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ONE
MATTIE
“So what are you doing for the holidays?” Sophie asked, smiling brightly as she arranged the ornaments on the tiny Christmas tree she’d put on her husband, Sylvan’s desk. He was the head of the Kindred High Council and she tried to be sure his office looked suitably welcoming during the holiday season.
The Kindred might not have known much about Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza or any of the other Earth holidays when they first came to Earth and instituted their International Bride Draft, but all the human wives who had answered their call for mates had brought their family traditions with them. Which meant that this time of the year was particularly festive aboard the Kindred Mother Ship.
Dr. Madeline Porter—Mattie to her friends—sighed deeply at Sophie’s casual question.
“Oh, you know—the usual. Mostly trying to avoid my family who are going to want to know why I’m still single instead of married and pregnant, ready to pop out a dozen grandbabies at this ‘blessed time of year.’”
“Oh dear…” Sophie made a face. “That doesn’t sound like much fun!”
“It’s not—believeme.” Mattie rolled her eyes. “But it’s either avoid them, or hear endlessly how my biological clock is ticking and how am Ievergoing to produce grandchildren for my mom and dad—let alone agreatgrandbaby for my Grandma Thelma—if I don’t get started soon.”
“Geeze—no pressurethere.” Sophie frowned as she fussed with the tiny fake presents under the miniature tree.
“Yeah, I know, right?” Mattie ran a hand through her thick chestnut hair. “Especiallysince my perfect older sister just got engaged last Christmas Eve and now she’s pregnant and already showing. You should haveseenthe show she and Ethan—that’s her husband—put on. They waited until the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve—”
“Wait—your family goes to a ‘Yule Ball?’” Sophie asked, frowning.
“Do theyever,” Mattie said grimly. “And that’s not the only holiday event they all attend. See, I come from a town in Vermont called—I kid you not—Christmasville. We moved there from Florida when I was a freshman in high school and my mom loves it so much my family has stayed there ever since. Christmas practically starts right after Halloween and keeps on going until New Years Day.”
“Christmasville?” Sophie shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s not that big—although they get a lot more visitors from November through January,” Mattie told her. “They have all kinds of Christmas events like the Christmas Cookie Bakeoff and the Town Tree Lighting and of course, the Christmas Eve Yule Ball—which is where my brother-in-law proposed to my sister last year, in front of practically the whole town. He got down on one knee right up on the stage and pulled out a velvet box with a giant diamond inside.” She shook her head. “I thought Grandma Thelma was going towet her pants,she was so excited!”
“It seems like that should have takensomeof the heat off of you then,” Sophie objected, still fussing with the miniature tree to try and get the tiny lumo-bulbs to light up. “I mean, if your sister is already married and expecting, they know they’ll be getting a grandbaby soon. So why should they keep bothering you?”
“Because that’s the way my familyis,”Mattie moaned. “My mother is so worried I’ll end up ‘childless and alone’—even though I’ve tried to explain over and over that lots of people are choosing the single life now and there’s no shame in deciding not to have kids.”
“No, of course not,” Sophie said, smiling. “I can’t imagine life without Sylvan and my twins, but nobody should feel like theyhaveto get married and have babies! But I know the pressure from parents can be intense.”
“Especially if someone has decided to put her education and career first, like I have,” Mattie said. “My mom is always saying, ‘you know, honey—a degree won’t keep you warm at night!’ I tell her she’s being old-fashioned but she just won’t listen!”
“You’d think they would beproudof you for being one of the first Xeno-Cultural Anthropologists to act as an ambassador for the Mother Ship,” Sophie said, obviously trying to lift Mattie’s spirits. “There werethousandsof candidates for the program and you’re one of only three who made it in!”
Mattie sighed.
“Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Sophie, but my parents wouldn’t care if I discovered the cure for cancerandwas awarded the Nobel Prize for brokering peace in the Middle East on the same day—they wouldstillwant to see me settled down with the right guy and expecting his child. They’reverytraditional.”
“Well, they’re going tohaveto be proud of you if Sylvan approves your next mission,” Sophie pointed out. “Visiting a Class 3 planet for the first time! And everyone knows the Vi’riens would make valuable allies and trading partners for the Kindred—ifthey’ll accept us, that is.”
“Oh, I know!” Mattie clasped her hands under her chin, her brown eyes wide with hope and excitement. She had thick, dark lashes, a cute little nose, and a heart-shaped face with a cupid’s bow mouth that her friends said made her look adorable and wholesome at the same time. Kind of like one of those old “American Girls” dolls come to life.
Mattie didn’t like the comparison herself—she would rather be striking and angular and thin but she wasn’t—she was short and curvy and cute which were facts she’d come to accept about herself.
“Do you think Commander Sylvan is going to approve the mission?” she asked Sophie hopefully. “You’re his wife—youmustknow!”
“Sorry.” Sophie shook her head. “But Sylvan doesn’t talk business at home—I won’t let him! Running the Mother Ship is hard enough—he doesn’t need to bring it back to our suite with him every night. The minute he walks in the door, I do my best just to help him unwind and decompress and put everything away until the next day.”
“You’re a good wife,” Mattie said, smiling. “I hope he knows how lucky he is!”
“Well, I try.” Sophie smiled back at her. “And you know,allthe Kindred feel lucky to have us. Considering they’re 95% male, theyalwaysfeel grateful for females.”
“I can think ofoneparticular Kindred who doesn’t feel a bit grateful to have a human female around,” Mattie said, rolling her eyes.
Sophie sighed sympathetically.
