Page 95 of The Pleasure Contract

The knowing look we give each other devolves into fits of laughter.

“No, but really,” Niska says. “I’m so proud of you for getting the help we need. It’s really going to make a difference if we can get those laws changed. And I’m particularly proud of you for getting out of your own way, and seeing how perfect you and Az could be together.”

Her words warm my heart, but make me blush. I’m all for praise in theory, but this directly? This sincerely? And not in a kinky way? Yeah, I’m going to need to change the subject.

We talk a little longer. Catching up, discussing Jaya and her new shadow, as well as how badly Zann seems to be coping on a non-partying planet, before we wrap up the call. Which is good for me, because I need to make a completely different one – to someone who definitely will have an opinion on which dress I should wear.

I push the buttons and tweak the settings just how Rykor had showed me two nights ago.

The connection takes a little while, and I have to try a few different device channels, but eventually the screen flickers to life.

And there she is.

This illegal hacking business turned out not to be so hard after all.

“Mom!”

“Jesus-Mary-and-Joseph!”

In the shock of my seemingly sudden appearance, my mom manages to throw a glass of orange juice all over herself.

Wiping the juice from her eyes, she blinks back at me. “Lois, love, can you warn me next time you’re going to appear on my smart-fridge screen?”

Oh, so that’s what I connect to?

“Sorry, Mom,” I grin at her. “Since when did you get a smart-fridge?”

She’s still mopping up orange juice from her hand-knitted sweater when she answers. “Oh, Kenny bought it for us,” she answers. “He thought the more possible connections for you to… you know… beam down on, the better.” She makes this crazy little gesture with her fingers wiggling near her head, like she thinks I’m connecting to her fridge through some kind of telepathy or something. “He’s got me a smart-toaster, a smart-oven, a smart-doorbell, and even a smart-toilet!”

I grimace at the thought.

“Well, I hope I don’t ever surprise you on that one, Mom.”

Mom rolls her eyes before softening. “How are you, Lo-lo?”

I smile. “I’m good, mama… but I wanted your opinion on something.”

Suddenly, Ken Callahan appears next to my mother, wearing a hand-knit sweater vest that matches hers. “Well, you’ve come to the right place for opinions,” he chuckles. “We’ve got those flying around all over the place here.”

“Kenny!” Mom lightly chastises, nudging him with her arm.

“They’re all correct, of course, my love,” he coos in return.

I think I’m going to be sick.

It’s cute.

But still.

“Mom, this is important,” I say, interrupting their chuckling in case they start rubbing noses together or something. I hold up both dress options. “Which suits me better?”

Mom’s face lights up at both of them. “They’re both beautiful, Lo-lo. What’s the occasion?”

Taking a breath, I decide to just say it. “I’m going to propose to Az.”

There’s a beat or two of silence, and I genuinely consider the possibility that we lost connection and the screen froze, because I swear Mom doesn’t even blink for a good twenty seconds.

When she does finally talk, it’s a whisper from the side of her mouth to Mr Callahan. “Kenny, did my daughter just say she’s going to marry an alien?”