Their new home was a three-bedroom condo in a nice part of town.
Her Gathering Room was large, as were the bedrooms and kitchen. The kitchen had a microwave, refrigeration unit, double oven, upright freezer, a replicator, and plenty of counter space.
The master bedroom was to the right of the kitchen. The bathroom was between the two. Her bedroom had a queen-size bed, a dresser, two nightstands, and a medium walk-in closet. Each nightstand had a lamp.
The Gathering Room had a sofa with built-in recliners at each end, plus two other recliners, a glass coffeetable and 2 end tables with lamps.
The bathroom was somewhat small but highly functional. She had a large balcony with a grill, numerous plants, plus a patio table and chairs.
Inside, she had numerous curios on wall shelves, pictures and paintings on the walls, figurines and candles on the Gathering Room coffeetable, plants scattered around the condo, plus several herb plants in the kitchen. She absolutely loved plants!
There was a large-screen in the Gathering Room just outside and to the right of the kitchen entrance. The sofa sat across from the large-screen.
On the walls just to the left of the kitchen and large-screen was plenty of room for pictures or curio shelves.
The second bedroom was just past the kitchen. It had a twin bed, nightstand, dresser, plus toy box and bookcase.
Among Elyse's belongings were doilies, decorative bowls, figurines, herbs for cooking, and fragrant potpourri.
She put a large bowl on the coffee table in the Gathering Room, a small bowl in her bathroom as well as on the dresser in her bedroom. She placed a doily under each, then put potpourri in them. Elyse also put large scented jarred candles by the bowl in her room.
She had small candles and wax burners in her bedroom and kitchen, plus large jarred candles, wax burners, and incense burners in her Gathering Room, and some figurines in her
bedroom.
Elyse had decided to start her very own business soon after they'd moved in. She'd sold high-end makeup and skincare from home while she was married to T'okh, and continued selling it from her condo as well as starting her own candle and soap company. Their third bedroom served as her office and “factory”.
The building had a fitness center and pool. The grounds had a park with a swing set and slide for kids as well. She and Tucker loved living there!
Other than a couple neighbors and some of Tucker's classmates' parents, who all were more acquaintances than anything, she didn't have alot of friends.
She did most of her shopping at the local megamart, where the prices were better than the grocery store and boutiques down the street from them. Even though she was set financially, she still loved a good bargain.
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One day she and Tucker decided to go to the complex's playground.
Tucker wore a tshirt and shorts along with his Warrior Dakha athletic shoes.
Elyse had put on some makeup. She wore a purple tank top, shorts, a pair of earrings, her ear cuff, chain and earring, plus flipflops.
Her fingernails and toenails were both painted purple.
Elyse sat on a park bench sipping on her iced coffee while Tucker played on the swings and slides.
For lunch they had sandwiches, cookies, and drinks she'd brought from home.
Shortly after they'd finished lunch, a Na'lkhadh man and his daughter arrived at the playground. The girl smiled broadly at Elyse, then immediately ran over and started playing with Tucker.
The man sat down on the bench with Elyse and very politely introduced himself. His name was Va'otohr.
Like all Na'lkhadhs, Va'otohr's skin was flesh-toned, and he had ridges that lay flat on his temples and the bridge of his nose. He had no markings, though, as many other races did.
He had medium brown hair that came down just below his shoulders. A gentle bear of a man, he was quite tall, 6'5", and extremely muscular, with six-pack abs and a chestful of hair. He had a physique that could take your breath away. It certainly took Elyse's away!
Va'otohr was divorced. His daughter was 10 years old. His ex had cut them out of her life, signing over her parental rights the morning she presented him with divorce papers.
He was now raising his daughter on his own.
“It's nice to meet you, Elyse. Your name is beautiful!”, he said.
They then told each other their stories.
Va'otohr was a tenured professor of Intergalactic Anthropology and Archaeology at the nearby university.
Abit later it was time to leave. Va'otohr invited them to go out to dinner with him and his daughter, Sh'ohlarah. They very happily accepted.
They walked to a local restaurant. The kids had kid's cheese meat rounds meals. They loved their new toys and to-go cups!
Elyse and Va'otohr had bacon double cheese meat rounds meals, with carbonated drinks for their beverages.
Over the next few months, Elyse got to know him better. She found him to be very sweet and kind, not only to her but to Tucker as well.
He loved Tucker as much as she loved Sh'ohlarah. He was galaxies away from how T'okh was!
Over the months the two developed a deep friendship. At times their friendship seemed more like a marriage, despite their relationship being purely platonic.
His friends said they acted like an old married couple at times.
The kids got on like wildfire, considering themselves not only to be merely friends but, also, siblings. The fact that they were different species made absolutely no difference to them whatsoever.
Va'otohr had stepped up and taken on a paternal role for Tucker, and Elyse had done the same, taking on a maternal role for Sh'ohlarah.
He considered Tucker to be his son, and Elyse considered Sh'ohlarah to be hers.
They were all a happy family, despite being nothing more than platonic friends who lived a building apart.
YOU ARE READING
Deep Space: The Na'lkhadh Chronicles
Science FictionAfter a disastrous marriage, a human woman, Elyse, rebuilds her life with Na'lkhadh warrior Va'otohr aboard a deep space station in the distant future.
