Anthony had been pacing the corridor outside the observation lounge for the better part of ten minutes, checking the chronometer every few seconds as if that might speed time along. The last few days had been a whirlwind. Since Thalia's maternal progenitor had left, the quiet between them had taken on a deeper sense of intimacy. They'd passed the initial shock, and the reality of the pregnancy had begun to settle. Now came the next layer of uncertainty: his own family.
The visit had been arranged quickly. His mother, a cultural linguistics professor who'd previously worked as a civilian consultant to the Coalition, had secured temporary passage aboard the Asteria under the pretense of updating some Terran-Narian educational exchange protocols. But Anthony knew better. She wanted to see for herself what had become of her son. And maybe—just maybe—verify some maternal suspicions.
The lounge doors opened with a soft hiss. Anthony straightened just as his mother stepped through. Cassandra Lawrence was a woman of precise movements and sharp eyes. Her hair, graying at the temples, was pulled back in a sleek twist, and her diplomatic badge glinted against the dark crimson of her civilian uniform. Her eyes locked onto him immediately—and softened.
"There you are," she said warmly, crossing the space with open arms. He hugged her tightly, a rare moment of unguarded affection. "You're not injured, malnourished, or suffering from existential dread. I'm relieved."
Anthony chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Mom."
She pulled back, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Now, where's the alien girl you accidentally propositioned and formed a cultural bridge with?"
He grinned, gesturing toward the far corridor. "She'll be here any second. We just finished our shift. She wanted to change."
Cassandra nodded but tilted her head slightly, observing him with that unrelenting maternal scrutiny. "You seem... different."
Before he could answer, the door opened again. Thalia entered in a casual navy uniform, neural filaments lightly draped behind her. Her expression was calm, her steps measured. But Anthony could feel the flutter in her emotional field through their bond.
Cassandra turned, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Thalia—then narrowing again in a different way. She studied the subtle glow in Thalia's bioluminescent filaments, the faint but noticeable blue markings on her skin.
Thalia extended a hand in the Coalition gesture Cassandra would be familiar with. "Mrs. Lawrence. It's an honor. I've heard so much about you."
But Cassandra didn't shake her hand right away. Instead, she looked from Thalia to Anthony, then back again. And then she smiled.
"I'm going to be a grandma, aren't I?"
The room froze for a half-beat.
Anthony blinked. Thalia froze entirely, her neural filaments stiffening in surprise. Then, slowly, Anthony exhaled.
"Yes," he said. "You are."
Cassandra let out a laugh that was half joy, half disbelief. "I knew it. I could feel it the second she walked in. Your posture. Her eyes. And those markings? Oh, Anthony. This is incredible."
Thalia glanced at Anthony, then back at Cassandra. "You aren't... concerned?"
"Oh, I'm terrified," Cassandra said brightly. "You think human genetics coursework prepared me for cross-species grandchildren? But concerned? No. Not in the way you mean. I've seen enough to know when a bond is real. You two are... something special."
Thalia visibly relaxed, and Anthony stepped closer, taking her hand. Through the bond, he felt her tension ebbing.
"Dad's on board too," he said. "He's off consulting with Renara about shield harmonics, but we'll tell him tonight."
Cassandra nodded. "I already messaged your aunt and cousins. Expect a flood of holo-letters and embarrassing family anecdotes within a day."
They laughed. The tension had cracked open into something warmer, something real.
Later that evening, after Cassandra had left to prepare a meal in the visiting quarters, Thalia leaned against Anthony in the quiet of their shared quarters.
"She's different than I expected," she murmured.
"In a good way, I hope."
Thalia nodded. "She's... emotionally transparent. Not many Narians would be so open."
Anthony kissed the top of her head. "That's where I get it from."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stars drift past the viewport, and for once, there was no urgent alert, no cultural misstep to recover from, no looming crisis. Just them. And the new life beginning to form between them—not just their child, but the bridge of family spanning stars.
And somewhere in the dark corners of the galaxy, a presence that had tracked the bond's resonance continued to observe. Silently. Waiting.