Page 20 of Aliens Snared My Heart (Awakened Womb #3)

“Here, Ku’rtok, you gotta plant them a little further apart. Let me show you,” Paz offered.

I grunted and watched while his tiny human fingers dug tiny holes in the dirt. Then he took the little seed pinched between his digits and burrowed it into the hole. I watched with a pout. It wasn’t my fault my fingers were so big and clunky.

“Like that,” Paz said brightly. To the small pink Maeleon in his lap, he asked, “Do you want to try covering the seed, Chey’ish?”

Despite the fact that I was awful at planting, I couldn’t help but beam a huge smile when my child stepped up to the task. His deep pink hands reached out, following Paz’s instructions, and—with a little help from his human father—moved the dirt onto the seed.

Even before our baby was born, I knew I wanted to name him after Paz. My filum changed my life forever, and I wanted to honor him in every way possible. But the meaning of Paz’s name where he came from, “peace”, had no direct translation on Eukaria. Instead, we named our child after the Maeleon phrase for resolving a short conflict. “Kissing and making up,” as Paz put it. As for the pronouns, we chose the same ones we both used, at least for the time being. If Chey’ish wanted to change them later, that was fine by us.

“Great job, little guy,” Paz praised, patting our child’s head. He squeaked with happiness as his feelers flashed with bursts of sunny yellow.

“Okay, enough tasks for small-handed people,” I grumbled. “Now, let’s move on to something I’m good at.”

Paz chuckled as he stood up, scooping Chey’ish into his arms. “Lead the way, O Big-handed One.”

We crossed the village to Kookee’s paddock. It was a loose enclosure made of fallen trees and thick roots surrounded by an orchard of fruit trees. There was no gate, so the pandar was free to come and go as it pleased, but it spent most of its time sleeping blissfully in the sun, being fed treats by all the Maeleon younglings.

Chey’ish wasn’t old enough to reach fruit from the tree yet, but his love for the shaggy beast was no exception. He lit up when he saw Kookee, struggling in Paz’s arms.

“Okay, okay, kiddo,” he said, lowering Chey’ish to the ground. “Off you go.”

Chey’ish waved his arms and stretched out his tail, taking a few seconds to find his balance, then toddled over to Kookee. He stroked its shaggy fur in slow, measured motions. Kookee bellowed softly, turning its head to graze velvety lips over Chey’ish’s hand. He giggled joyfully.

“He’s so freaking mobile already,” Paz pointed out, pride ringing in his voice.

“Because he’s my kid,” I announced.

Paz grinned. “Oh, definitely. Because you’re the biggest, strongest Maeleon in the whole village.”

I arched a brow playfully at him. “You say it like a joke.”

“No, I’m serious!” He threw his arms around my waist. Even while wiggling his fingers, he couldn’t reach all the way around. “You are the biggest, strongest Maeleon.”

I grinned. I didn’t think that way anymore, but it was still cute when he stroked my ego.

In one quick motion, I lifted Paz into my arms. He was light as a feather, especially since he didn’t have that pregnant tummy anymore. Still, it was sexy while it lasted.

“And you’re the smallest, weakest human,” I teased, nuzzling his squishy button nose with the tip of my scaly snout.

He laughed. “Yup. Pretty much. But check this out.” He flexed his bicep, which barely got bigger. “See? I’ve been doing one push-up a day, every day. Progress!”

My grin widened. My filum was nothing if not determined, and it was that very same determination that had brought me back home. It was one of the many reasons I’d fallen in love with him—the annoying, stringy little human that nagged me into submission with his kind words and warm, accepting authenticity.

I kissed Paz. When we broke apart, he chuckled. “What was that for?”

I stared into his dark eyes. They glittered with love I thought I’d never deserve until he brought me his namesake—inner peace.

“Just for being you,” I told him.

THE END