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“Oh, you don’t have to go to school on Earth,” Liv said, smiling. “We have a training program for nurses here on the Mother Ship. We’re just starting it up, actually—I’m one of the instructors.”
“You are?” Brandi was immediately intrigued. “Are you a doctor or a nurse?”
“A nurse,” Liv said promptly. “But we have a need for more nurses and healthcare professionals up here so Sylvan and I—that’s my brother-in-law and Sophie’s husband—decided it would be a good idea to start a program.”
“How hard would it be to qualify for it?” Brandi asked cautiously. “I’ve been taking night courses whenever I can and I think I have enough for the program I was looking at down on Earth but I guess the Mother Ship’s standards are probably pretty strict?”
“If you qualify on Earth, you should qualify here,” Liv told her. “Do you want me to send you an application?”
“Oh yes—I’d love one. Thank you!” Brandi exclaimed. “When are your classes starting?”
She and Liv talked for a little longer about the new training program and she was getting really excited when Slade and Emmie came up to her. Emmie was sitting on the big Kindred’s shoulders and crowing excitedly.
“Look at me, Mommy! I’m higher than the sky!”
“You certainly are high up, sweetpea.” Brandi shaded her eyes and grinned up at her. The mellow green sunshine which came from the Mother Ship’s artificial sun overhead gleamed on Emmie’s hair, which full of sand.
“Hey baby,” Slade rumbled, smiling at Brandi. “Emmie was just saying that she’s hungry and I think your second father, Bud, is too. Want to eat now? Bud is laying out the nic-pic.”
“You mean the picnic,” Brandi corrected, laughing. “I’ll be right there—just let me say goodbye to my new friends.” She gestured to Liv and Sophie and Kat who smiled and introduced themselves.
“We heard that you two met in a rather…interesting way.” Kat smiled slyly.
“But if you’d rather not talk about it, you don’t have to,” Liv added quickly, nudging her friend in the ribs with an elbow and giving her a reproving look.
“No, it’s okay.” Brandi blushed but kept her head high. “I was looking for something that was no-strings attached when I met Slade…”
“But it seems the Goddess had other plans for us,” Slade finished her thought. “So we got bonded by accident, but I don’t regret it.”
“I don’t either.” Brandi smiled at him. “We’re just still…getting used to it. That’s all.”
“It takes a little time getting used to being bonded to a Kindred,” Sophie said, smiling. “But I think you’ll find it’s the best thing you ever did.”
“I’m finding that out.” Brandi smiled at Slade who reached for her hand, while keeping the other planted securely on Emmie’s knee to keep her in place.
“We have another friend who met her Kindred mate the same place you and Slade met,” Kat told her. “Just so you know, you’re not the only one, I mean.”
“Really?” Brandi frowned, remembering Crystal’s story. “Um, did she end up with a Kindred who could turn into a dragon? I mean, is there such a thing?”
“Sure, a Rai’ku Kindred—they’re pretty rare though,” Liv said. “And yes, our friend did end up with one. They live down on Earth though—it gives him more room to fly.”
“He can fly?” Brandi’s eyes widened. “Wow!”
“You regretting all you got was a plain old hybrid, baby?” Slade rumbled, giving her a lopsided grin.
“What? No! No, of course not.” Brandi squeezed his hand. “I wouldn’t trade you for a million dragons.”
“A million dragons!” Emmie sang out. “Daddy-man is better than a million, trillion, ba-jillion dragons!”
They all laughed and Brandi felt a warm glow coming from Slade through their link.
“Well, we’d better let you get to your picnic. I’ll send that application to the email address you gave me and I hope to see you again soon,” Liv told her, smiling. “It was nice meeting you all.”
“Hope to get to know you better in the future if you move up here,” Kat added and Brandi could tell she really meant it.
What a nice bunch of girls—they’re not snobby or cliquish at all, she thought as the three of them waved and walked off, calling for their children. It was another positive mark in the Mother Ship’s favor—good schools for both her and Emmie, check…excellent free health care, check…nice people, check… But of course, the biggest check-mark was walking right beside her, holding her hand and balancing Emmie on his shoulders.
She couldn’t help admiring how good Slade was with her daughter whenever they were together. He seemed to genuinely love the little girl and enjoy spending time with her. In fact, Brandi had walked in and found them playing “tea party” with Mr. Bear and various dolls just the other day.
It wasn’t a sight she was likely to forget. Slade had been sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor, wearing a pink hat and cape from Emmie’s dress-up box and sipping purple Kool-aid “tea” from a miniature plastic cup with perfect composure.
