11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Summer

Renick's mother took me shopping the next day for a funeral outfit. I couldn't believe that I was only on my first full day on Tenap, and in a few days, I would attend my first funeral. I mean things could only go up from here right? I hoped this wasn't an indication of our marriage, bonding, whatever they called it here, would go.

Imoa, as she instructed me to call her, took me in a flyer, and I was like a kid in a candy shop the entire ride. I stared out the window, glee written all over my face. Since I was a young girl, I'd wanted to ride in one, and here I was, living my dream. The streets and buildings on Tenap were so like Earth, yet vastly different with shining windows and steel glinting in the sunlight. It was the same, yet different. She parked the flyer in an open air field, among a half a dozen other transports, and I relished the yellow grass under my feet.

I wore jeans, a light pink casual top with a light sweater, and black flats. I was grateful I left my athletic shoes at home. From what I saw people tended to dress a little more formally here, and I'd need a new wardrobe to fit in.

Imoa guided me into a shop with articles of clothing that looked more expensive than anything I'd ever purchased before.

When we went inside, she placed her hand on my shoulder and bent down to my height to whisper, "Don't worry, we'll put it under my account. As soon as Renick officially takes his father's place and the titles to the assets are transferred, you will have free access to anything he has. Don't worry about the cost of any item. There's more than enough to cover everything."

From that statement alone, I was a bit nervous to go inside. I didn't want to knock any of the intricate decorations over or accidentally ruin the clothing, lest the shop charge my damages to the account.

"I don't think I've said this before, Imoa, but I'm sorry for the loss of your husband. From what Renick told me he was a good man."

"Thank you, daughter." I could see genuine affection on her face. "We had many great years together. I wish you and Renick a lifetime of happiness and as many years as my husband and I had."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I do wish we weren't meeting under these circumstances."

A muscle in her lower jaw twitched, and she pursed her lips. I could tell it took all her restraint not to show the deep emotion she was feeling. Making her cry was the last thing I wanted her to do.

Inside the store hundreds of dresses stood on display. I made a beeline for black, the darker, more somber colors.

"Those would be beautiful for your bonding ceremony," Imoa said.

"Wait, what?" I blinked rapidly.

"Maybe it's a good thing that we look for your bonding ceremony outfit first, instead of doing the sadder things."

"I'd wear a dark color to my bonding ceremony?" I asked.

Imoa tilted her head, and a hint of a smile crossed her face. "I have a feeling there's a cultural difference here. Come with me, daughter," she said, guiding me over to white outfits with shimmery details, little sequins, beading, and a few even had gemstones.

"These are the funeral clothes," Imoa said. I must have had a confused look on my face, because she continued. "Let me guess. In your culture you wear dark colors to mourn the death of a loved one."

"That's right," I said. "Death is a somber occasion, and we wear dark clothes for mourning."

"Here we celebrate their lives, and we celebrate the joy in the time we spent with them. We wear white to honor them like the clouds in the sky. Even though at times the clouds disappear, they always reform, and in that sense our loved ones come back to us. They never leave us."

My heart pounded. "I like that. It's comforting. If you look up at the sky, you can see your relatives. You can feel them looking down on you."

"Exactly," she said. "It's a beautiful way to honor your loved ones. I appreciate you honoring my mate, even though you never met him." Imoa flicked through the options in front of her. "Do you see anything you like?" Imoa asked. "I think I'll go with this one," she said, picking up a simple dress with a dainty cape sewed to the top of the shoulder. Along the edge of the cape a line of beads was sewn in and above that there were two rows of white and silver sequins that alternated spaces. "Yes, I think this is the one I'm going to go with."

"It's a beautiful way to honor your mate," I said. I glanced back at Imoa's dress and chose a similar one only adorned with one row of beads on the cape.

"You honor me, daughter," Imoa said. "Unknowingly, you've picked a mother and daughter outfit."

"Should I pick something different?"

"Absolutely not! You are my oldest son's mate, and you are my family."

A lump formed in my throat "Thank you," I choked out.

Imoa brought the dresses to the counter. "We're not done yet," she said to the female with long purple hair wrapped in a crown shape braid over her head.

"Take all the time you need, Imoa," she said.

Imoa clapped her hands. "Now, onto the fun stuff! You need a bonding ceremony outfit."

She guided me towards dresses in all different colors. Pantsuits as well as racks of gowns in all shades and styles covered the shop. Arranged in a rainbow, outfits of purples, pinks, oranges and yellows filled the upper floor. I stepped back, taking everything in.

"Wow, this is overwhelming. I don't know where to begin. Would you help me, Imoa? What do females on Tenap usually wear?"

She laughed, and her face looked younger. "Whatever they want. Whatever looks good on them. Why? What do females in your culture wear?"

I explained that they typically wear a white dress. "I suppose it's a symbol for purity and a new beginning," I said, "but here I don't want to wear white. I want to blend in since now I'm going to be one of your people. The Abrane, I mean."

"Oh daughter." Imoa pulled me in for a big hug. "You already are. What's your favorite color?" she asked.

"Blue or purple, I think. Actually I don't really have a favorite color. They all have a place."

"Stay here." Imoa ushered me to a round seat, almost like an ottoman style couch I'd only ever seen in old movies, in the center of the store. The couch was deep black in a semicircle shape and extremely comfortable. "Usually it's not the person seeking the dress that sits here but their family. Would you like to relax here for a bit while I find some outfits I think would look good with your complexion? They might all be a little too large for you, seeing as you're tiny."

"I'm not that short for a human," I said.

"She laughed. "For a human, right. You're short compared to us."

"Plus, I have some extra curves." I gestured towards my hips and midsection.

She waved a hand. "You're perfect as you are. My son is clearly smitten."

A sales clerk came and popped a large glass in my hand. "Relax while we find some things for you to try on."

My mother-in-law, I supposed I should think of her in that capacity since I was legally mated to her son, zipped around the store, grabbing a few things off multiple racks. "I think these three will look amazing on you. Would you like to try them on?" she asked after a few minutes.

"The fitting rooms are through here," said the clerk who led me to a hidden alcove.

I tried the first dress on. It was long and a deep hunter green with a plunging neck and backline. It was almost as scandalous as a dress worn by some singer to an award show a long time ago. I was afraid if I moved rapidly, my overly large breasts would fall out without any support system. The bottom was too long and would need to be tailored, but I held it like an old Hollywood starlet.

I walked out in bare feet to see Imoa. "What do you think?" I asked, twirling around slowly.

"It's a beautiful color on you, but I'm not sure if it is right for your bonding. Try the orange one," she encouraged.

A few minutes later I came out. Imoa tutted, "No, I like that one better on the hanger than on you. It clashes a bit with your hair and skin. It makes you washed out, and you're much too vibrant. What about the last one?"

I hid in the changing room and put my old clothes back on. I came out holding the third dress. "I have an idea," I said. "I know the perfect outfit. Thank you for this, but I don't need one of these."

"Are you positive?"

"I am." A smile played across my lips. Yes, I had the perfect dress.

"In that case, let's pay for the things we did pick and be on our way to lunch. All this shopping made me hungry," Imoa said, rubbing her stomach.

Now that I'd spent time with her, I understood what Renick meant. His mother was a force of nature, definitely used to getting her way, and I needed to take some lessons from her.

Imoa paid by putting our purchases on her late husband's account. Instead of heading back to the flyer, we walked down the main street. It was full of shops and beings of all kinds, walking around, going about their daily lives. I peered at the entrance to a park, enjoying the laughter of children on things that look like slides in swing sets but were vastly different. Some obstacles and play sets I'd never seen before, but I recognized a climbing wall.

"I loved playing in the park with my family," I said. Nostalgia tinged my voice. "My brother is close in age to me. We used to play for hours at a time before the Elodian invasion. Our younger sisters were born after and our town is still rebuilding. Parks aren't a high priority though."

"Renick too. He was outside more than he was in. He loved climbing and hiding. I think it was his favorite pastime." His mom smiled, and we passed a few restaurants. Instead of going into some of the more elegant ones, Imoa led me down a less crowded side street.

We stopped at a food cart, and before I knew it I was eating the alien equivalent of a street hot dog and pretzel.

"This is delicious," I said between bites.

Imoa put her finger to her lips and leaned in conspiratorially. "This is my guilty pleasure type of food. Don't tell. It'll be our secret. My husband and Renick think I love high-end food all the time. I didn't grow up with the things they had. I think you and I have more in common than you know sometimes. Simple is best," his mother said, adding an extra little tip to the street vendor. "I'll send some more business your way. Your food is delicious, thank you."

We took our time wandering the streets of the town. She pointed out some of her favorite places and warned me against going into others for various reasons.

We finally came to the shuttle, and she asked if I wanted to try steering at home.

"Not today, thank you. This is only the second time I've ever been in a flyer. Besides, I still have a lot to learn. I've never done anything like this before."

"It's not difficult to fly."

"I don't feel comfortable enough as a passenger yet, let alone fly somebody else's flyer."

Imoa laughed. "It goes on autopilot, but I'll have Renick give you lessons, or I can when you feel more comfortable."

The ride home was mostly in silence until she asked, "Forgive my boldness. Do you think you could ever fall in love with my son? I know you don't know him long enough or well enough."

I nodded. "I believe he's a good, kind male. From what I do know of him, he's gentle and respectful. You've raised him well."

His mom flushed. "I did my best. When you work with him in his political role, don't make the same mistake I did."

"Mistake?"

"If you have children, stay home with them for a bit. Spend time with them in their formative years. I let some nannies raise mine, and that is my biggest regret. Take your children with you if you go on ambassadorial missions. I believe they learn more from that than they would from home tutoring."

I sat silently absorbing her words. Children. What would Renick's and my children look like? Would they have his dark purple skin? Would they look more tan like me, or would they be a blend of both of us? Perhaps lighter purple with my hair and green eyes like my parents. The more I thought about having children with Renick, the more the idea appealed to me.

"Oh Summer, are you infertile?" Imoa asked. "I didn't mean to push."

"No, but I never thought about having children. I do think travel is an important learning experience, and I would want to take them if we ever had to go somewhere, or perhaps…" I paused, "sometimes they could stay with their grandmother."

"Really?" Her face blossomed with hope. "That's more than I could ever wish for."

"Maybe if Renick agrees, you could come along with us on our travels, and mind the children if he and I had to work. I'd rather my future children be raised by family rather than a total stranger."

Imoa beamed. "It would be an honor."

"On that note," I continued, "speaking of work, I will need your expertise and guidance with politics. It's not something I'd ever been interested in before." My fingers twisted in knots on my lap. "I'm nervous. I hope I'll be good enough."

Imoa took my hand, giving it a light squeeze. "You'll be fine, daughter. Renick and I will make sure of it."

Once we landed and exited the flyer, a handful of servants came to grab the bags full of our purchases. They disappeared into the house while I waited for Imoa, and we walked together inside.

"Let's go see where your mate is, and what he got up to this afternoon," she said. "Then we'll bore him to death with our shopping exploits. Watch for a muscle at the corner of his eye. It twitches when he gets bored but won't end a conversation because he's being polite." Her laughter was infectious, and in that moment I knew I had found myself in a good place.