Page 61 of Tarek

“Goodnight, Tarek,” I whispered back with a smile.

I watched his eyes drift shut, his breathing gradually settling into the quiet rhythm of sleep. The ship hummed around us, carrying us those last few parsecs toward New Haven and our life waiting there. My eyes grew heavy, and I let them close, with the image of my mate sleeping peacefully across from me the last thing I saw.

21

TAREK

The next morning began with a level of chaos that made me question whether this morning’s schedule had been designed specifically to test the patience of parents.

Darren and I had barely opened our eyes before Matt announced that he needed the bathroom immediately and then stood expectantly, Evan discovered that one of his favourite cars had gone missing, and Laura decided she was hungry enough to make certain the entire corridor knew about it. Skye, apparently convinced that all this activity meant something exciting was happening, bounced around our quarters while her tail knocked into anything unfortunate enough to be within reach.

“Matt, the bathroom is that way,” Darren said, pointing towards the door while putting on a clean shirt. “Evan, your car is probably in the carrier where you put it last night. If it’s not in yours and the slots are all full, it’s probably in your brother’s. And Laura, sweetheart, Daddy's getting your bottle. Vrann, honey, can you pass me my shoes?”

“Which Daddy?” Matt called from the bathroom. “You Daddy or Pata Daddy?”

“Either one of us, if you give us a minute!”

I couldn't help laughing. Darren shot me a look that suggested he wasn't entirely certain whether I was helping, but I took Laura from him and started preparing her bottle while he hunted down Evan's missing car. It was exactly where Darren had predicted, tucked into Matt's Hot Wheels carrier. Unfortunately, they'd shoved nearly all their cars into Evan’s case and left the other almost empty, which meant we had to sort them out without either of them thinking one of their cars was in the wrong case. By the time everyone had been toileted, changed, fed, and everything else accounted for, I felt as though I'd completed a full security shift rather than gotten my family ready for a journey in less than an hour. We checked the luggage one last time, made sure the folding stroller and Laura's supplies were ready, and gathered everything we needed for the shuttle ride down to New Haven.

Darren looked around the quarters before we left. “I think that's everything.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because I'd rather discover we forgot something now than after we reach the colony.”

He gave me a weary smile. “If we've forgotten anything, it can be replicated or bought when we get there. I'm not turning this room upside down again.”

“That seems sensible.”

“I'm learning from experience.”

I kissed his cheek, earning a softer smile, and opened the door while he secured Laura in her stroller. Skye followed us to the door, apparently determined not to be left behind, and I secured her leash to the stroller’s handle and then clipped it to her harness. After yesterday's embarrassment, I wasn't about to give her any reason to complain about our parenting. She was going to know her Pata loved her and wanted her happiness, and that was that.

We then joined Sarah, Sweetie, Nick and his boys, and Sunshine. Sarah was carrying her own bag and holding Sweetie’s leash, while Nick was checking that his children had everything they needed. Vrann stood beside the luggage, looking rather more composed than the rest of us, although I suspected he was every bit as excited about reaching New Haven as the children were.

“Should I put these on the cart with theirs?” he asked, pointing to a luggage cart they’d somehow acquired.

“I’ll help you,” Nick replied, and handed me his dog’s leash as he did just that. It was the work of mere minutes, even with the high chair and the pack and play which was in its carry bag now.

“As ready as we're going to be,” Darren replied.

“Good. Let's get ourselves home.” He reached out to take Sunshine’s leash from me and urged her to get onto the end of the cart. She jumped on, and he held onto it while he pushed the cart along and she rode. That lasted for all of a hot minute before he stopped, as seeing her canine buddy getting a ride, Skye now wanted to join her. sarah ended up giving into Sweetie and letting her join her friends for their ride.

“Okay, let’s try again!” Nick chuckled. “Home, here we come!”

The word seemed to settle over the group. Home. Not a ship or a station where my crew would spend a few days before moving on, but a planet where we could put down roots. I had spent years aboard merchant vessels, dealing with cargo, crew, and whatever problems came with working in space. The thought of finally having a place that belonged to me along with a family to love and friends to cherish was almost difficult to comprehend.

We walked together towards the shuttle bay, where our transport was waiting. It was an older Alliance cargo shuttle, a sturdy, practical craft that had clearly seen plenty of service. Its hull was scuffed in places, and the paintwork had seen better days, but the landing gear looked sound, and the engines appeared to have been maintained properly.

Darren studied it for a moment. “Well, it's certainly not fancy.”

“Fancy doesn't get cargo delivered on time,” I said.

He gave me a sideways look. “I’d almost forgotten you worked ships like these as security.”

“The Mylos have prettier ones,” Matt announced. “I like their flying saucers.”

“Me too,” Evan agreed.

Vrann merely clutched his toy shuttle tighter. “It probably looked a lot nicer when it was brand new.”