17. Abbey

17

ABBEY

After she finally got to pee and wash her hands, Abbey came out of the bathroom feeling relieved. She had memorized the layout so she wouldn't need a tour again.

She took Solon's offered arm and he brought her into a large, echoing space that must be some kind of kitchen, though he told her it was called a "food prep area." He got her seated on a high stool—so high that her feet didn't touch the ground—at a table that came up past her breasts. Abbey surmised that the table and stool must be built for Kindred sized people and since almost all of the alien warriors were seven feet tall and over, it made sense for their furniture to be oversized.

"I'm putting a cup of T'sane brew right in front of you. Please be careful, it's extremely hot," Solon rumbled.

"Thank you." Abbey felt carefully for the cup, which unfortunately was clear. Or she thought it was—at any rate, she couldn't see it against the backdrop of the dark brown table.

"Is there a problem?" Solon asked, sounding anxious.

"No, no!" Abbey said quickly. "It's just…this cup must be clear. Or else the same color as the table?" she asked.

"It's made of clear glass," he acknowledged. "Why?"

"Well, because I can still see colors, I use them as visual clues," Abbey explained. "Lots of blind people and people with profound vision loss still use what vision they have left to help them get around and function in the world," she added. "I'm really lucky I can still see colors and contrasts."

"Would it help if I poured the brew into a different colored cup?" he asked.

"If you have one," Abbey said. "Anything high contrast—if the tea is dark brown and the table is dark brown, a white or bright yellow cup would make it much easier for me to see."

"Let me see what I have." He stood up at once and Abbey heard him rummaging through the cabinets. A moment later he came back and asked, "Does this work?"

There was a flurry of motion in her field of vision and she saw a gold blur holding a white blur.

"Yes, that's perfect." Abbey nodded.

"Give me a moment." He took the cup away as well as the one he'd placed in front of her. A minute later, the white cup filled with steaming, fragrant liquid reappeared. "There—please be careful, it's still hot," he remarked.

"Thank you."

Abbey lifted the cup with both hands and brought it carefully to her mouth. She blew on the steaming liquid and then took a little sip, being sure she wasn't going to burn her tongue. It was sweet and floral with a hint of mint—she liked it at once.

"Mmm, this is good," she said, looking up at the golden blur beside her.

"I'm glad you like it." His voice was deep and rumbling—though hearing it in her dreams had frightened her, Abbey found she liked it now.

It amazed her that she felt so comfortable with the big Kindred who she had feared so desperately just an hour ago. How had he gotten her to trust him so easily?

Abbey didn't know, but she did feel a cautious sense of optimism. He had her alone with him in a strange place but he hadn't hurt her—in fact, he'd saved her when she fell into the bathing pool and listened while she poured her heart out about Henry's attack.

He'd also promised not to touch her unless she wanted to be touched—that was huge for Abbey. After what she'd been through, she needed assurances like that in order to feel safe with a member of the opposite sex—especially one as big and strong as Solon obviously was.

After they drank the tea he had made them, he asked her what kind of foods she liked to eat.

"I've got a lot of Earth cuisine meal cubes but if you have a special meal that you want, please let me know what ingredients to get and I'll try to cook it for you," he told her.

"Meal cubes?" Abbey frowned. "What are those?"

Solon explained that they were instant meals which rehydrated and expanded when placed in a rehydrator machine, which was apparently an appliance he had in his kitchen.

"The packaging becomes a plate in the rehydrator which holds the food. Afterwards, you can throw everything away together," he told her. "I know it's a lazy way to cook, but it's also convenient and the meals are often quite delicious. The Kindred go to the most popular restaurants and dehydrate and shrink the fresh food while it's still hot down into cube form for indefinite storage."

"I'd like to see some of those cubes—or feel them, at least," Abbey said thoughtfully.

"Of course—let me get you some." He rose for a moment and then came back. "Hold out your hand please."

Abbey held out her right hand, palm up, and he placed several small square cubes in it.

"Oh—they feel like dice. Or sugar cubes," she remarked, rolling them carefully in her palm. "But how do you tell which meal is which?" she asked, running her fingertips along the smooth surfaces of the cubes.

"It's written in tiny black script—too small for you to make out, I'm afraid," Solon said apologetically. "I can tell you what each one is though. You're holding one cheeseburger and fries meal, one pepperoni pizza meal, and one taco fiesta supreme meal."

"So…all fast food?" Abbey smiled.

"Yes, they're all extremely fast to prepare," he rumbled, clearly not getting her reference, which made her smile even more. "Is any one of those to your liking? I asked the clerk at the Meal Cube store for a selection of the most popular Earth cuisines that people from The United States liked to eat and this is what he gave me. I have plenty of Kindred meals too," he added. "I even have some grieza worms from Twin Moons."

"Grieza worms?" Abbey made a face. "Uh—no thanks."

"Many Earth women claim they taste like dark chocolate," Solon told her. "But you don't have to try them if you don't like."

"No, no—I like trying new things. Maybe later, though—if that's okay?" she asked. "I've had kind of a lot of ‘new things' today already, if you know what I mean."

"Of course. You can do anything you want, Abbey." He said it with such sincerity that Abbey felt her heart flutter. "I want you to feel happy and comfortable here."

"Okay, well…the pizza might be the easiest and least messy one to eat," she decided.

"Coming right up." He picked up one of the cubes and was about to leave but Abbey stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Wait—the rehydrator thingy—how hard is it to use?"

"Exceedingly simple. You just place a cube in the center of the turntable, close the door, and press the button."

"Then…can you teach me? I like to be self-sufficient and know how to do things for myself."

"Certainly. Do you want to take my elbow again?" He came around to stand beside her and offered his elbow. Abbey took it, noting as she did so how muscular his arm was. She couldn't help running her fingers over his thick bicep—he really must be strong. Well, she knew that already, she reminded herself—after all, he'd carried her out of the bathing pool in his arms like she weighed no more than a baby—which was certainly not the case. She also liked the feeling of his short, dense fur against her fingertips—it was so silky and sensuous to touch.

"Oh—you changed clothes," she remarked. He seemed to be wearing some kind of t-shirt—she could feel the soft, stretchy cotton material on his upper arm and shoulder and see the light blue color against his golden arm. His long legs were clad in some kind of black trousers—though she couldn't make out any details besides the color.

"I didn't want to walk around in just my under briefs." He sounded like he was smiling. "Here, let me lead you to the rehydrator."

"Thank you. Actually, could you give me a tour of the whole kitchen…er, food prep area?" Abbey asked. "If you'll just take me around the perimeter of the room and let me touch everything as you tell me what it is and where it is, I can commit it to memory. That way I won't feel so lost."

"Of course—I'd be happy to. Should we start from the doorway, as if you were just walking into the room?"

He took Abbey back to the door and, starting at the right-hand wall, walked her around the entire kitchen area. But he didn't just lead her around the countertops, as she had expected. Instead, they did a detailed tour of every single cabinet and appliance. He even opened the cabinets and let her feel the contents. He explained the spices and seasonings too, making Abbey wish she had her Braille labeler with her because there were so many alien spices it was hard to keep them all straight.

"I have a great memory, but I'm not sure I can remember all these," she said apologetically.

"You only have to ask and I'll tell you," Solon promised. "But you won't have to worry, since you won't be cooking."

"I can cook!" Abbey said, feeling somewhat stung by his assumption otherwise. "As long as everything is organized and I know where all the ingredients are, I'm actually a very good cook."

"I'm sure you are," Solon replied. "But this is our Claiming Period—I am supposed to cook for you—not the other way around. The warrior cooks for his bride and provides her with anything she wants during this time."

"Oh, sorry," Abbey said, feeling abashed. "I didn't mean to accuse you of being ableist. It's just that so many people assume that blind people can't cook and many of us can, quite well."

"If you want to cook, I'll make it happen for you," he promised. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it."

"Well, I don't mind cooking but I don't love it either," Abbey confessed. "The meal cubes sound really convenient."

"They're tasty too—at least I think so," Solon promised. "You'll have to let me know your opinion after you try some."

They continued their tour of the kitchen, which wound up taking almost an hour due to all the different appliances and implements. To Abbey's dismay, most of the big Kindred's plates and cups were clear glass, but she told herself she could deal with it.

I'll just have to be extra careful and feel around a lot, she thought.

But just as she was thinking that, Solon said,

"I'll get all these replaced, of course. I'll do it tomorrow."

"Oh, you don't have to replace all your dishes and cups just for me," Abbey protested.

"Yes, I do." His deep voice was firm. "I want you to be happy and comfortable here down to every last detail, lelka."

Then he went on with the tour.

At last they got to the rehydrator machine, which was mounted on the wall much like a microwave. It seemed to work like a microwave too. Solon helped her open the door with his big hand over hers, and she placed the pepperoni pizza meal cube in the center of the machine. Then they shut the door together and he moved her fingers to the single raised button. Abbey pressed it and after a few minutes she heard a ding!

"Now it's ready and it's going to be hot," Solon cautioned her. "Do you want to try and lift it out alone or can I help you?"

"You can help." Abbey liked that he asked her and gave her the option to try it on her own rather than just assuming she couldn't manage. But she wasn't trying to prove anything—she just wanted the pizza, which smelled delicious.

She opened the door on her own this time and the warm, cheesy scent intensified.

"Mmm—that smells wonderful!" she breathed.

"It does smell good—no wonder it's a popular choice," he remarked. "I'm going to stand right behind you and put my hands over yours as you lift the plate. If it looks like you're going to drop it or spill it, I'll catch it—all right?"

"All right." Abbey nodded. Then she felt his big, warm body directly behind her own and his long arms hovering over hers.

The feeling of having the big Monstrum so close would have frightened her in the past—but now she felt a pleasurable little shiver run up her spine.

He felt so warm and big and solid behind her. And even though the smell of the pepperoni pizzas was strong, she could also smell that same warm, masculine scent she'd smelled in her dreams of him. It made her want to back up a little and make contact with him, even though he was considerately not touching her and obviously being careful not to crowd her.

Abbey managed to get the pizza, which was on a sturdy paper plate that Solon said was the remains of the cube packaging. She lifted it out and he guided her back to the table with a hand on her arm. Abbey put it down without spilling and smiled up at the golden blur that was his face.

"Got it! I can't wait to try this."

"Do you need any special tools to eat it?" he rumbled doubtfully. "Maybe a knife and fork? I have some in the implement drawer."

"Nah, pizza is finger food—that's one reason I chose it," Abbey told him.

"Finger food? Meaning…it's meant to be eaten with your fingers?"

"Exactly." Carefully, she felt for the pizza and lifted it to her mouth. She nibbled the end of the triangular slice and moaned happily as the flavors exploded across her tongue. She had been to New York once, when she and Aunt Rose had attended a Florist Convention together. This pizza tasted every bit as good as the slice she'd had there.

"Do you like it?" Solon asked, sounding slightly anxious.

"It's delicious! Very authentic," Abbey assured him. "Try a bite."

"All right, I will."

He took a bite and Abbey heard his deep hum of approval.

"Mmm, you're right—that's very good. No wonder this is such a popular Earth food."

They finished the pizza off together and then Solon asked if she wanted to try a Monstrum dish. Abbey agreed and he rehydrated a meal cube that turned out to be a delicious cold salad with lots of small, crunchy alien vegetables in a slightly sweet vinegary dressing. They ate it with spoons like it was breakfast cereal but when Abbey remarked on it, she then had to explain the concept of cereal to the big Kindred.

"So…you bake and sweeten grains and store them in a rectangular box. Then when you want to eat them, you pour them into a bowl and fill it with the extrusions of a bovine animal?" He sounded doubtful.

Abbey burst out laughing.

"Not extrusions—milk! You know—the same milk the cow uses to feed its calf—its baby."

"But why would you steal the milk from the youngling?" Solon wanted to know. "What does the calf drink if you take the sustenance from its mother and use it for your cereal?"

"They're not really stealing it from the baby calf—they breed the cows to keep giving milk all the time, even when they don't have babies," she tried to explain.

"Ah, all right." The golden blur that was his head made a motion and she assumed he was nodding. "But I still wonder how the humans first decided they should drink what a baby cow drinks."

"Who knows?" Abbey shrugged. "But we use milk to make cheese and butter and ice cream—all kinds of dairy products. And they're all delicious—we'll have to get some so you can try them. Especially ice cream—that's a sweet, creamy dessert that's sinfully fattening," she added.

"It sounds intriguing. I'm willing to try it," he rumbled. "Maybe we can go out to the Earth food store tomorrow and get some."

Abbey bit her lip. She hadn't promised to do more than spend the rest of today and the night with him. And she certainly hadn't committed to the whole Claiming Period. But so far she liked the big Monstrum—he was taking her blindness in stride in a way no one else she'd ever met had done.

Most of the time when people found out she was blind, they started treating her differently. Some of them seemed to think she was also mentally impaired and others started being extremely careful around her, like she was made of fine china and might break. Solon had done neither of those things. He didn't seem to see her blindness as a disability—it was just something different about her and he didn't seem to mind making accommodations when she asked for them.

"Maybe," she said at last. "Let's wait and see how the rest of our trial period goes."

"Of course. I'm sorry—I didn't mean to make you feel pressured," Solon said.

"You didn't," Abbey assured him. "I just want to take things slowly—that's all."

"We'll go at whatever pace you want," he promised. "I'm willing to wait for however long it takes, lelka—you're worth waiting for."

Abbey felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush. He wasn't touching her, but she could feel his eyes on her and the intensity of his stare was, well, intense.

"What…what does ‘lelka' mean?" she asked, trying to cover her confusion. "You've called me that several times."

"Oh, it's a word from my native language. It means ‘little one' or ‘cherished one.' I hope that doesn't offend you," he rumbled. "You're just so tiny and delicate—the name seemed to fit you."

Abbey laughed.

"Tiny and delicate? Well, that's the first time I've been called that." Even before she'd lost her vision, she'd known that she wasn't the ideal size and shape for a woman. She had always been too curvy and lately she'd gained some weight, which she was currently trying to lose.

"You are tiny—at least you seem tiny to me," Solon protested. "But if you'd rather I didn't call you lelka?—"

"No, it's all right." Abbey smiled at him. "I, uh, kind of like it. It's nice."

"I'm glad you approve." He sounded relieved. "Well, let me clean up and then would you like to do something for entertainment?"

"What did you have in mind?" Abbey asked him.

"Hmm…well, I was going to suggest that we watch a vid together, I have quite a collection—both Earth and Monstrum entertainment vids—but I'm not sure how you feel about ‘watching' something when you can't see the details."

"I don't mind, if you'll describe what's happening in the scene to me," Abbey told him.

"Certainly, I can do that," Solon agreed. "So what would you like to watch?"

"Well, let's see—what have you got?"