Eavesdropping

For the next few minutes you and Elsie explore her quarters and discover that there wasn’t much to find. The panel on the wall simply controlled the lights and climate, or so Elsie told you as you had not been fitted with a translator as she had. You open and extend everything built into the walls only to find a few basic storage areas and pull out surfaces. With this room what you saw is what you got. Here you were flying through between the stars in an actual spaceship yet the dorm rooms back at your college had more going on than this space. The ship did have all of the comforts and entertainments of home but none of those things were in the sleeping quarters themselves. This was going to be a LONG trip!

“I’ll find some stuff to bring in here for you.” Elsie promises you. “They got these sorta see through tablets. I’ll get Kazia to sync me up with one.”

“Thanks El. I’d appreciate that.” Taking her hand you give it a squeeze. “At least I’ve got you.”

She blushes and smiles a bashful smile. Just then a little chime rings from the panel. You couldn’t be sure, but to you it sounded very doorbell like.

“Hold on!” Calls El as you look around for a place to hide. The only spot you find was the one in which you came in. Hopping back into the crate you tuck up and pull it shut. Once she was sure you were hidden Elsie answers the door. “Yes?” The moment the door slides open you hear the soft sobs of your mothers. “Mom! What’s wrong?”

“We made a terrible mistake Elsie. I made a terrible mistake. What have I done?”

“Oh Mom, it’s okay.”

“Can…can I come in?”

“Umm…”

“I just need to hold someone.” Mom weeps. “Please?”

“Okay.” El says in a soft, soothing voice.

“Thank youuu.”

The door slides shut. A few seconds later you hear the rustle of them sitting down on Elsie’s bed, just a few feet in front of your crate. Damn it, what was El doing? Your question is answered in the pained tears of your mother. El could never turn away anybody hurting so bad.

“It’s okay Mom. He’s going to be okay.”

“He won’t answer his phone. He’s got it off or something.” Mom whispers. “He hates me. He hates me for l-leaving him.”

“Nooo. No, you know that’s not true.”

That’s weird. You’d had your phone on you the entire time. You never received any…. Wait a second. Yeah, your phone might be right in your hip pocket but the nearest tower was a million miles away! Idiot!

“Maybe he got in an accident.” Mom says. “Maybe he’s…at the side of the road…bleeding…alone!”

“No. Come on now Mom. Jesse’s a good driver.” Elsie says. “He’s off finding himself, remember? Give him some space.”

“But…but….a boy needs his Mama.”

“He needs room to soar on his own. He’s a man now, Mom.”

“Well…a man needs his Mama too.” Her voice shudders. “Or at least….his Mama sure needs him.”

“Ohhhh Mom.”

“Shhhh. Shhhh.” There’s the sound of a kiss. “Let me hold you. Just…let me…hold you. I love you Elsie.”

“I love you Mama.”

There’s a tear in your eye as you lay there and listen.

After a few minutes of soft weeping you mother sniffles. “It could have been so different.”

“What could have been different?”

“Just…everything. I didn’t know El. I didn’t know our race didn’t have family taboos. I didn’t know that our urges were healthy and normal. I didn’t know…what my babies needed.” She says. “Jesse especially. I wanted so bad for him to have a good life. A normal life. I wanted him to a man that John would be proud of.”

“Daddy would be proud. His son is a prince!”

“Which makes John a king.” She sighs. “He was my king.”

Just then the door chime goes off again. Geez! Was the whole ship coming to pay a visit?

“Yes?”

The door slides open. “Hey El.” Says Fiona. “Want me to take that crate down to storage?”

“Not yet, thank you.”

“What’s going on in here?” The door slides shut. Fiona must have stepped in. “Talkin about Jesse?”

“Yeah.” Elsie says. “And Daddy.”

The crate suddenly creaks. Your big sister was sitting right above you!

“I’m thinking about them too.” She lets out a laugh, though there was no humor in it. “What I wouldn’t give for Papa to see me fight.”

“Are you kidding?” Your mother sob-laughs. “It would have been ****! His precious little pumpkin in danger? He would have…oh my goodness, I don’t even know what he would have done.”

“Papa woulda kicked some fuckin ass. And it woulda been glorious. Me at his side, he’d fuckin own the place. The universe ain’t never seen a man like him before.” Fiona says, her voice glowing with a daughter’s unshakable pride. “Here we are heading to the other side of the galaxy and all we can think about are the men we left behind. What a state. We’re pathetic.”

“I wanna go back.” Mom says. “Let’s turn around.”

“Be strong Ma. He’ll be okay for a couple months. As soon as I’m strong enough to protect him and as soon as our clan is prepared to host a prince I’m heading straight back to Earth to get him. You can count on that.” Fiona says. “That wuss needs us. God only knows what trouble he’ll get into without us.”

“And we need him.” Elsie says.

“Yeah.” Fiona says, her voice low. “Yeah, we need him. I love that little idiot.” She sighs. “Hey, you guys got room for another in there?”

“YES!” Your mother cries. “Come here Fiona!”

The crate creaks again as weight comes off of it and there’s another rustle as all three were now in a big embrace. There are kisses and coos and whispered ‘I love you’s. Your family were just a few feet away yet you were feeling awfully alone all of a sudden. How you wished you could have joined them.