Chapter 35

"Welcome home," Zyair told Layla as they stepped into his apartment on Noxxa.

It had been a long journey, and Layla was exhausted. Still, she couldn't help but squeal when she saw the place she would now be sharing with Zyair.

"It's beautiful!" she told him.

It wasn't even the place itself, though, nice as it was. She was squealing at the thought of sharing her life with this man—her husband-to-be and the father of her child. She wanted nothing more than to build a home with him. At that point, she didn't care where it was, as long as they were together and safe.

"Come on. Let me give you the grand tour." He led her into the first room.

A sparsely but tastefully furnished living room opened up before her. As much as she wanted to see the rest of the place, she had to do something first. Her body was heavy with exhaustion, and the only thing on her mind was finding out how soft the long, dark, satiny-looking couch was.

Very soft, she discovered, as she threw herself down and nestled into the fabric.

Zyair smiled at her from across the room before making his way over and sitting down beside her on the couch. Layla adjusted herself so that her head was on Zyair's lap. As they lay there, she felt the weight of the previous few months fall off her.

Zyair still seemed a little bit tense, though, and Layla could guess why. He'd been a little out of sorts ever since they stopped off on Lorr on the way back from Jorvla. Even though he did all he could to make it a successful trip, it was clear there was something bothering him.

"Still thinking about the stone?" Layla asked, turning her head to look up at him.

Zyair let out a sigh that told her how much weight he still carried. "I know leaving it with my father was the right thing, but I still feel like I failed at my job somehow," he told her, and she could hear the disappointment in his voice.

It wasn't hard for her to figure out why. King Vrondo wasn't exactly the supportive type. Even though his son had literally just saved the world, the king had found ways to criticize him anyway.

Maybe that was why all the sons preferred to work for themselves at PAPS rather than serving in the royal court, Layla figured. At least at the agency they had clients who would dole out praises and gratitude whenever a case was solved. That part was missing in this particular case, though. Even to Layla, it felt a little unresolved.

She thought for a second. "Well, your job was to find out who stole the Desolation Stone. Right? And to recover it. And to keep it out of the wrong hands. I'd say you did all of those things."

She let her hand rest on his thigh, gently soothing him. To her relief, Zyair appeared to relax a little.

"I'm not sure Darina would agree," he replied, a wry smile crossing his face.

"I'm pretty sure the entire population of Lorr would, though, so I'd count that as a win," Layla countered. "Besides, leaving a potential weapon of mass destruction just lying around in an old woman's trinket collection doesn't exactly sound like a good option. You did the right thing, Zyair. You should be proud."

Zyair chuckled. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" he asked, gently stroking her hair. "And what an amazing mother you're going to make?"

Layla felt her heart swell at his words. Now that the imminent danger was over, they could finally get to the much more appealing business of planning for their future. Despite her tiredness, she felt a sudden thrill of energy rush through her.

"You're going to make the most incredible father," she replied, smiling up at him.

The reality of the baby seemed to suddenly dawn on them both at once.

"We're really going to be parents," Zyair whispered, beaming with joy.

Layla nodded and pulled herself up into Zyair's lap.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" she asked, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to talk about everything they hadn't had the chance to explore until now.

Zyair grinned. "I have some ideas, but first we have to decide if we want a Terran name or a Lorr name."

Layla smiled. "Arm wrestle you for it?" she joked and they both laughed.

"Why don't we make a mix of both?" he suggested. Layla loved the idea.

"Oh my god, yes!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around him.

Everything about the idea filled her with happiness. In their child, they would not only be joining themselves but their cultures, their worlds, their languages. It was beginning to dawn on her that they were about to become a part of something much bigger than themselves. The thought both thrilled and daunted her.

She knew, though, that with Zyair she could do anything. They'd already proven that.

"And we'll have to go shopping for baby clothes," added Zyair as he held her close.

Layla pulled back, looking into his eyes. She loved to see how excited he was about all of this. The grumpy Lorr warrior she'd first met seemed almost like a distant memory. Zyair could still be very serious, of course, but he was also gentle and kind. He was open and loving and generous, and she couldn't wait to see how he would use all of those traits in his role as a father.

"What about the nursery?" she asked him, suddenly wishing she had done the walkthrough of the house when she had still been standing.

"Well, we'll have to get a bigger place now that we have someone else joining the family," Zyair told her, grinning.

Layla couldn't jump off the couch fast enough. "Yes, let's go look right now!" she cried, forgetting her exhaustion.

"Take it easy," he reminded her, smiling. "You just got done risking your life and breaking out of prison and everything else. Anyway, we have plenty of time."

She smiled sheepishly, no longer needing to prove herself to him.

"You're right," she said. "I'll take it easy."

She was about to sit back down, but Zyair did her one better. He scooped her into his arms and carried her through their home. Layla giggled, throwing her arms around his neck again. She felt like the luckiest woman in the galaxy.

When they reached the bedroom, though, Layla was still thinking about the nursery.

"Can we paint a mural on the walls?" she asked spontaneously.

Zyair put her down gently on the bed, turning her around to massage her shoulders.

"In here?" he asked, puzzled. "I guess so."

Layla laughed. "No, I mean in the nursery."

Zyair laughed, too, relieving some tension for them both. "Of course," he told her. "What do you have in mind?"

Layla thought back to the dream she'd had the night Zyair broke her out of the holding cell.

"I think a forest would be nice," she replied, smiling softly. "The kind we have on Earth."

Zyair stopped for a moment, his hands wrapping around her belly. Layla could feel the love in his touch.

"That sounds perfect," he replied.