Page 100 of Truthful Deceptions

“I’ll mention that you have enough for now,” the law keeper said.

He asked a few more questions about Jasper Junior, which I answered as best I could. I’d been so scared for Cleo's health that a lot of what the healers had told me didn't stick in my brain.

Finally we were at the suite. The law keeper left us to return to medical, and I carried Opal into our room.

She let out a contented sigh when I laid her down in the nest. “I don't think I even have the energy to take my shoes off,” she said.

“You can rest, and I'll take care of everything,” I said, tugging off her slippers then running my hands up to find the waistband of her pants to tug them down.

After that I untied the wrap and rolled her body left then right to pull it off her. She let out a quiet laugh as I moved her body around. Finally she was naked.

“Tomorrow I'll take the longest shower ever,” she said and curled up on her side as I tucked one of the blankets around her.

“I'll be there to bathe you,” I promised. “I know you're tired, but I need to know. Do you want a child?”

She opened her eyes and regarded me with a slight frown. “Where did that question come from?”

“After watching Cleo endure so much pain for Jasper Junior, I'm scared you want to do the same,” I admitted. “I know Healer Grifforum assured us that after this birth he will have better pain management protocols in place, but that doesn't seem like enough.”

She snorted. “You don't have anything to worry about. Being the best aunt to JJ will be more than enough for me. I don't need to have a child of my own.”

Relief made me flop down in the nest next to her. “Thank the ancestors.”

Chuckling, she rolled over and snuggled against me. Purring, I held her until we both fell asleep.

Opal

I slept so long and deeply it took me forever to fully wake up. A long hot shower and three mugs of tlash tea helped. After all that, we made our way back to medical to find Sloane and Mieshorum already there visiting Cleo and Baby JJ.

Cleo was sitting up in the bed with Baby JJ cradled in her arms. Sloane was holding one of Baby JJ's tiny hands between her thumb and forefinger. She was smiling and cooing at the baby.

It was such a change I came to a sudden stop, stunned.

“That's surprising,” Tolly murmured, having stopped when I did.

“Very,” I agreed. Then Sloane noticed us, and her expression shuttered. She let go of Baby JJ and straightened up. After patting Cleo on the shoulder, she walked over to me. Mieshorum followed right behind her.

“I need to talk to you,” she said. Her flat demeanor made me want to run and hide. I had a hard enough time having emotional conversations to begin with; I didn't think I was ready to handle anything Sloane wanted to say to me.

I spent a little too long trying to come up with an excuse, and Sloane took my non-answer as an agreement.

She gripped my wrist and tugged me to the far corner of the room. Tolly and Mieshorum tried to follow, but she held up a hand.

“Stay,” she ordered and finished pulling me away.

“Isn't JJ cute?” I said, hoping to derail the conversation. “I swear he's the most adorable baby that ever babied.”

“Yes, he's adorable,” she agreed.

I nodded my head. “I can't wait until he can see. You know babies can't see very well at first. They can't hear much either. There's so much to experience, and they can't take it all in right away.”

“Opal,” Sloane said, cutting off my flow of words. “I want to tell you something."

“Is it that you're super happy to be alive and can't wait to travel around the universe with us in the Ever Secure?” I asked, mentally crossing my fingers.

“I'd like us to be friends.”

“You should really consider…wait, what?”