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I remembered how upset Mia had been when she’d run to me at the park earlier today. Damascus hadn’t been overly concerned, so I didn’t react. She calmed down quickly and asked me many questions.
Iris’s comment made me think this was a systemic issue. I felt bad for Mia and Iris, but at least we’d never have the same issue with Jasper Junior. He was a perfect child.
“I can’t believe you only gave birth a few days ago,” Iris said to Cleo. “You look great!”
Cleo beamed at her. “Thanks. I’ve gotten better care from the Talins than any human I knew growing up.”
Iris nodded. “I hear that a lot.”
“Do you want to hold him?” she asked Iris.
The young woman was quick to shake her head and held her hands up to ward off Cleo handing over the child. “No! Infants scare me until their heads aren’t so floppy.”
Opal snorted. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
Cleo looked amused. “I can see why that would be scary. I guess we’ll have to visit again when JJ isn’t so floppy.”
We fell into a friendly conversation as everyone ate. About a mark into the meal, the door to Sloane and Mieshorum’s room slid open.
Sloane didn’t walk past the doorway but waved at us. “Hello. I’m Sloane. Thank you for visiting. I’m perfectly happy here. Have a nice meal and evening.”
Then she stepped back into Mieshorum’s arms, and the door slid shut again.
“That was interesting,” Iris said.
“I told her you wanted to make sure she was content. I guess that was how she decided to do it,” Opal said.
“That’s the most words I've ever heard her speak in a row,” I said.
Opal chuckled. “I think she’ll get more talkative as she becomes more confident that we aren’t going to reject her.”
“Why would we reject her?” I asked.
“I get the feeling she’s had some bad experiences in the past,” she said. “But whatever Mieshorum is doing is working because she’s doing so much better.”
I sounded a rumble of agreement. “Does anyone know what she used to do for work?”
“No idea,” Opal said. “But that might need to be the next question. Everyone should have a job on Ever Secure.”
“What’s JJ’s job going to be?” Iris asked.
Opal gave her a wink. “Chief of Adorableness, Steward of Congeniality, and Bosun of Happiness.”
Iris burst out laughing, and the rest of us sounded rumbles of amusement.
“Maybe you should rename the ship from Ever Secure to Ever Joyful.
“Maybe we should!” I agreed. Narmuna and Lexarit sounded rumbles of agreement. “We’ve definitely entered a new era of our lives, and the ship should reflect that.”
Cleo held up her mug of sopa. “I declare Ever Secure is now Ever Joyful.”
When Opal picked up her drink and tapped it against Cleo's, we all did the same. It seemed we'd renamed our ship, and I couldn't be more content about it.
Chapter 31
Six Months Later
Tolreum
