that in a year when he would have been on leave, but for the moment, he was just going to enjoy his time at home. While there was going to be a meet up with his friends at Leteeka’s tomorrow, for tonight, it was just going to be a quiet evening at home with a good meal and catching up with the family.
“Your mother asked me to ask you if Malaika’s coming over tonight,” his father said.
“No. She said she’s got work.”
Rev was bending the truth with the “said” part. He didn’t really know where she was for sure, but he figured it was a good guess.
His father harrumphed. “You’d think she could take off a few days with you back.”
Rev had thought the same thing, but he felt he had to stick up for her. “She just started the job, and they won’t let her miss any work until she’s certified.”
The expression on his father’s face in the mirror was a good indication of what he thought of that.
“I’m going to let your mom know we’re almost there. She has some sort of soufflé that has to be put in at just the right time.”
“Souffle?”
“She’s gotten even better than when you left,” his father said. “It’s putting the kilograms on me, though,” he added, patting his belly.
While he was growing up, Rev’s mother was not a cook. He doubted that she could hard boil an egg. Then the cooking bug bit her. Her first dishes were pretty bad, not even close to matching the dining fabricator in the kitchen. But during his time in the regiment, she’d gotten better and better to the point that Rev looked forward to eating with the family. And now, it looked like he was going to try a souffle. He didn’t really know what one was—something with eggs, he gathered—but he knew it was supposed to be gourmet, and now his stomach rumbled at the thought. Neesy and Kat laughed uproariously when they heard it, Kat patting his stomach. Even Rev laughed.
Yes, it was good to be home.
They pulled up into the driveway. Neesy and Kat fought over carrying Rev’s valpack, the military version of a small suitcase. He hadn’t brought enough to justify a seabag.
Rev’s father opened the door to the house, and then as if in an afterthought, stepped aside and motioned Rev to enter.
“Home sweet—”
“SURPRISE!”
Rev’s mouth dropped open as at least thirty people shouted at him. Most were neighbors and family friends, but Cricket and a very pregnant Udu were among the guests.
Rev was tired from the passage, and he’d wanted a quiet evening, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
And at the moment, he was fine with that.
* * *
Leteeka’s wasn’t as busy as the last time Rev was there. As more bars and pubs reopened, there were more choices. Not for Rev, though. Only Leteeka’s would do.
Rev would have liked it a little busier, however, at least at their table. Tomiko’s unit was off-planet training on Perth. Bundy was off at butter bar school, finishing up learning how to be a lieutenant. Ten had planned on being there, but at the last moment had called and said she was feeling under the weather. Malaika was at work.
At least he could see Ten later on, but he’d miss Tomiko and Bundy on this trip. If he’d realized that they wouldn’t be around, he’d have taken his leave after being on alert status.
Should have checked, he told himself as he took another sip of the Hausner.
But still, with Udu and Cricket—it continued to amaze him that Cricket, of all people, was going to be a father—Orpheus, and Yancey, it was good to get at least some of the posse together.
And from the Raiders, Strap, Porter, Radić, and Doc Paul were there. Hussein was at some school, but he’d sent a message that the first round was on him.
All told, it was a good gathering, and while Rev was disappointed that Tomiko, Bundy, and Hussein weren’t there, the rest kept him so busy with questions on life in the Home Guard that he couldn’t dwell on it.
Udu shifted in her seat uncomfortably, and Cricket immediately cut off whatever he was saying to Yancey and asked her if she was OK.
“Get your son out of my belly, and I’ll be OK,” she said, leaning back and stretching. “He’s gonna be a professional dancer, I swear.”
Rev smiled as an image of Cricket Junior standing up and doing the dances he’d seen on Barclay sprang to his mind, his baby face all serious as his feet beat a tattoo in Udu’s womb.
She then told him she’d manage, but maybe another pomegranate juice would help settle her. Rev didn’t even know Leteeka’s offered pomegranate juice, but Cricket jumped up and scurried off to the bar.
“How’s it been?” Rev asked, nodding at her belly. Udu was a big woman, and she didn’t look overly large compared to other pregnant women he’d seen. Besides, she’d been a Marine, so he knew she was tough.
She leaned forward and pulled Rev in. “It sucks, but not really so bad as I let on. I like having Cricket wait on me hand and foot. Especially foot. He’s got a tremendous foot massage technique. You should try him sometime.”
That did not sound like the Cricket Rev knew. He glanced over to where Cricket was at the bar. Maybe impending fatherhood changed people.
“Well, next time I’m pregnant, maybe I will.”
Udu laughed. “Some new augment they give for Home Guard duty?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me, that’s for sure.” He paused as the thought struck him, then asked, “Your augments. Have they made any, you know, difference in your pregnancy?”
She ran her hands over her belly. “They had to take out some of my spiderweb to let this little guy grow. And with the strengthening of all the joints, it’ll have to be a Cesarean.”
Rev frowned. He’d never considered how the augments might affect childbirth.
“Mala will have to go through the same thing when you two decide to have kids.”
Rev couldn’t hide the grimace. Whatever he and Malaika were, it wasn’t prospective parents. Even ignoring the fact that he had just over two years left in the Home Guard, he and Malaika were just . . . casually dating? They’d never really discussed it enough to have a handy label.
Udu laughed and pointed at him. “Oh, look at you, Rev. Your face just went white. You think that way now, but when the time is right, you’ll be ready to be a father. Look at my man.”
If Udu wanted to believe that his reaction was only related to being a father instead of being a father with Malaika, then he wasn’t going to disabuse her of that belief.
“Look at me what?” Cricket said, bringing her juice.
Udu reached up and took his arms, then brought them around her and put his hands on her belly. “Just telling him that you’re gonna be a great dad.”
Rev had always heard that pregnant women glowed, but at the moment, it was Cricket he could swear was glowing. His friend was happy, and what more could anyone ask?
* * *
Rev sat at the table, idly stirring his coffee. Rabbit’s was hardly a romantic spot to meet. It served decent enough food, but it was always bustling with activity.
He checked the time. Malaika was fifteen minutes late. But she’d warned him she was coming after work, and she was probably getting dressed up for the occasion.
Rev had been disappointed that somehow, for the last five days, she’d been too busy with work and family to see him. That didn’t bode well, but he was determined to make the best of it. He had a room reserved at the same transient camp where they’d spent the night way back when, and he’d arranged for a huge bouquet of peach-colored roses to be waiting there for them.
He lifted his arm and took a quick whiff of his armpit. It passed the sniff test. Despite his frustration in not seeing her, he was beginning to get excited. It had been almost a year since he’d spent any time with her, and that was a long time to remain celibate.
“You need a refill?” the waiter asked.
Rabbit’s might serve typical fabricated fare, but they switched to a live wait staff after the Centaur invasion. With so many facilities destroyed, unemployment had been rampant and was only now beginning to recover.
“She going to show up?” the waiter asked as he poured the coffee.
Rev shrugged. “She said she is. We haven’t seen each other for almost a year.”
“Really? Where’ve you been? Or is it her who’s been away?”
Rev wasn’t sure he wanted to get into it with a waiter, but he said, “I’ve been away to the Home System. I’m in the Home Guard.”
“No shit? The Home Guard?” the waiter said, his voice rising in excitement. He looked at Rev’s social arm and asked, “You get that in the war?”
Now he wished he’d just ignored the man.
“Yeah. Lost it in the war.”
“Hey, the owner here, he’s a big military fan. Whatever you and your lady order, it’ll be on the house.”
“It’s OK. I can pay.”
“Nothing doing. We know you Marines don’t get paid much. It’s our duty to support you.”
With his Home Guard pay, Rev was not strapped for cash. But he could tell he wasn’t going to win this, so he just thanked the server.
He settled back to wait for Malaika. His quantphone was heavy in his pocket, but he resisted the urge to call and ask where she was. He didn’t want to seem too eager.
Twenty-two minutes after she said she’d be there, Malaika arrived.
Well, I guess she didn’t go home to freshen up after all.
She was standing in the doorway, looking for him, still wearing her light blue GKS Company work shirt and tan trousers. She spotted him and started to make her way over.
Rev stood to greet her, and as they came in for a hug, he leaned forward to give her a kiss, catching her cheek as she turned her head at the last moment.
Accident in timing or on purpose?
“It’s good to finally see you, Mala.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“You look good.” That wasn’t just small talk. She did look good, and Rev felt a surge of the physical attraction he’d always felt for her.
“You, too. The home system must be treating you right.”
Rev shrugged. “It’s OK. Good to be home, though. And my mom says hello.”
“Oh, wow. How is she? I haven’t seen your family in like forever.”
“Doing well. The job’s the job, no surprise. I think she’s counting down the years until she can retire. She’s getting much better as a cook, though. She made osso buco last night that was amazing.”
Malaika showed the first spark of interest since she arrived. “She was plenty good already. I had a lot of meals there after you left.”
They were still standing, so Rev motioned for them to sit.
“I haven’t ordered anything. The waiter said they’ve got blackberry cobbler on special.”
“That sounds good.”
“Á la mode?”
Malaika laughed and said, “You know me too well.”
Which wasn’t true, especially after the last year, but he did know she liked her ice cream.
Rev motioned for the waiter and ordered two desserts. He had reservations later at Clancy’s, a higher-end restaurant along the River Walk. This was just a sweet appetizer.
“And the girls. How are they?” she asked.
Rev would rather not talk about the two of them, but she was probably curious. She’d seen them enough right after Rev had left.
“Neesy is really getting bigger. It was a shock for me to see her.” He lowered his voice. “She’s like, you know, wearing a full-size bra.”
Malaika tilted her head back and laughed. “You are such a boy!”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to whisper that your sister has a bra. It’s totally normal.”
“I didn’t whisper,” he started to say, his face turning red.
But she was right. He’d been a little uncomfortable when his mother told him that. It was just hard for him to accept that his little girl sister was starting to turn into a woman. She was a long way off from that, still, but seeing her after a year had thrown him for a loop. When he finished his tour with the Home Guard, she would be even further along the process. Heck, she would probably already be dating.
Malaika was right. Growing up was normal. But Rev still felt a little weird about it.
The waiter came up and poured a cup of coffee for Malaika and told them the cobbler was being heated.
Malaika took a sip. “Good coffee.”
And then there was a break in the conversation, and Rev sat there, staring at his coffee cup while Malaika seemed to take an interest in her spoon.
Why is this so hard?
They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so of course, there might be a little awkwardness, but he really didn’t know what to say. Malaika had always been the one who’d been flirty and joking, and without her leading in that direction, Rev was at a loss.
“How is work?” he finally said, anything to break the silence.
“Work? It’s fine. GKS is a good company. Nice benefits.”
Rev wasn’t exactly sure what she did there, and at the moment, he didn’t want to delve into it. Something was off, and he didn’t know if that was just a matter of a year going by. They shouldn’t be shy with each other.
But he wasn’t going to figure it out by sitting on his ass and not asking.
“Are you OK?”
Her mouth turned into the tiniest frown, but she said, “I’m fine.”
“You’re not . . . you seem pensive.”
“It’s not that. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Work, and . . .”
“And?”
She raised her head from the spoon and gave Rev a long, hard look.
That doesn’t look good.
“I . . .”
“What? Just say it.”
“I’ve been seeing someone else,” she said in a rush. She looked up at him, her eyebrows scrunched together in concern, and reached across the table to take his hand.
He realized he wasn’t surprised. It all fit. Rev looked at her hand for a moment but didn’t reach for it.
She pulled her hand back. “I didn’t mean to. It just happened, and you were gone so far away, and she was here.” Her voice got a little more strident. “And you said we weren’t serious. You said there were no strings, no attachment.”
Which was absolutely true. But Malaika hadn’t seemed to accept that, at least at first. And because of that, Rev had slowly fallen into the relationship as a fait accompli.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Rev asked, surprised that his voice was so calm.
“I . . . I wanted to see you again, first, to see if there was still that spark. I know that wasn’t fair to you, but I was hoping, you know . . .”
“And there isn’t that spark?”
She looked anguished, and she started wringing her hands.
This wasn’t the Malaika Rev wanted to see. He’d been attracted to her strength, not this. He needed to do something.
“That’s OK, Mala. If it isn’t there, it isn’t there. And I’m gone. I’m not here now, and you need someone who is, not a long-distance relationship.”
“Really?” she asked, looking hopefully at him. “You’re not mad?”
“Mala, you’re right. I said no strings attached. And what we had, it was special to me. I hope it was for you.”
Oh, my gosh. I’m laying it on pretty thick here.
But he wasn’t actually lying. He liked Malaika. A lot. He just wasn’t in love with her and didn’t see anything long-term. But he’d enjoyed his time with her. What he didn’t want was for her to feel bad about their relationship or ending it. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t considered ending it himself.
And now, she was making it easy for him. He wasn’t going to be the bad guy. But a little part of his mind wondered why, and then, who was she seeing.
Leave it alone, Reverent. It doesn’t matter. You’re out of it.
But it was nagging at his mind, clamping on like a terrier on a rat.
Don’t, Rev. Just keep it nice and clean.
But he didn’t always obey his own mind. Make that he often didn’t.
“Is it . . . is it anyone I know?” he asked, kicking himself as soon as the words left his mouth.
Her face twisted in a grimace, and she dropped her eyes to look down at her lap.
Why such a reaction? he wondered, suddenly feeling a little apprehensive.
“I . . . I don’t know if I can tell you.” Her voice dripped with anguish.
Now Rev was more than curious. He was apprehensive that something could make her react like this.
“Mala, really, it doesn’t matter. And I’ll find out eventually. Heck, I bet Ten knows who—”
He stopped dead in his tracks.
No! It can’t be.
“Mala, look at me.”
As if fighting the weight of the world, Mala looked up, tears in her eyes.
Fuck.
Rev felt . . . betrayed? Ten? But as he thought about it, all the signs were there. Bob had been right about that, just not with whom. He knew they had gotten close after he left. Malaika was always over to see Ten, helping her with her therapy. And Ten had gotten Malaika into volleyball. Then there was his last few, sometimes a little awkward, conversations with Ten, and then her not coming to the party. He’d attributed it to her regen when it was now obvious why she hadn’t come.
He felt a flash of anger, but there was no sustaining it. It was a quick flame that disappeared just as quickly.
Nothing’s changed. Don’t make a scene.
But it was hard. Not so much about Malaika, but about Ten. He and she were posse, and for her to jody him, that just wasn’t right.
“Do the others know?” he asked.
Yancey, Cricket, Udu, Orpheus, and Fyr had treated him normally. Were they part of this?
“No. No one knows. You’re the first.”
Rev let out a deep breath. That was a relief, he had to admit.
Tears were rolling down Malaika’s cheek. She had to feel miserable about this, and Rev knew that Ten must feel the same way.
And when you get down to it, how can anyone control their heart?
Rev felt a swell of compassion sweep away the empty anger. He cared for both of these women. He loved both of these women. And if they could find happiness with each other, then who was he to stand in their way, especially as nothing was being stolen from him? He wanted to be free, and now he was.
He knew what he had to say. Still, he had to suppress that tiny part of him that wanted to lash out. But he wasn’t going to be “that guy.” He wasn’t going to let petty jealousy over nothing, when he was getting what he wanted in the end, get in the way.
Rev reached across the table, and she tentatively took his hands. “Does she know you’re here tonight?”
“No. I didn’t tell her,” she said quietly with even more guilt, if that was possible, washed over her face.
“No reason to. Why don’t you go on home and see her tonight?”
“You’re sure that’s OK? I mean, you and I can still spend a little time catching up.”
Rev was already thinking of Yancey’s invitation to play Knock On with Orpheus and some of their friends. He’d turned them down to meet with Malaika, but there was still time to join them before the first hand.
“I think it’s probably for the best, Mala.”
She hesitated, and Rev watched a myriad of emotions flash across her face. “Well, if you’re OK with it.”
“I am. And I can say this. Ten’s a lucky girl to have you.”
Relief took over the warring emotions. “Thank you, Rev. I was so worried how you’d take this.”
“Hey, we’re friends, right?”
He stood, and she followed. This time, the hug was more heartfelt.
“Well, I guess . . . this is it, right? But you’re serious that we’re still friends?”
“Of course. And when you do decide to tell Ten that I know, make sure you tell her that I’m OK with this, and I wish you two the best.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then with one last squeeze, she turned and walked out of the place.
Rev watched her until she was out the door. His overwhelming emotion at the moment was relief. Yes, there was a little bit of pique in that she’d found something lacking in him, and then that it was Ten, of all people, but that was inconsequential. He’d known he was spinning his wheels with the relationship, killing time. And now he didn’t have to worry about making calls back. Suddenly, he thought back to Barclay, and smiling as he thought about it, he wished she had told him before that liberty port.
The stories some of the troopers had about their escapades . . .
The waiter approached, holding a tray with the two cobblers. “Things didn’t go so well?”
“No, they went just fine.”
“If you say so, sir.” He didn’t look like he believed Rev as he glanced down at the tray. “Do you want me to take these back to the kitchen?”
Rev looked at the two dishes. The ice cream was starting to melt over the deep purple cobbler. “You said it was good, right?”
“My favorite dessert we make.”
Rev sat back in his seat. “Well, that’s good enough for me.”
The waiter smiled and put one of the cobblers in front of him. As he started to leave, Rev grabbed his arm.
“Sir?”
“I ordered both of them.”
“Both? Now that’s what I like to hear.” He placed the second one down by the first. “Enjoy, sir.”
Rev sent Yancey a message saying he’d be joining them after all, then picked up the spoon and dug into the cobbler, making sure to get a chunk of ice cream with it.
The waiter hadn’t been lying. It was heaven, the warm, slightly tart berries dueling with the cold, sweet vanilla ice cream.
Tonight was going to turn out much better than he’d thought it would.
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