“Happy birthday,” he told her while pulling on a clean T-shirt.
“How’d you know?” Turning, she glanced over her shoulder and led him toward the kitchen. A symphony of unfamiliar odors mingled with the bacon to assault his nose and turn his stomach before he reached the doorway.
“I requested a portfolio on your family several weeks ago.” When they reached the kitchen, he stopped short. The surface of the oak table was barely visible beneath dozens of breakfast dishes: bacon, eggs, cold cereals, a scorched assortment of breads, and clumsily chopped chunks of fruit.
He stared at the smorgasbord in open-mouthed surprise. “This is a lot of food for two people. Where are your parents?”
“At mass. They never miss it. I’m more of a cafeteria Catholic—I pick and choose when to go, what to believe. Drives Mom crazy.”
Ah, yes, their God, whom Christians referred to as Father. Interesting that several galaxies away, his people prayed to the Sacred Mother and her children, the gods of L’eihr.
Cara shrugged and nodded toward the table. “You can try a little of everything till you find something you like.”
“You made all this for me?” Surely she didn’t expect him to sample each foul dish. He might not survive it.
“Don’t panic. You don’t have to eat it all. But I can tell you don’t like the food here, and it’s my job to make sure you’re comfortable and happy.”
Comfort and happiness: two states of being he’d never achieve on Earth.
“You shouldn’t have,” he managed.
She smiled and stood a bit straighter. “It was no big deal.”
But clearly it was a “big deal.” She must have spent hours preparing the meal, and on her birthday, no less, so he forced a grin, took a plate, and spooned out a small serving of each food on the table.
Twenty minutes later, he simply couldn’t take any more.
“I’m sorry.” He tried to hold back a grimace. “I appreciate the effort.”
“No biggie. But we have to find something you like before you lose weight.”
“Actually, I’ve gained weight by default. L’eihr is slightly smaller than Earth, so my body is heavier on your planet.”
“Really?” Her auburn brows rose toward her hairline. “How much heavier? Is it harder to move around?”
“No, the difference is negligible, only a few pounds. But don’t worry about my nutrition. The supplements really do supply my body with most of my dietary needs.”
Cara pursed her lips and tapped them with her index finger. “What do you eat for breakfast at home?”
“Usually t’ahinni. It’s a basic grain and protein dish made with larun, my favorite flatbread.” Aelyx sighed, remembering the nutty, slightly smoky flavor of warm flatbread, freshly baked and crisp from the oven. He could almost taste it.
“Does lar-uhn compare to anything here?”
“Well . . .” He glanced around the table. “It’s difficult to explain, but maybe a cross between your wheat toast and that corn bread over there.”
“Hmm.” Cara’s gaze shifted to the side and she fell silent a moment. A slow smile spread across her mouth. He wondered, a little nervously, what she was thinking.
“Okay.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her robe pocket and slapped it on the table. “I made a list of things we can do today.” She pointed a red fingernail at each item as she spoke. “We can go hiking. I thought about swimming, but I don’t think it’ll be warm enough. Or—”
“Wait,” he said. “Isn’t it customary to celebrate your birthday with friends and family? Don’t worry about keeping me entertained. Do what you like; I can stay here and read.”
“Eric and Tori have away games.” The corners of her mouth drooped into a scowl. “You’ll meet them at the party tonight.”
The prospect didn’t seem to excite her. Before he had the chance to ask why, she pushed her chair away from the table and tossed the list into the recycling bin. “Let’s just take a walk. I’ll go get dressed.”
Aelyx moved into a patch of shade and gazed at the silvery undersides of the leafy canopy shielding him from the sun. A light wind caressed his skin, offering a temporary reprieve from the oppressive heat. He pulled back his dampened hair and fastened it behind his neck.
“We should’ve gone swimming.” Cara used a hand to fan her cheeks. The breeze shifted a branch from above, allowing the sunlight to touch her hair. The metallic strands seemed to ignite, glistening like a flame, and he glanced away. It was too much color, a sensory overload.
“Is this what you’d call an Indian summer?” He squinted at the vivid green grass. No matter where he trained his gaze, he couldn’t escape Earth’s vibrancy.
“No, because we haven’t had the first freeze yet. But this time of year’s always wonky. Next week we’ll probably be wearing sweaters.” She sat on a thick patch of grass and leaned against an oak tree. “Tell me about the weather on L’eihr. You have seasons, right?” Before he had a chance to respond, she said, “That’s a stupid question. Your planet revolves around a sun, so of course you have seasons.”
“It’s not a stupid question.” He sat down in the cool grass opposite Cara. “Temperatures on L’eihr would fluctuate with the planet’s rotation if we didn’t manipulate the climate.”
She leaned in his direction, eyes wide. “You control the weather?”
“Of course. That shouldn’t surprise you.”
“Well, what do I know about L’eihr? There’s not much information out there.”
“That’s the point of the exchange. And humans are fairly close to achieving climate control. I’d say within the next two hundred years.”
“Or sooner, if your scientists decide to share the secret.” She smiled and plucked a blade of grass from the ground.
“Perhaps. You never know.” Everything had a price. The cancer cure had served its purpose, and he was certain humans would do just about anything for more of L’eihr’s technology. In fact, his Elders were counting on it, the shortsighted fools.
“So tell me about your weather. I’ll bet it’s sunny and warm every day.” She swept the blade of grass absently back and forth across the side of her calf, and for an inexplicable reason, Aelyx’s breath caught at the top of his lungs.
“Not quite.” Glancing at Cara again, he trained his eyes on hers, away from her body. “We maintain a mild temperature, around seventy degrees, but we don’t manipulate cloud cover. The main purpose behind our weather control is to prevent destructive storms. Our oceans are larger than yours, so there’s greater potential for damage.”
“How much larger?” she asked. “Is there less land mass?”
“About forty percent less.” L’eihr boasted only two continents, and most of the land remained uninhabited. “But we control urban sprawl, so it’s not an issue.”
“I wish you’d brought pictures. I’ve got no idea what to expect when it’s my turn to come visit you. What’s your planet look like?”
He leaned back and closed his eyes, smiling as he summoned his favorite images. “Well, for starters, our sky isn’t blue, it’s gray. The shade changes as the day goes on.”
“Shut up!”
“Pardon?” Had he said something wrong again?
“It’s just an expression,” she said with a wave. “You surprised me, is all.”
“Oh. Anyhow, the gases in our atmosphere are different from Earth’s, which affects the color of our sky. We have three moons, but the third is so small it can only be seen at certain times of the month. And photosynthesis doesn’t exist on L’eihr. Our plants derive nutrients from the air, like your Spanish moss, so there’s no green. Everything is gray and brown. Imagine how Earth’s northern hemisphere looks in the winter. It bears a slight resemblance to L’eihr.”