Epilogue
The bonding ceremony took very little time. It was faster even than going to the courthouse for a human marriage ceremony, which they had done last week, laying the groundwork to ensure their union was legal on both planets. Not that it looked like Val would be returning to his own planet any time soon, since he’d refused to accept assignments that took him farther than the consulate on the Moon.
She looked over to Jada and Ryland, who held her daughters in their arms. The girls were only a couple of weeks old, and they seemed to be growing at the typical human rate, though perhaps a bit accelerated. Elisa could already smile, and Allie had held up her head for a few minutes just that morning after nursing, as Jess dressed for the bonding ceremony.
Fortunately, the delivery had been relatively uncomplicated, and she hadn’t hemorrhaged. There had been excess bleeding, and she’d needed a cesarean to deliver the second twin, but Elisa had come out first and quickly, followed by her more stubborn little sister, Allie. Little hadn’t been that apt a descriptor really, since Allie had weighed eleven pounds, a full three ounces more than her older sister.
They were a beautiful mix of the two of them, but also obviously alien. Until they knew how Earthlings would adapt to the existence and presence of the Dazon Empire—and the government hadn’t yet mentioned anything about the aliens’ request for fertile females—they had made the reluctant decision to keep the girls out of sight as much as possible, until they were old enough to understand and master a phase-suit that could make them able to pass as nondescript human children.
Her mother and father had flown in from California in time for the courthouse ceremony and had stayed for the bonding ceremony. They had appeared to take most of the events in stride, but the reason why wasn’t difficult to ascertain as she looked over again in time to see her mother taking Elisa from Jada, while her father reached for Allie. They didn’t care that their granddaughters were half-Dazon, or their son-in-law was an alien. They just seemed happy that she was whole, healthy, and finally married off—without need of a dowry, as her father had teased her the night before after the courthouse quickie wedding.
Pradheep had yet to come around, but she still hoped he would. In the meantime, she was surrounded by family linked to her both by blood and by choice. With her hand still bound to Val’s in the traditional kursti, where it would remain for a full Dazon day, or thirty-one Earth hours, she moved to join the loved ones waiting for them, happy and content with the future before her.