Page 7 of Yorix
Chapter 5
Lynn
I woke up, excitement buzzing in my veins. I jumped out of bed, eager to get on my way. This was it! The day I got started on the rest of my life. I couldn’t wait to see if Door Number One opened for me or Door Number Two. Admittedly, the chances of me having a Mylos soul mate were slim, but there was always a chance. I grimaced, thinking of Mama’s comments the night before. If I found out I had a Mylos mate, she’d be insufferable. She’d want a lavish wedding and start pressuring me into having a baby, no doubt insisting I put off starting my course until the baby could go to daycare. Hell, she’d probably insist on shuttling up on my class days to babysit. Not that I’d dislike that, but it needed to be my choice. Mine, with input from my mate.
I sighed, going into the bathroom to quickly empty my bladder before heading into the kitchen for breakfast. Entering the kitchen, I stopped and stared. Mama was not bustling around as she usually did. Instead, my brother was standing at the toaster, waiting for the bread to pop up.
“Hey, sis,” Sam greeted me. “I heard you get up, so I put in four pieces. You want peanut butter toast or cinnamon?”
“Uh, whichever is fine. Whatever you’re having.”
I looked over at Daddy, who was busy eating a banana while reading his latest copy of Popular Mechanics, while Mama sat at the table, sipping coffee as she scrolled on her phone.
“Good morning, Mama, Daddy,” I said, a little louder than I’d spoken to Sam.
Daddy glanced up, looking abashed. “Sorry, I was reading, so I didn’t notice you come in.”
I laughed. “When you're reading, you never notice anything,” I teased.
He grinned back at me. “Yeah, that’s true.”
The toast popped, and Sam began buttering the slices. Mama raised her eyes up.
“Oh! I meant to get you up in a few minutes. Can’t have you late to your appointment or you’ll miss your chance at finding your mate.”
“She’s going for the chance to study,” Daddy reminded her, his tone firm.
Mama sniffed, waving one hand dismissively. She forgot she had her coffee in her hand, which fortunately wasn’t full. Despite this, it still caused some of the beverage to slosh over the brim and drip onto the table.
“Oh, shoot!” she said, putting both the cup and her phone down onto the table.
“Sam! Pass me a paper towel!”
Sam paused what he was doing and tore a sheet off, pressing it into her outstretched hand.
“There you go,” he said as her fingers closed over it.
“Thank you,” she said, mopping up the small spill. I took my usual seat at the table, my eyes straying nosily to her phone screen. I blinked. Was that a dog on a tiny sofa?
“Right, as I was about to say,” Mama began, “I know she’s going to enroll in her course and have them pay for it. That’s guaranteed, but what if she misses this appointment and her soul mate decides he’s waited long enough and, believing no one is here for him, transfers somewhere else?”
“Did that happen in your book, Mama?” Sam asked, sprinkling sugar over the buttered toast.
“No! Well, not exactly. Sarkarn waited ten years, and the matchmaking agency found him no one, so he signed up for a different dating service, but it was a trap to lure in strong males. He was then press ganged into a pirate’s crew, and they were all captured by the authorities, and he ended up on a prison planet where he has to play in gladiator games.”
Daddy stared at her, one eyebrow raised. “You know that won’t happen, right?” he asked her.
Mama flushed. “I know! But he could still ask to be transferred, and then their paths would never cross.”
“They keep the DNA on file, Mama,” I told her. “So, we’d still meet.”
She sniffed. “It's still not polite to be late.” She handed me her phone. “What do you think about this? Should I get it in the solid blue or go for the brown one?”
“Did you ask Marietta about this?” I asked. “What if she doesn’t have space for it?”
Mama looked at me guiltily. “It’s not for Marietta’s. You’re leaving, and I get to babysit my grandpuppy once she’s had her booster, so-”
“You’re giving my room to Penny,” I finished for her.
