Touched by an Alien

was the only woman I’d ever met who had what I considered the entire package. When I realized I was willing to give up everything I was if that was the only way to get her, I knew I was in love with her. When I didn’t have to give up the things that mattered to me to keep her, I knew she was the one.”
    I hugged him again. “Thanks, Dad.”
    “Not sure how that was a help, but any time, kitten.”
    I saw Gower give Reader a hug. No one reacted to this any differently than my hugging my parents. I liked these A-Cs, I really did. I liked them more than most of the humans I knew. I wanted to stay with them.
    And just like that, I knew what was going on.
    But I needed confirmation I wasn’t going to get out of either Christopher or Martini. Reader wouldn’t know, either. That left the girls. And White, who was hugging his son good-bye.
    “Mr. White, could I have a word?”
    Christopher looked panicked for a second, but he wasn’t the only one who could do a withering glare. He seemed to get the idea and backed off. White gave me a long look, then nodded and came with me as I dragged him off to the side.
    “How did your wife die?”
    “I beg your pardon?” He didn’t look happy.
    “Sorry. Look, time’s short. All sympathies, it was twenty years ago, though, right?”
    “Yes. She became ill, quite suddenly.”
    “Was she here?”
    “No,” he answered slowly. “She was at our East Base location. She was one of our top diplomats, so she spent a great deal of time there. Why?”
    “What did she die of? What killed her?”
    “Disease. Fast-acting. Like a cancer, but we’d never seen anything like it, on our home world or this one. There was nothing we could do.” He looked very old suddenly. “I hope you have a reason for asking me this, other than idle curiosity? The memories are still painful.”
    Not a time for me to panic. I wasn’t an A-C. “The walkies we’re bringing with us, will they allow us to reach someone here?”
    “They should.”
    “Good. Keep one with you. I may have more questions.”
    “You’re quite comfortable giving a lot of orders, aren’t you?”
    “Yep.” I looked straight at him. “Just like your son and your nephew, both of whom I’m trying to keep alive. Got it?”
    He nodded. “Thank you. Hope you’re successful.”
    “Not as much as I do, trust me.” I stuck out my hand. “Thanks for the help.”
    He looked at my hand. “We don’t shake hands with people we care about.” He reached out and hugged me. I managed not to be shocked and hugged him back. “Be careful,” he whispered. “It can all go wrong very quickly when you’re out there. But, for what it’s worth to you, know that you go with my blessings.”
    I was touched. I’d never had the head of any religious organization give me a direct blessing since I was young. I wondered if this wiped out all the prior day and a half’s sluttiness, particularly the part from the elevator, but I had to assume it didn’t. My luck never ran that well.
    Everyone having said good-bye, we headed to the cars. There was a male standing there I’d never seen before. He looked human, which was to say he didn’t make me want to add in a third man to my romantic mix. “Who’s the seventh wheel here?” I asked Reader.
    “Tim, he’ll be your driver.”
    Tim nodded solemnly. “Honored.”
    “And back to Triple A that fast, too, Tim. Give me the keys.”
    His mouth dropped. “But … but I’m the driver.”
    I looked at Reader. “You drive the boys, I’ll drive the girls.” Christopher and Tim both started to protest, but I didn’t want to hear it. “Shocker alert—I’m a human, I know how to drive. And I don’t want Tim here along, no offense to you, Tim.”
    “None taken.” He was human, but it was clear he was lying.
    “I think you’ll be more useful as our man back at Base here, keeping tabs on everything, making sure if the capsule has trouble, the rest of the engineers can fix it, that sort of thing.”
    Tim looked at Christopher. “Why does Jeff like her?”
    This was the wrong question to the right person, but it also proved to me, without a shadow of a doubt, that dumping Tim early was the right choice.
    “Who knows?” Christopher snapped, while looking at the side-view mirror on the car. “Just do what she says. Give her the keys and take off.”
    Tim tossed me the keys and stalked away. Another friend made. Christopher went after him, presumably to tell him to stop