Alien Bride

I gulp. I want them so bad, but this has to wait. There’s something else I really need to do beforehand.

“Not yet,” I say. “There’s someone I need to see.”

I follow the old path to my house, bracing in front of the door. Sweat forms around my forehead as I take hold of my key.

I just helped defeat an evil warlord emperor. Yet, for some reason, this is still the hardest thing in the world to do.

“You got this,” Lök says.

“I’m so scared,” I admit.

“I’ve never met someone so strong and resilient,” he replies. “Just tell her how you feel, and everything will work out.”

I nod and slide the key into the lock, turning. Stepping inside, all of the old senses come back to me. The smell of my house, the sight of the living room holograph, and the sound of my mother’s cough brings me back to a different time and place.

Things have really changed for me, but on Earth, everything seems the same.

“Mom?” I ask, tears spilling down my face.

“I’m over here,” she says, squinting and wading carefully through the hallway.

She walks right by me, holding a bucket of ice cream, landing her butt onto the couch with a loud “oomph.”

Is this really happening? Am I truly face to face with my mother again?

My mom smiles as the hologram on her lap plays the news of the day. “Nice to have you back,” she says.

I take another step forward, mouth agape. The aliens stand near, still invisible with the sentinel’s cloaking systems.

“It’s okay,” Rekker whispers.

“What’s that?” my mom asks.

I clear my throat. “What have you been up to since I’ve been gone?” I ask.

She stares at me dumbly and smiles. “Oh, you know me. I’ve been lounging around. They’ve had the same movie playing all week. You’d probably like it - it’s one of those UFO things. Too gory, if you ask me.”

“Agreed,” I say. “Let’s change the channel.”

As I reach for the remote, my phone vibrates on the dining room table. I pause and glance at it.

My mom nods her chin in its direction. “Answer it. It’s been driving me nuts,” she says.

Slowly, I make my way toward the table. I reach down, but hesitate to take the phone in my hand. The screen shows Ryan’s dumb face. Whenever he used to call, my heart would fill with dread. But now it doesn’t feel so bad.

I press the green button, hold the phone to my ear. “Cynthia? Don’t hang up. I need to talk to Emma. This is big. No, this is massive. This could make or break your daughter’s career. Do you understand?”

Ryan hasn’t changed a bit.

“Rya

n,” I answer. “Um, it’s me. Emma.”

He breathes a loud sigh of relief. “Jesus, Emma! Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for four fucking days now.”

“The Avalon report. I get it,” I say, narrowing my eyes.

He lets out an exhausted laugh. “The Avalon report is way past due. Haven’t you been watching the news?”