Alien Diplomacy

snoring, dreaming, scratching.
    “Why weren’t the animals more upset about being left by your parents?” Jeff asked as he turned off the light on the nightstand. Since we were in a “human” building, so to speak, we actually had windows and got to turn the lights on and off. I’d gotten used to the night light glow, but since we kept a night light on in the nursery, I made do.
    “They’re my pets, too. And they adore you. I’m sure the dogs and cats are looking at this as a cool vacation. We’ll know if they start to get homesick.” I’d been homesick for three months, so I was sure I’d recognize it in the pets should it overtake them.
    Jeff hugged me. “I know you don’t like it here. And nothing that’s happened these past couple of days has helped.”
    “Getting Len, Kyle, and Pierre here has. Just haven’t had any time to enjoy them being here, really. And I don’t feel like we’re doing anything useful or helpful anymore. We used to matter. Now, I don’t know.”
    He sighed. “I do know what you mean, baby. I sometimes wonder if Richard was insane when he suggested this.”
    “I know. I miss kicking butt.”
    “You kicked some yesterday and today.”
    “Not really. You did a lot more of that than I did.”
    “Not really. And not effectively.”
    This was getting morose. I decided a conversation switch was probably in our best interests. “I made a new friend. At least, I think so.”
    “Yeah? Who?”
    “One of the moms in my Mommy and Me class. Her son is a couple of months older than Jamie. She’s an adjunct at Georgetown, and her husband is a law professor.”
    “Does she know what you do?”
    “Yeah, she knows I’m an ambassador. She didn’t seem overawed by it. Or like she was being friendly to suck up. She seemed like…me, really.”
    Jeff hugged me. “Good. So you have a friend in each of those classes. That’s great.”
    “Mommy and Me is a lot more fun than the Washington Wife class. And I doubt anyone in it is going to try to kill me, or anyone else, either.”
    “You never know. You’re the one who likes to point out how the cops don’t like to go to domestic disputes.”
    I laughed. “True. Bernie’s call was the only one I enjoyed.”
    “Bernie?” He didn’t sound happy. “I thought you said it was another mother.”
    “Whoa there, big fella. Rein in the needless jealousy. Her name is Bernice. Her nickname is Bernie. Her husband’s name is Raul.”
    “Ah, okay. What’s their last name?”
    “You know, I didn’t get it.”
    “Oh, well, doesn’t matter. What was she calling for?”
    “To make a play date for her son and Jamie.”
    “Sounds nice. When are you going?”
    “No idea. She was hoping we could go tomorrow. I said no because, well, frankly, who the hell knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, especially after what’s happened the last two days?”
    “Yeah.” Jeff sighed. “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay.”
    “No, it’s not. You’re unhappy, and you finally have someone who made you feel normal and happy, and our jobs are preventing you from getting to do normal mother things.”
    “Not really. I mean, our current job almost begs me to do the normal mother things so we fit in here. It’s our old jobs, which we both miss more than I know we want to admit to each other, that are causing the issue.”
    “Yeah. Maybe we should leave it for the others to handle. And I just don’t mean tonight. I mean in general.”
    “Maybe.” I thought about Mom’s parting admonition. “I don’t want people to die just because you and I are trying too hard to fit in or gracefully stepping aside while others take over our roles. We’re not exiting CEOs of a corporation. We’re part of the team that protects this world on a regular basis.”
    Jeff chuckled. “Thanks for the pep talk, baby.” One of the dogs started having a noisy dream, and Jeff jumped.
    “You going to be okay with all the animals sleeping in the room with us?”
    “I think so.” Jeff cleared his throat. “How, ah…how do they react when you’re…”
    “Having sex?”
    “Yeah.”
    I snuggled next to him and nuzzled his neck. “Well, honestly, there’s only one way to find out.”
    “Very true,” Jeff purred as he pulled me closer to him. This was definitely a better conversation. “And let me mention again that I love how you focus on the priorities.”
    “It’s a gift and a skill.”



CHAPTER 55
    J EFF PULLED MY TOP OFF WITH ONE HAND while his other