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“Do you think you could tell me a little about my host or your planet? Like things that I should know?”
“Well, first, tell me, whatdoyou know about our race and planet?”
Mia’s face grew warm as if she were wine-drunk. “Uh, um … that you don’t have any redheads. That I should sit back here in a car. That you all are agile, fast, and intelligent, but also one of the more gentle races that have been discovered. Aaaand … that’s where I’m at.” She smiled nervously at him through the mirror.
He grinned with a short chuckle. “That’s not terrible. But I would just be open with Tharon about how … limited your knowledge about our race is. I’m sure he would teach you the important things himself.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that.”
“As for what we do. I answer to Tharon. For lack of a better term at the moment, I am his trusted errand boy.”
“He must be a busy man to need all of this help.”
“He is. Tharon is driven and very focused. He’s dedicated to his men and his planet. That’s why he’s our highest-ranking commander for our military unit. There’s no one else I would rather follow. Or trust.”
She could tell by the intensity of Chaffron’s eyes that he meant it. Mia tried to imagine how a military commander’s household was run.
“Oh, my God, I should have done so much more research,” she quietly berated herself.
Mia had just been in such a rush to leave Earth and start over. She hadn’t put much thought into anything besides what were considered necessities to take with her.
“What can you tell me about his children?”
Chaffron looked back at her through the mirror quickly.
“I’m sorry if that’s crossing a line. I just realized that I didn’t do enough research or ask enough questions before making your planet my home. I want to try and minimize my embarrassment if that’s possible.”
“I understand. I have to say I don’t know enough about Earth to know what we do differently from your planet specifically until it comes up. So, I’m afraid that will be trial and error. As for the children, though, I can tell you that they’re the world to Tharon.”
“That’s always good to hear. Now, they’re twins, correct? Eight years old?” She remembered the brief details of her assignment. Enough to agree to it.
“That’s right. They’re bright and eager. They can be outgoing most of the time, so they should be easy for you to get to know.”
Mia was starting to feel a little better. Not so much about not knowing any customs, but she was pleased by the fact that the kids she would be taking care of sounded well-behaved. They had a loving father, and they were eager to learn and full of energy. This shouldn’t be a problem at all for her.
I’ve got this.She smiled to herself, looking out the window at the passing scenery. She had to stay positive. There was no reason not to be. She was great with kids, and that’s why she’d chosen this.
It was the father that made her nervous. Mia didn’t want her new home to be full of awkward encounters.
“We’re here,” Chaffron announced as they pulled into a long roundabout driveway.
The house was surrounded by shrubbery to convey privacy. It was a beautifully large but modest charcoal gray house that stood out against the purple tones of the sky. The plant life bloomed all around it as if protecting it with the cool, luminous colors of their flowers.
Chaffron cleared his throat. “Hello, sir.”
Mia spun quickly at Chaffron’s greeting to see her host. She had expected an older male, especially for a high-ranking commander. Not someone so close to her age. Or so good-looking.
“This is Mia Ambrose.”
Tharon’s lilac eyes flashed more gold, and his sharp athletic features made his body look as if it had been chiseled out of soft blue stone.
Tharon didn’t smile but held out his hand. When he spoke, his English came out rough and stilted. “Ms. Ambrose, it’s pleasant to meet you.”
TWO
MIA
Mia stuck out her hand to shake his proffered hand, only to realize that it was not his
