Having one’s physician as an immediate neighbour was a perk llhaesa thoroughly enjoyed. While Elsrensia’s field of expertise was endocrinology, she had the training and skill to serve as obstetrician for llhaesa as well.
Given Elsrensia handled IVF for llhaesa, given hers was medical training a century ahead of that on this world, given she was one of the best on Arrhazon, and given Elsrensia moved rapidly toward being family, seeking alternate care seemed foolish and unnecessary.
Not only did llhaesa have the advantage of physician as neighbour, this one made house calls. Elsrensia promised to visit at 10 am, and at 10 am, she was at their kitchen door, having walked the short distance through the patch of trees separating their property, with Ronnie as companion.
The inexorably intertwined nature of their families rendered no need for using doorbells or knocking upon doors; all had key access to either home. Ronnie and Elsrensia walked in, finding llhaesa sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping tea.
“Good morning, llhaesa. How is my favourite pregnant patient?” Elsrensia greeted her friend, now patient.
“Aside from my cartwheeling insides, Elsrensia, I am well!”
“Llhaesa, my sympathy goes out to you – until I stop and recall my pregnancies!” Ronnie quipped. “I seem to recall my husband being marginally sympathetic.”
“Ouch. That was rather aberrant conduct, I agree! What a jerk! Thank goodness you dumped that guy for a good woman.”
“Why, thank you, llhaesa!” Elsrensia tossed in, adding nothing else, as she did not wish to jump into the banter between Ronnie and llhaesa.
The exchange successfully short-circuited, Ronnie inquired after Jahrae.
“She is upstairs, and will be down momentarily,” llhaesa advised. Elsrensia, I assume this is your wave and scan evaluation?”
“Essentially, yes llhaesa; though I will send a wireless signal to your Athenaeum interface, with detailed information and imagery of the foetus.”
“Ooh, Jahrae will wish to see that imagery!”
“See what imagery?” Jahrae asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Elsrensia is about to do the weekly check up on me and the foetus’ health, and she will send information to the Athenaeum interface,” llhaesa explained.
“Imagery of llhaesa’s insides, eh? Now this I have to see!” Jahrae teased.
“So long as Elsrensia avoids imaging my brain, all is well, Jahrae.” Llhaesa asked if anyone desired tea, and when each responded affirmatively, she rose from her seat and saw to producing three steaming cups of hot water, along with an assortment of teas from which they might choose.
“Elsrensia, can we image llhaesa from the outside – after she removes her clothing? I need some inspiration today.” Jahrae playfully inquired, attempting to provoke llhaesa into a lively exchange.
“If that is your wish, my goddess T’srha, perhaps you should remove your clothing, and Elsrensia can image both of us.”
“Very well, drop that clothing!” Elsrensia played along.
Llhaesa, amused by their advocacy, pulled off her shirt, and dropped her jeans. “How is this?”
“Lose the underwear, llhaesa!” Ronnie encouraged, mostly in humour, yet not at all ambivalent over the prospect of witnessing a well-endowed and naked llhaesa.
Saehressa walked into the home just then, straight into the sight of her daughter standing in nothing but underwear. Looking on in silence, her eyes scanned llhaesa from head to toe. “Well, my child, are you feeling rather warm on this cool, late fall day? Perhaps the doctor will prescribe something to becalm your raging hormones, such that you can remain clothed for the duration of a day!”
Everyone laughed, and the semi-clad llhaesa made her way over to proffer a kiss on her mum’s cheek. “What brings you here today – surely not my semi-nakedness?”
“Actually, I dropped by because of a rumour I heard not an hour ago.”
“Oh? What is this scalding hot rumour, mum?”
“That you asked Jahrae to remarry you.”
As llhaesa asked her mum how she learned of this, to which Jahrae readily admitted culpability, Elsrensia and Ronnie drew immediate looks of surprise upon their faces, looked toward each other, looked toward llhaesa next, and then finally to Jahrae, their surprise quickly giving way to a rapidly rising elation, but first they wished confirmation. “Llhaesa?” Ronnie called out, looking to llhaesa for affirmation.
Jahrae actually fielded the question, explaining, “It is true, Ronnie. Whilst llhaesa and I were married over sixteen years ago, given that the divorce was final, given that we married on another world, we thought it would be nice to reprise our vows here.”
“Will you marry here under the civil union law, or will you go to Massachusetts?” Ronnie inquired, trying to suss out their plans.
“Now there is a difficult question. We have thought about Montreal or Quebec City, both cities are beautiful, Canada is a great and lovely country, and we would love to spend time there.
The problem is this will not be the sneak-away wedding of sixteen years ago, and I would guess my mum would concur.”
“You are prescient and astute my lovely daughter. You got away with it then, deprived your family of a wedding, and even now, Hrilleae and Djellrin would not be present, and so I will make a request of you that you reprise this action when we return to Arrhazon.”
“That will make three times we marry!” llhaesa meekly and amusedly protested.
“Am I not worth marrying three times, my love?” Jahrae teased.
“Well, you are, but…”
“And are not the Arrhazonan people entitled to witness this event?” Saehressa piled on.
This element bothered llhaesa, and she gave voice to her thoughts. “The Arrhazonan people, mother? Are you planning to invite ten billion to this third instalment of a wedding?” llhaesa feigned fainting as she finished her question. “And if so, how many can we expect for the more immediate round two?”
Saehressa uncharacteristically and seriously pressed her point. Normally one to remain in the background, and who implicitly trusted the judgement of both llhaesa and Jahrae, this time she intended to make her opinion known – and push for her point of view. “Llhaesa and Jahrae, you are public figures on two worlds. More than public figures, actually. On one world, the entirety of the population considers you its foremost citizens and unofficial leaders. On the other – this one – well, people watch intently, and something inside each sees in both of you the hope and optimism of the future.
It is not appropriate for you to shy away from the responsibilities you created by your actions in life, be those actions private or public, intended or unintended. And really, Jahrae, you are Ambassador to this world, to the entirety of its people; llhaesa, you are a musician at the pinnacle of your profession, considered the best ever on Arrhazon, and before you are done, likely will be viewed in the same way here.
The people of Arrhazon – all of us, including me and Jahrae and Elsrensia, thought you dead. Now you are miraculously with us, and the people would treasure the opportunity to see you and Jahrae reaffirm your vows.
As if these things are not enough, my dear llhaesa, you are an activist, one who called a world to revolution. The people listened, and when you were gone, Jahrae ably steered the course of events and saw it through to a successful conclusion.
You are planning to be an activist on this world as well, and given these things, you have an obligation not to shield yourselves from the public on such a lovely occasion. Let them see this event!”
“How do you really feel about this, mother?” Jahrae quipped. “Actually, mum, I see your point, I really do. And llhaesa will respect and accede to your wishes – right, ‘essa?”
Llhaesa bit her lip, for she strongly disagreed in some ways with her mum; actually, she disagreed only in terms of privacy, no matter the efficacy of the remainder of Saehressa’s argument. Llhaesa felt she and Jahrae were entitled to privacy, but her mum’s opinion carried great weight; Saehressa rarely ever spoke so forcefully, and given this, the matter was obviously of great importance to her. Llhaesa would respectfully honour Saehressa’s wishes.
“Very well, Jahrae and mum, we will do as you desire, but please know I am not enamoured by the prospect of the quite serious and sacrosanct affirmation of our love becoming a public spectacle.”
“Llhaesa!” Saehressa called out, her voice somewhat louder and quite emphatic, speaking to llhaesa in a manner llhaesa rarely ever experienced as a child. “I know you will do as I wish, but that isn’t enough here. You need to pull the attitude, you need to understand my words, why this is important for you to do, and not act as someone dragged kicking and screaming, as if a petulant child, to your own wedding!
It will not harm you to exchange vows publicly, in fact, it will help people to see each of you as a human being, who stand strong and are willing to step forth to lead by example. A pouting bride would prove the subject for subsequent discussion and a distraction from the positive elements you bring to this world, while a beautiful exchange with Jahrae will rally yet more to your vision of the future, leaving people with a feeling of goodwill.
In thirty nine years of parenting, I can honestly say I have never been disappointed in your choices – well, excepting that dumb graffiti incident at N’rellia – and I trust you will not disappoint me now.”
“You knew about the graffiti incident?” llhaesa was shocked.
“Yes. M’sela rang me after she learned of it, and we decided her reprimand and requirements of you were sufficient. I never told your father.”
“Goddess of Arrhazon! You never said a word to me on this matter!”
“Well, I suppose part of me expected you to tell me, but you chose not to. And since you were a responsible child and remained such into your first years of adulthood, there was no need for me to mention the incident. I did worry some about your intoxication, but that proved a needless worry.”
Llhaesa laughed, thinking back to how she and M’traliel painted road signs with equality symbols – while quite inebriated. They quickly realised the action was stupid, and decided to expend their efforts toward equality in more productive ways. “I am sorry for having done that, mum. Had I known you knew, I would have apologised a long time ago.”
“I know that, ‘essa. And I trust the lessons of that time translate well into the choice you make now.”
“In other words, do not disappoint my mother?” llhaesa queried.
“If that helps you process this, by all means, ‘essa!”
“Then perhaps we need to move on with the spectacle of my examination by Elsrensia, that way, the lot of us can see Ahrella T’srha!”
“Nice deflection and segue, my love, nice deflection and segue!” Jahrae tossed out, her expression betraying the continuing playfulness she felt within. Still, her words signalled the closing out the great marriage debate.
