She giggled. “We’ll see about that. I’ve been thinking about taking a passenger liner to visit you on Canaan.”
“Well…” He bit his lip. “I know we don’t have the money.”
“Some of the passenger transport companies are offering discounts to families of service members,” Michelle replied. She furrowed her brow. “You don’t want me to visit?”
Justin opened his mouth and sucked in a breath. “Of course I do. I just… Well, I worry about one of those transports getting jumped by the Leaguers.” He frowned. “Sorry, I’m still having some bad nightmares.”
“Oh, baby.” She touched the camera. “I wish I could comfort you somehow.”
“Hey, knowing you and Maggie are safe is all the comfort I need.” Justin took great pains never to show his wife how hard the war was. When he spoke with her, if at all possible, everything was peachy.
“You forget I know you well. Beneath the tough exterior is a nice, sensitive guy.” Michelle grinned again. “I’d wanted to save this and do it in person, but I suppose time is running out.”
For a split second, Justin’s mind went to the worst possible place, thinking that perhaps his wife was about to leave him. What else would she want to do in person?
“I’m pregnant.”
Justin’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Whaaat? But we… It was just one night.”
“Yeah, and remember your birds and the bees?”
He laughed loudly. “You're going on six months along.”
“Not very observant, are you? I’m always sitting down for a reason.”
After reflecting for a moment, Justin realized he’d noticed she was putting on weight but hadn’t said anything because even he was smart enough to know the last thing a man should say to his wife was comment on her size—especially with a war on. Wow. I’m an idiot. “I’m sorry I’m not there,” he finally began. “I wasn’t there as much as I should’ve been for Maggie, and I vowed the next time—”
“Baby, it’s okay. I’m thankful we’re having another child and that I’m married to a wonderful man.”
He beamed. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. Do you know the gender yet?”
“We’re having a son.”
Tears streamed down his face. While Justin wasn’t as gung-ho on having six kids as his wife—her dream was to have a huge family—he’d always wanted a son. “Maybe I should go to Colonel Tehrani and put in for leave or a deferment. I can’t leave you to deal with all this.”
“No, Justin. No.” Michelle bit her lip. “As much as I’d love to have you at home and as hard as it is to know you’re going into harm’s way, I know you’re where God wants you. I’m not going to be the military wife nagging her husband about combat. This is your job. You’re good at it, and even though I hate having to share you, what the Greengold did two months ago gave everyone in the Terran Coalition hope.”
Usually, when she invoked God or a connection to a higher power, Justin bristled. Not tonight. He glanced at the printed Bible sitting on his coffee table. Telling Michelle about my trips to the chapel will have to wait until I sort out what exactly I believe. “You’re sure?”
“Beyond sure.”
“I don’t want to miss the birth of another child with you, baby.” When Michelle was born, Justin had been assigned to flight school and couldn’t get leave. He’d missed almost all of it, only arriving a couple of hours after she’d delivered.
“Justin, you have to stay in the fight. The Terran Coalition's needs outweigh my wanting my husband to be in my baby-bump pictures or even hold my hand in the hospital. Okay?”
Justin wasn’t used to seeing this side of his wife. Not that she wasn’t patriotic, but Michelle hadn’t been a huge fan of the CDF before the outbreak of the war with the League of Sol. “Okay. Maybe the next time the ship has a layup, we can figure out your coming here for a bit. O-3 salary with hazard pay is almost as good as what the tech company paid me to write software.”
“Deal,” Michelle replied. “Then you can help me change diapers, tuck children in, and prepare bottles.”
Changing his son’s diaper or drawing a bath seemed a galaxy away. Justin could think of nothing that he’d rather do more. Yet in a few days, I’m going to put these feelings away, get myself into battle mode, and kill the enemy. The dichotomy was striking and not lost on him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. We’re fine. I promise. You keep doing what you do out there.”
“Almost out of comm credits again.” Justin frowned. “I’ll be glad when they build some more relays or something.”
“Next week, same time?”
Justin nodded. “Same time, same vidlink channel.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” Justin touched the camera with his finger as the screen blinked off.
He set the tablet down and lay back on the couch. I should’ve told her what happened with Feldstein. He’d gone back and forth on the topic for two months. Nothing happened. But it almost did. Things had mostly returned to normal, except Justin was careful to avoid being alone with her while ensuring his outward behavior didn’t change. He walked the tightrope daily. With a glance toward his bed, he got up and stripped off his clothes. A smile spread across Justin’s face as he considered the news Michelle had delivered. We’re having a son. That night, for the first time in months, he had no nightmares.
Unity Station
Deep Space—between the Sagittarius and Orion Arms
13 August 2434
A burst of red attracted the attention of Admiral Chang Yuen. The overall fleet commander for the League of Sol’s invasion of the Terran Coalition, he stared out into the void from the observation deck of their main logistical hub, Unity Station. The flashes of color were the telltale signature of League FTL wormhole generators. More ships for the
