Page 29 of Saved By My Alien Husband

28

DELPHINE

One Day Left On Earth

H aven fell into bed sometime after midnight, drained from coordinating our new group’s sleeping arrangements. His shoulders sagged under the weight of the day, but he assured me that everyone was settled. Once we left Earth, we'd help sort out more permanent arrangements for our next destination, but for now he said everyone was situated.

Parvati and I found ourselves in the Launch Room at dawn, watching the sun climb over the horizon. She hadn’t wanted to be alone after delivering the news to her fellow cats that no other felines had survived. So I kept her close, carting her to any corner of the ship she wished to visit, once I was certain Haven was back safe.

Despite the ache in my limbs and my lack of sleep, I was wide awake. Cuddling the sad cat closer to my chest, my thoughts wandered as the sky turned from black to red to blue.

It felt surreal, like living inside a dream I couldn’t wake from. The sight of the sunrise—the last one we’d ever see from Earth—was impossibly beautiful and deeply haunting.

Melted clocks on an empty beach, the Persistence of Time, but time had run out.

I didn't know at the start of the week that it would be my last on Earth. Instead, I believed I was on my way to a life of servitude, for maybe another decade, before it all ended. Forever.

The sharp click of shoes echoed behind me, drawing me from my thoughts. I turned to find Daryl, Michael, and Alexandra standing together. Their faces carried the same mix of emotions I felt—tired, sad, and somehow happy all at once.

Relatable.

We stood together, shoulder to shoulder, watching the last sunrise over our former home.

No words needed to be said, for nothing could truly encompass how it felt to leave a home that hurt you, while still knowing you'd miss it, and all that it could have been, at the same time.

“There you are,” Haven said, finding me in the garden. Parvati was holding a meeting beside the flowers with the other cats, it would have been adorable if it weren't so sad. She was telecommunicating the speech to me and the cats at the same time. It was meant to be motivating, but it was also about mourning.

As Haven approached, I managed a weak smile. He tugged me into his arms, his warmth chasing away some of the chill that had settled in my chest. I sighed, my head falling against his solid frame as I inhaled his familiar, grounding scent.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his hand running soothing circles on my back.

“That's a tough question. Maybe not right now. But I will be.”

He chuckled softly. “That's a healthy answer.”

“Maybe therapy has finally worked for me. Wait, where did my therapist go? Not sure I've seen her,” I mused aloud.

He shrugged. “She seemed like a bitch to me, but I don’t know. If you want to see her again, I’ll find her.”

“No, it's fine. She’ll turn up eventually, I’m sure.” Maybe the Eldrin had a better approach to therapy that I could try.

We held each other for a few minutes longer, waiting for the conclusion of the cat meeting. When I tried to pull away, Haven kept me close. “Wait a moment, Delphine.”

“Everything alright?”

“Never better,” he whispered into my ear, dropping a kiss to my neck and shoulder.

The cats exited the garden, followed by the workers. I watched in confusion. Was there somewhere we needed to be that I didn't know about? In moments, we were alone.

“My princess,” Haven began. “It occurred to me that we missed a few relationship milestones.”

“Yeah?” I asked, smiling as his fingers brushed through my hair, smoothing it away from my face.

“Mhm,” he mumbled into my hair, nuzzling me before guiding my lips to a kiss.

When he pulled back, his thumbs caressed my jaw line, tilting my head up to look at him.

Swimming in his eyes was easy, I needed no encouragement.

“We didn't date, I never asked you to marry me, and so much more. We didn't even have a celebration, in this mess”—he gestured around the garden, but I knew he meant the week as a whole—“it was difficult to take the time to celebrate the steps we did take. I'd like to make up for that, if you don't mind?”

I nodded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

Haven smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. My breath caught as he dropped to one knee, opening it to reveal a set of rings.

“Will you accept these rings, princess? I know you are already my wife, but will you take me as a human bride too?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice barely audible through the lump in my throat.

I was all in for him. And it was so kind, so thoughtful, that as we were hours away from leaving Earth forever, he considered my traditions.

Haven stood up, and pulled the rings from the box. Blinking away my tears, I took in his gift. There were three rings: two silver bands, and one silver ring with a black stone and small diamond-like clusters encircling it.

He slipped the sparkling ring and the thinner band on my left ring finger. “For you, my princess.”

Holding both of my hands out, I admired the marks that meant I was his. On my right hand, the triangular burn; on my left, the rings.

“Do you like them?” he asked, his soft question loud in the empty garden.

“I love them. I love you.”

He seemed to exhale, as if he had been nervous. After everything, giving me a gift is what unnerved him?

“May I?” I asked, gesturing to the thicker ring he held in his hand.

Wordlessly, he passed it to me, and I took his left hand in mine.

“There are these words that humans say when they get married, vows. Would you take them with me?”

“I'd do anything for you.”

“Good, then repeat after me: I, Haven, take thee, Delphine, to be my lawfully wedded wife...”

He repeated every vow without hesitation. In sickness and in health, for better and for worse, and to love and to cherish, till death do us part.

When he finished, I slid the ring on his finger, sealing his promise.

“Should you say them now? I can take the ring back and start again?” Haven asked, his thumb brushing over the cool metal of the bands on my left hand.

I raised an eyebrow, my lips curling into a teasing smile. “No, I plan to leave you when we hit the ‘worse, poor, and sick’ stage, so there’s no need for me to make those promises.”

His laughter was rich and genuine, a sound that seemed to echo in the stillness of the garden. “You’re lucky I’m a prince. It’ll take a long time for that to happen to me, so you’ve got a few good years with me at least.”

I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Fair trade, I suppose.”

His hands settled at my waist, pulling me flush against him. For a moment, we stood there, the garden around us buzzing softly with life.

“I love you, Delphine Lastley,” Haven murmured, his lips brushing my temple.

“I love you too, Haven Candor.”