Hours after returning to Equality, the entirety of the family gathered for dinner in the Dining Hall.

Once on board, Jahrae saw to the Salston’s need for living space, and with this done, she set out for the Dining Hall, requesting reservations for a party of fourteen. This number included Elsrensia, for the connection between Ronnie and Elsrensia was no longer just speculation, it was fact.

Jahrae also requested seating near the broad expanse of massive portals that formed the outside wall of the ship, captivating ambiance for the gathered family.

Reservations were for eight pm, allowing plenty of time for people to settle in, perhaps nap, shower, and dress for dinner.

Jahrae had a surprise for the evening that she would share with the group, an idea unintentionally gleaned from Jamila during a commercial break.

After the programme, she and Jamila mysteriously scooted off, promising only to return shortly, and they did, a full forty minutes later, offering no explanation as to where and why they had gone.

With arrangements for dinner made, Jahrae returned to their suite, finding herself pounced upon by a very much in the mood llhaesa. With four hours until the reservation, there was more than enough time for play and time to ready for dinner.

Jahrae softly giggled at and frolicked in llhaesa’s sexual aggressiveness, treasuring every second of the resulting intimacy. They settled in anticipation into their bed, silken burgundy covers drawn to cover their bodies in case of the unexpected incursion of visiting children, not wishing a reprise of Serry’s night time intrusion several weeks before.

They made love driven by the full force of their passion, though Jahrae muted her calling-out, knowing if her voice reached above a certain level it would be audible outside of their immediate environs, and questions from their children would prove the equal of their entering the room at an inopportune time.

Knowing they ran against the clock, they kept their bed play under an hour, the satisfying ending flowing into sleep in the arms of one another.

Jahrae woke with a start at eight pm, immediately recalling the time of their reservation. She scrambled out of bed, the sheets pulling off llhaesa as they caught on Jahrae’s feet, such was her frantic effort to reach the bath and expeditiously shower.

Llhaesa woke from the sudden removal of the warmth of both Jahrae and the bedding, and immediately fell into laughter as her partner tried to shake herself loose from the entangled sheets.

Deciding it was pointless to move until Jahrae vacated the shower, llhaesa lingered in bed for ten minutes, pulling the bedding back over her, and awaiting her turn to shower. When Jahrae walked out of the bath wrapped in towels – one for hair, one for body – llhaesa, bereft of any clothing, scooted into the bath and on into the shower, attempting a new personal best in shower time.

Dinner was not a formal affair, but both dressed a bit above their usual clothing for comfort. Jahrae chose black and white as a colour theme, knowing llhaesa loved her in that colour combination. Her choices consisted of black dress slacks and a white mock turtleneck tunic, with an Arrhazonan sapphire goddess of fertility draped on a gold chain around her neck.

Llhaesa, knowing much of her clothing was on borrowed time as her pregnancy progressed, chose to wear her favourite dress blue jeans with a white button down oxford top, leaving the top button of the shirt open. Llhaesa then improvised to suit her mood, finding a red scarf that she wore in necktie fashion around her neck, but with the tie inside the opened collar shirt, rather than under the fold of the collar. The tie fell perfectly, ending just a few centimetres below belt level on her jeans.

A half-hour late, the couple made their way out of their suite just before eight thirty and headed for the dining hall, where they found the rest of the family already in waiting. Both apologised profusely for their unintended tardiness.

The children were given a choice to sit interspersed within the adults at the table, or to gather collectively in their own sub-pod of dining. Led by Addison, they went with the latter choice, claiming the far right side of the table as their dining turf.

Llhaesa found herself seated at the head of the left hand side, though not by choice. She sensed this was not accidental for whatever reason, and redirected her thoughts toward conversation already underway.

Jahrae sat to llhaesa’s immediate left, back toward the portal and the spectacular view of the blue, white, brown, and green earth below.

Vicki sat directly across from Jahrae and to the right of llhaesa, while David sat alongside his wife.

Dottie sat toward the right side of the table with Hrilleae, Saehressa, and Anita, the grandmothers working their mutual magic in welcoming and initiating another into their familial sorority.

Two servers worked the party competently and professionally, taking orders for refreshments and appetisers, while standing back attentively, giving the party space to enjoy each other’s company without interference, yet being within distance such that they might promptly see to the needs of any guest.

Llhaesa listened, seeing where the conversation was in the moment, allowing her time to understand the topic at hand before she attempted to join in. With pregnancy, alcohol was no longer an option as refreshment, and so she settled for her favourite non-alcoholic refreshment, carbonated water with a couple of twists of lime.

Due to their current locale in space, the crew, curious and adventurous in ways that included their dining, made a few trips to bring earth fruits and vegetables aboard ship. The chefs seized this opportunity to create new dishes, though a few were tried and true Earth recipes.

Llhaesa, drawing on fourteen years of Earth living, ordered mushrooms stuffed with bread crumbs, cheese, and jalapeños as an appetiser, curious to see if Jahrae loved them as much as she.

Llhaesa noticed a marked change in David’s attitude. Instead of sombre, David was actively chatting, laughing, and cracking jokes, at one point even winking at llhaesa, something he never would have done with Tim.

“How are you tonight, sis?” David called out; startling llhaesa, given this was the first use of the term ‘sis’ ever.

“I am well, thank you for asking. So far, morning sickness has spared me, though I fear my appetite is rapidly gaining sway over me. These jeans will not fit much longer!”

“Llhaesa, you have a long way to go before those do not fit you, and you are in incredible shape to begin with!” Vicki tossed in. “That said, I understand on appetite, everything sounded delicious when I was preggers with the twins.

Before we get lost in conversation, thank you for having us aboard, and for welcoming us into the family, this means much to David and me.”

“I second what Vicki said,” David began, fully accepting and welcoming the change of circumstances. “When you wrestled me, llhaesa, something deep inside told me you were all about the truth that you really desired us to be family, that you had some inner drive to play big sister to me as little brother.

When you squared off to wrestle, it was at once amusing and fun, real sibling interaction on one hand, and on the other, a fervent wish to reconnect. Thank you.

As Tim, you were hard to connect with, distant, private, living in your own world. Now, you are effervescent and outgoing, a leader, both in our family and in life.

I do not know if I can be of help to you with the foundations that will form, but I surely wish to try.”

Llhaesa’s eyes flashed with pride, looking deep into David’s eyes in a way that Tim never would. She saw trust, she saw hope, she saw love. This… was family.

“The only regret I have, Tim, is that you never met my dad. You would have liked him, I think.”

Dinner proved everything llhaesa, Jahrae, and Ronnie wished it to be, cementing the ties of family, building for the future.

Jahrae held her surprise for after dinner.  Although she sat near llhaesa, she stood, calling the attention of the group. “There is an Arrkarharan – Earth – custom of which I became aware earlier today while on Jamila’s programme, and Jamila was gracious in offering to assist me, given I know not the city of Chicago!

While llhaesa and I are already married, given that our family – is of two worlds, it seems appropriate to incorporate customs of both worlds into our formal relationship.

Llhaesa, I know you know you are my moon, you are my stars, you are my inspiration in life. As an affirmation of our love, this is for you.” Jahrae held a tiny but elegant case, which she slowly opened for llhaesa and all to see. Inside was a breathtakingly beautiful blue diamond stone in an simple but magnificently worked gold setting, the colour emphasised by smaller sapphires to either side. The stones were proportional to the setting, tasteful and not garish. The ring spoke of honouring love and a partner, not one that would make it the focal point of a gathering, merely a beautiful accompaniment representing love, not materialistic predomination of thought.

Llhaesa, her emotions already on standby alert due to the wash of hormones within, fell into both smile and tears simultaneously, overwhelmed by Jahrae’s beautiful gesture born of learning of a custom and wishing it to represent her love. “Jahrae, it is magnificent, and I shall treasure this always!” Llhaesa joined Jahrae in standing, the lovers embracing and sharing a passionate, but tasteful kiss.

Lying in bed hours later, double pillows fluffed and propped up behind each of the now happily exhausted lovers, conversation was mellow, speculating and pondering their future, as well as reliving the surprise ring sharing during dinner. They lay close and tight after a heavy and passionate round of lovemaking, reluctant to fall into sleep and disconnect from their mutual wish to let the whole of their senses drink in everything about the other. “After 8 years, another baby in the home, that will be some re-adjustment!”

“Perhaps for you my dear, but for me, this child shall be a first, requiring a total adjustment.”

“And yet you wish for your turn at pregnancy as well, or so you have told me five nights in a row!”

“I do, parenting is the fulfilment of a life’s goal and dream. Growing up in a society that encouraged women to eschew careers in favour or domestic life, I was fortunate to have parents who saw a different future for me.”

“One that you enthusiastically embraced, not to mention you took serious risk to work for change leading up to the revolution.”

“That I did, but it was worth the effort. After all, I was there to assist Jahrae, and if nothing else, that was a vital strategic accomplishment, not to mention a mandatory personal requirement. Had I failed to assist, I would never have forgiven myself.”

Ronnie snuggled just a little closer to Elsrensia, and reached over with her right arm in a pseudo-hug.

“Thank goodness you were there, Elsrensia, thank goodness you were there. And thank goodness you are here!”