“That was different — at least she has tentacles. Besides, you’re the youngest, Gorg. You’re just out of University, barely beginning to explore the universe, and now you’re going to be tied down with a mate and a baby!”
Gorg heard his mother’s voice rise in the background. “Give me that telecommunicator this instant!” There was amoment of mumbling and fumbling, and then his mother spoke clearly to him. “Gorg? You’ve life mated?”
“Yes, Mama. His name is Ebenezer, but we call him Ebbie. And he’s perfect and wonderful and pregnant with my baby.”
“Oh, that’s lovely news, Gorg. Don’t you mind a word your Papa says. He’s always been overprotective of you, ever since you were in egg.” Then, in a more timid, almost frightened voice, asked, “Youarecoming home, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Mama. We want to make our home on Jizm.”
She shrieked with delight. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy, Gorg! When can we expect you?”
“That’s really why I’m calling. We need a ride. My ship went through a meteor storm on the way into the atmosphere and was badly damaged. I had to make a crash landing. The ship is irreparable.”
In the background, he could hear his father say, “Told him to trade that rotten bucket of bolts in seasons ago!”
Gorg’s Mama hushed his Papa. “Oh, hon. That’s awful for you. I know how much you loved that ship. Of course we’ll come for you! We’ll send your brother, Hivery, to get you immediately!”
“Thank you, Mama! And please talk to Papa. I don’t want anything to upset Ebbie when we get home.”
“Of course, my darling. You take care of your life mate and egg, and I’ll take care of mine.” There was a smile in his mother’s voice that was unmistakable.
“Um, about that…The baby isn’t in an egg, mother. They do live births on Earth. Ebbie can already feel the baby moving!”
“Oh! Like Listeria’s people! How wonderful. We’ll be able to see the baby right after birth. I’m so excited!” His mother paused. He could hear his father talking in the background andimagined his mother’s tentacles batting his father away from the communicator. “Alright, dear! We’ll see you soon!”
“Love you, Mama! Thank you!”
He ended the transmission and was still smiling when he went back into the house. “They’re sending my egg brother, Hivery, to get us.”
“Is he going to be okay with me?” Ebbie put his hands over his belly. “With us?”
“Of course, he will be. He’s not the least agreeable egg brother I have, but he’s newly life mated himself, and his life mate, Listeria, just gave birth to a little female. She has the most beautiful blue eye.”
“Eye…as in one?”
“Listeria’s people all have one eye. They more than make up for it with the number of their tentacles. Eleven, I believe, if you count the one growing from the top of their head.”
“How…interesting. Okay, then. I’ll go pack. Is there anything from here in the house that you’d like to take with you?”
Gorg cocked his head thinking about it. “Oh, maybe just a glass of seawater. I think it would be hilarious to offer a taste to my egg brothers.”
Ebbie laughed. “You’re so mean!”
“No, just a prankster. Once, I reversed the polarity of one of my egg brother’s face shearers. He grew a three-meter beard before he realized what had happened!” Gorg roared with laughter, slapping his knee.
“Ice cream.”
Gorg blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Does Jizm have ice cream?”
“No. We have no cows, so no cream, iced or otherwise.”
“We need to bring a couple of cows, Gorg. The baby will need milk, and I don’t know if my body will change enough for me to make it.”
“Your body will change in whatever ways nature intends a body to be in order to sustain the life of your newborn. Do not fear.”
“But children, human children, need milk to grow, even when they’re older.”
