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Kom wanted to sink into the floor, though Matt beamed at her concern. The smile made him look younger. Kom could see Jomsas practically melting. He suspected she was contemplating sitting Matt on her lap to feed him.
Matt answered, “I was born prematurely and was sickly as a baby. My mother was also in poor health. That probably had a lot to do with it.”
“You were a soldier in the Earth fleet? A guard, correct? There weren’t size limitations in your military?” It was Satuv’s turn to embarrass Kom.
“My height was seen as an advantage.”
“Really?”
“I’m the perfect size to bite enemy’s legs off at the knees. While Kalquorians screamed ‘Ow! Ow!’ and thrashed on the floor…you know, because they couldn’t run from me anymore…I went in for the kill. Once I had them down at my level, they didn’t stand a chance.”
Matt’s expression was so earnest, it took Kom an instant to catch up to the joke, and his clanmates and parents a few extra seconds.
The room echoed as they shouted laughter.
Two hours later, Kom’s parent clan left. The Nobek couldn’t remember being more exhausted in his life. He’d never concerned himself over their habit of treating him as if he were still a youth rather than a man…it had been a mere annoyance…but seeing such behavior unleashed full force on Matt had been a trial.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he, Matt, and his clanmates regrouped in the common room. “Lunch was awful. Thank you for being patient with them.”
Matt regarded him in surprise. “What are you talking about? Your parent clan is sweet.”
“Come on, Matt. They treated you like a child. It had to have gotten on your nerves.”
“I’ve been treated worse. They were overly concerned about your arm too.”
That was true. After lunch, as they’d cleared the table, his parents had kept taking the items Kom picked up out of his prosthetic hand while admonishing him to not overdo it. They’d acted as if they were afraid he’d injure himself.
Kom sighed. A single lunch with Clan Barnur had been more taxing than recovering from the loss of his arm.
Matt snickered at Kom’s obvious humiliation. He couldn’t resist teasing the scarred warrior. “Poor widdle guy. Mommy and daddies won’t let him be a big man who’s all grown up.”
Kom narrowed his eyes at him and softly growled.
“The doting parents,” Avir chuckled. “Kom was accident-prone as a child. I’m betting it’s why they behave the way they do.”
“Were you?” Matt knelt on the lounger next to Kom, who’d sprawled as if he’d been wrecked there.
“I believed in taking every opportunity life offered to explore and try stuff out. Safety was never a concern.”
“That’s how he got my attention.” Avir grinned at Kom. “I was seventeen, I think, when my parents gave a party for local business executives to forge professional relationships. The event was on the beach. I saw this wild Nobek boy running everywhere, one or two of his parents constantly giving chase. He climbed dunes and rocks, ran into the surf and swam for open ocean, crawled under the caterers’ tables, and dug holes several guests stepped in. A couple fell. You were nonstop, my Nobek.”
“I was only twelve,” Kom chuckled. “It was my last home visit prior to puberty, when I became too temperamental to leave training camp until the hormones calmed down.”
“I’d never noticed anyone so full of life and determination to have fun,” Avir told Matt. “You wouldn’t expect a kid in his teens to be vetting eventual clanmates, but Kom made an impression. I was determined to learn what sort of man he’d grow up to be after I saw him carrying on. I kept a close watch on him as my potential Nobek as he got older.”
Kom smirked. “It was a good party for you where making future plans was concerned.”
“Avir met me there as well and pointed Kom out as we spoke,” Masok chimed in. “Our parents are all acquainted as major business leaders in the city. It was a given we’d eventually encounter each other.”
“They were happy we hit it off so well early,” Avir agreed.
“When will the other parent clans show up to meet me and embarrass you?” Matt asked.
“I doubt mine will be in a rush to visit. They won’t make a huge fuss. They’re rather stiff. Far less warm than Kom’s parents.” The voltage in Avir’s smile dimmed.
“They’re getting better.” Masok stroked his hand. “They took an entire month for an off-planet vacation four months ago.”
“What?” Kom appeared thunderstruck. “You’re kidding, right?”
