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Story: Accounting for Taste

Reem tapped Wenvari’s shoulder, and he set her on her feet.She swayed, and he steadied her.Jasmine came in and hugged her, muttering, “Aside from the unfortunate line up with your boobs, you are still a great hugger.”

Reem looked down at the top of her cousin’s head.“Are you comfortable or using me as a crash device?”

“You are too solid to be an inflatable, maybe gel pads?”Jaz looked up at her.

Reem kissed the top of her forehead.“Moron.I look forward to setting up a com schedule with you and sharing gossip when Ra manages to find your match.He’s having a lot of fun with that.”She let Jaz go.

Ra’s eyes widened.

She shrugged.“I was in all the systems.Everywhere.My body was supported, so I had plenty of energy to follow signals across space.”

Reem sighed.“It was strange, I thought I would lose myself, but I was fine.I followed my path home over and over.”

“You could sense your body over distance?”Wenvari asked softly.

“No, I could sense you.You glow with a distinct signature that is all you.I could find it back all the way from the designers’ station.They caught me in their systems, and we had a nice chat, and then they sent me home.”

Wenvari lifted her into his arms.“Home is where we are going.”

Harwin squeezed her hand, Ra inclined his head, and Jasmine smiled with teary eyes.“Bye, Reem.See you at the next family gathering.”

“I will be hosting on Wenavik in ten years.Food’s on me.”She said the last as her Hmrain launched skyward.

There was only one shuttle left, so Zell and Essan had left with their consorts.“Did you get the plants?”

Wenvari landed, and he walked in through the hold ramp.The space was filled with plants, carefully arranged and tethered in place.“We have the plants.”

She grinned and leaned against him as the hold ramp came up, the shuttle was pressurized, and he sat down while holding her as the pilot took off.

They were on their way home.

Chapter Eight

Waking in Wenvari’sarms was a novelty.She jolted every time, and he soothed her.He turned her in his arms and kissed her every morning.

On their third day on the way home, he asked, “How do you get aroused?”