She noticed me attending to Taylor. “Maybe I should move on,” she licked her lips. “I broke up with Nate with a boot kick and stomp to his testicles. I didn’t think anything would happen to Pa. Once I was sure, I had to get away from our town.”

Her lips curled into a slight frown. “Nobody said anything, but I knew what they were thinking. I had something to do with his disappearance. Folks weren’t nasty, but they didn’t smile when they saw me. I don’t think they would blame me if they knew, but they were… spooked. Figured, I turned eighteen, and I did my time back home.” She smiled to me. “Thought I’d take a lesson from my older... brother and make my way in the world. I passed the entrance exam and got admitted to a decent college and well…”

“Yeah?”

“Met a nice guy. George. Treats me good and he’s studying Volardi medical tech.” Her gaze went off to the side. “Funny what you’re willing to settle for... I guess. I mean, I wasn’t planning on staying with Nate. Even before that night.”

I fought a tear. My original plan was to have Nate impregnate her. The irony of my situation was obvious. I was loved, but my duty was to help repopulate the Volardi race. Despite my battle, I still wiped at a tear.

“Sorry,” I said. “Hormones.”

“Oh... I never thought to ask. Another pregnancy or...”

“The other,” I said even as heat flashed over my face. I was male, but I still got a monthly heat. It was a mixed blessing. Part of what allowed me to have a baby, but embarrassing for a man that never had to think about that.

Her eyes narrowed. “Damn. If I still hated you, I’d tease you. Now I can’t do that, but can’t the Volardi...?”

“Stop it?” I asked. Memories of bloating, painfully tender nipples, and ‘other things’, flittered through my mind. “Oh they could, but they say pain defines us. Besides, it helps with re-population.”

I left out the part about my increased sex drive during that time.

“Assholes. Welcome to a monthly visitor I guess. I wouldn’t want to wish that on my worst enemy.” She frowned before she grinned. “Glad I haven’t had mine for two months.”

I fought a surly ‘good for you’, before I blinked slow. “Wait... you haven’t had your period?”

My jaw set. Discussing that was another thing I thought I’d never do. Guess that’s what happens when you blur the lines.

Wait…

Her grin grew until it spread across her face. “Well... one night George and I...” She bit her lip, and I saw that waver. We were kin, but we didn’t have decades of sharing secrets. The old Peter and Becky didn’t share stories about guys. We weren’t those people anymore.