Page 5 of So I Married an Alien
“So, Roth’kar,” Amara says, startling me.She nervously taps her steering wheel.“What are you most excited about on Earth?”
I stare at her.Most excited about?I am most excited about being on a planet, regardless of what planet it is.I am most excited about breathing fresh air.I am thrilled to have real earth under my feet.
Instead, I say, “The food.”That’s true enough.Karthinians and humans can digest the same types of proteins, so everything on this planet should be safe for me to eat.And if Amara is well-off enough in her society that she can bring an alien “husband” to her planet, she will have plenty of food.
“Oh?”Her thick brown eyebrows fly high on her forehead.Humans are so expressive, almost exaggeratedly so.When Amara smiles, it is a big, broad smile, the type of smile a Karthinian would save only for their closest loved ones.It’s blinding.“What foods in particular?”
I fidget in my seat.“They didn’t give me much information about Earth’s culinary, um, delights.”
Amara snaps one of her fingers.“They didn’t tell me anything, either!Like, I didn’t even know you were going to be aKarnathawan.”
“Karthinian,” I correct her.
“See?”Her eyes travel to me, and I urge her silently to look back at the road.“If I had known, I would have practiced my introductions and stuff.”
I did know I was coming to Earth; I simply didn’t spend the time looking into what that meant.Would I have changed my mind if I’d been aware they only have wheeled vehicles?
“It’s not a problem,” I say as she turns the car through an intersection with enough velocity that I have to hold on to the door.Honks fill the air, and a tire screeches.“We have plenty of time to learn about one another.”
Right.I must assure her I’m in this for the long haul.I do not want to give her any reasons to end the trial.Once the thirty days are up and I am a permanent resident of Earth, then I will sort out the logistics.
“Aw, I like how you say that.”Amara smiles at me again as she takes her eyes off the front window of the vehicle.Surely we’re going to collide with another car.“You’re really all-in, huh?”
“Yes.”The lie burns my throat a little on the way out.I’m not a habitual liar, but I’ll do what I have to do to survive, as I always did in the Hole.“Though I would be more comfortable if you look where you are going, seeing as there is no autopilot in this vehicle.”
Agreeably, Amara turns back to the road.“Well, I have some food at home I can put together, or we can go out for dinner.But that might be a lot for you to take in on your first night.”
Perhaps seeing her home today is enough for now.I want to get an idea of our living arrangements.
We are officially “husband and wife,” and as a pair, I believe it’s expected that we will participate in sexual activities.Once I have a moment alone, I plan to find a guide on my communicator to learn quickly what I need to learn.Thanks to the Frahma, I’m aware that our species are compatible, but I know little more than that.
We cannot reproduce, though, given we are entirely different species.We are lucky to even have the same number of fingers.
“Eating at your home would be ideal,” I say.“It was a long trip today.”
“You’re all worn out, huh?”Amara gives me another beaming smile.This must be a human idiosyncrasy, to give intimate smiles out like they mean nothing.
I am frightened of what her frown might look like.Does she shoot laser beams from her eyes?
Eventually the buildings give way, growing shorter and shorter, until suddenly, great walls of green appear to either side of the road.We’re traveling fast now, along with many other wheeled vehicles.I’d have far greater anxiety about it if I weren’t completely entranced with the view.
“What is this?”I ask, reaching out as if I could touch all the green.
“Trees?”Amara giggles.“Those are trees.”
“They’re so… green.”
“Wait until we’re deeper into autumn.Then they all change color at once, right before the leaves fall off.”
I spin around in my seat.“Fall off?”
“Yes!The green stuff is the leaves on the trees.In the winter, the leaves change from green to yellow and orange, then they all die and fall off.”
I screw up my lips, disturbed by all this talk of dying among humans, and how it seems so common and regular to them that they would sayuntil death do us part.
“The leaves grow back,” Amara assures me when she sees my face.I beg her silently to look at the road.“Every spring.”
“They die and regrow every year?”It seems laborious, when they could just grow once and leave it at that.“Why?”
