“I don’t have any BS,” I protest.
Father bursts out laughing. “You have enough BS to fertilize all of Earth.”
“Geez, thanks, Father.”
He shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “I… I’m proud of you, son. Don’t fuck it up.”
Now I’m the one to laugh. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“If I didn’t think you could handle it, I wouldn’t have told Madelaine Downing that I thought you were the one for the position,” Father states firmly. “You know that. I don’t play favorites. You earned this.”
“I… I’m sorry if I ever disappointed you,” I mumble.
“You’re a headstrong man. You two were bound to clash at times,” Mom says.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t love you,” Father grunts. “Even if there are times when you’re a terrible son.”
“You aren’t always the best father,” I dare to say.
Father doesn’t move. Mom looks up at him, and I hold my breath.
“I know I am not perfect,” Father eventually says. “Now, hurry up and tell us about Isabella before Madelaine comes back, or your mom will never let me hear the end of it.”
I grin. “Do you think you’ll ever come to Earth?”
Mom squeals.
Father just gapes at me.
I shrug, grinning widely.
“Why are you so excited?” Father grumbles to Mom.
“Don’t you understand what he means?”
“Yes. He wants to marry her,” Father gripes. “Why can’t he marry her here?”
“If he’s to be the representative of Kuria on Earth, shouldn’t he stay on Earth?” Mom points out.
“You sure she’s the one?” Father asks.
“She is,” I assure him.
“Have you asked her yet?”
“No.”
“Are you certain she’ll say yes?”
“I believe so.”
“Oh, she really is headstrong then.” Mom claps. “I think I like her already.”
I just shake my head. Isabella and I have a lot to talk about, but after this conversation, I’m up for anything. I feel weightless, like I’m flying instead of falling, and nothing can get me down.
20
Isabella
After the events with Nina and then capturing Frankie and the rest of his goons has me wiped out. I’m brought to some government building, or maybe it’s military, I don’t know. I’m out of it. A soldier brings me to a room, and all I see is the bed. I pass out, and when I wake, I’m starving. I go to the door and half-expect it to be locked. The knob turns, and there’s a guard leaning against the door across from mine.
He straightens and nods to me. “Isabella, are you hungry?”
“Yes,” I say suspiciously. “Were you waiting for me?”
“Just following orders,” he says cheerfully. “I heard all about the mission. You did a wonderful job, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“It wasn’t just me.”
“I realize that, Isabella, but you patched up Karen.”
“Oh, she was just grazed.”
"That's what we all thought, but then she started to bleed through her bandage. The bullet weakened her artery enough that it started to leak. The surgeon said that if you hadn't patched her, she might not have made it, that she would have bled out. I know Karen. She would've brushed it off and not sought out medical care, and thank you. Thank you for saving my Karen."
“Oh. Wow. Um, you’re welcome, but I didn’t really do anything all that important.”
“It is to me and Karen.”
“I’m glad she’s all right then. Um, she is all right?”
“Out of surgery. They had to do a graft and—”
He keeps on talking as he brings me to a cafeteria. “You can eat whatever you want,” he says. “The food’s great, actually.” He points to the back corner. “There’s someone there you might want to talk to.”
Confused, I thank the soldier, who never told me his name. I head to the front, to where other soldiers are picking up orders for food.
A portly man with a goofy grin and a hair net eyes me. “What can I get you, Isabella?” he asks.
“How does everyone know my name?” I ask.
“You’re the only female here who isn’t in uniform.”
I glance down at the jeans and t-shirt I changed into. The clothes had been waiting in the room I had been brought to. I forgot I changed before falling asleep.
“I guess I am.” I laugh.
“What are you in the mood for?” He rattles off five or six options, and I pick the lasagna.
I carry my tray over to the corner the soldier who acted as a tour guide pointed out. A part of me wondered if Nina would be there, but she wouldn’t be in uniform.
No, sitting there is Strol.
My alien daredevil.
He grins at me and starts to stand as I approach.
“Sit,” I tell him. “Did you eat already?”
“Yes. Just waiting on Sleeping Beauty.”
I put my tray down and touch my head as I sit. “Oh, I doubt I look like a beauty right now.”
“You do.”
I laugh and inhale my food, not overly concerned about my manners.
“I was famished too,” he says with a laugh before turning serious. “We need to talk.”
“Yes.” I push my tray to the side. “Strol—”
A throat clears, and I glance over to see the tour guide.
“I hate to interrupt,” he says apologetically. “It’s the general. She’s asking to see you.”
“Me?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Just Isabella?”
“Yes.”
“You can come with if you want,” I tell Strol.
He shakes his head. "I'll be sitting right here when the meeting's done. I didn't have the lasagna. That looked delicious."
“It’s so good,” I tell him with a grin. “Hopefully, I’ll be back soon.”
“We can talk then,” he promises.
Once we enter a hallway, I clear my throat. “You know my name, but you never told me yours.”
“Sorry about that, Isabella. I’m Jasper.”
“Nice to meet you, Jasper.”
He leads me through a maze to a room, knocks on the door, opens it, and nods for me to go inside. Jasper shuts it, not coming in with me.
Two women sit at a large, oval table. General Janius Jackson and one I’ve seen on TV before but never in person, Madelaine Downing.
The leader of the entire planet of Earth.
My mouth grows
