The Calm Before the Storm Snippet 5

Last snippet. I'm going to publish the manuscript later today or tomorrow!

Still in I'll be Home for Christmas:

Since Shanti's kittens were the equivalent of teenagers, it was inevitable that some of the kittens wanted to be with their friends for the holidays. Sabu had been the first to start moving his life out of the household and stretching himself into his adult form. He was leaving soon so he resented being tied to home. But then he felt guilty, it was going to be a long time before he got the chance to be with family again.

He had become dark and brooding after the assassination attempt. The changes he was going through as he matured into an adult were not helping with his mood swings. Each of the kittens were young adults. Sometimes they resented that they were aging at half the speed of some of their Neo friends.

They had each taken additional classes on top of their normal abbreviated high school mandatory classes. Lil Red was big on helping them with their homework, though they were far ahead of her.

Hrriss and Zuhura were graduating the abbreviated Neo high school with general and science associate degrees. That would clear the way for them to get into their respective chosen fields later for a lot less investment in time and money. Suqi and Sabu had a couple of college classes under their belt, but they were more hands-on oriented.

Sabu was the black sheep of the group, stubbornly preferring to go his own way, even when it didn't make sense. His Aunt Rah called him hardheaded. His mother liked to say that he had to learn things for himself. Lil Red liked to call him Mister Ornery.

His siblings gave him a guilt trip during their talk and exchange of Christmas lists. “Look, this is our last Christmas together. Our last time,” Zuhura said plaintively. “Don't be a snot.”

“You don't know that.” Sabu growled, hunching his shoulders. Some of his friends had a plan to go to a party at Jany's house since her family was out of town and then go skiing. He wanted to go badly.

He resented Zuhura playing the doe eyes. He knew his sister; she was incredibly smart and a bit manipulative. It bugged him into resisting even though he knew she was right.

“Not for sure but probably,” Hrriss said.

“You don't know that,” he said again stubbornly.

“Don't I?” Zuhura asked, studying him. “Hrriss and I are going to Antigua. You and Suqi are going to Agnosta to become Marines like dad was. Who knows when we'll all be able to get back together again. Maybe in a decade, maybe never again. So, let's try to make the best of it. For mom's sake?”

Sabu scowled but that made him nod slowly. They all knew how badly their mother missed their father. “All right,” he grumbled.

“Thanks, bro,” Zuhura said, teasingly tugging on an ear until he growled and took a mock swipe at her.

~~~*~~~

Zuhura had a test to study for. Hrriss had planned to stay on the planet and become a ranger like their mom and aunt but had been talked into joining his sister on Antigua and pursuing a justice degree. He'd already earned a full justice degree scholarship. That meant he was also busy studying hard.

Each played music. Lil Red had introduced them to ear buds and headphones to keep the volume of competing tastes in music down to a dull roar indoors. She still shook her head as she picked up after them.

They didn't notice when Ellen came by for a visit until they sniffed her out. Their former nanny was greeted with hugs and purrs as the troop came down to chat with her.

~~~*~~~

Shanti couldn't get any of the kittens free; they all had tests so she visited her sister Rah and her new family alone. That was a pity, but she knew that her sister would understand. Besides, it was nice to catch up alone.

It was fun, but Rah was distracted by her own family. She had just had a litter of three and was quite proud of them. It took time to get the kittens sorted out. Shanti didn't begrudge the time; she was always gooey over kittens and cubs.

Once the kittens were tired out and bedded down for a nap, they finally had a talk over a cup of tea just before she had to leave.

“So, what's new?” Rah asked.

“Well, I hardly see you,” Shanti drawled as she stirred her cup. Rah had taken an extended maternity leave. When she came back, she was planning on handling dispatch duties for a while.

“Yeah, I know,” Rah said ruefully. “Who would have thunk it. Me getting hitched let alone have a litter of my own?” she shot a fond look to the camera feed watching the sleeping trio.

Shanti flicked her ears in wry humor over that statement.

“So,” she crossed her legs after a moment.

“So,” her sister echoed mirroring her.

“You know you can be an irritating snot, you know that?” Shanti observed with an ear flick.

Rah's eyes twinkled. “I learned it from my big sister. Spill!”

“I'm that obvious?”

“To me. Give!”

Shanti laughed. “I went to visit Moira the other day. She's on the hunt for a successor.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. She tried to saddle it on me! Can you believe that?” Shanti said with a shake of her head.

Her sister cocked her head thoughtfully as she stirred her tea. “Well, now that I think about it …”

Shanti stared agape at her in shock before she chuffed. “Do you want to get smacked?”

“Well, I'm just saying, with your law enforcement pedigree, plus the blessing of half the planet …”

“Not you too!” Shanti laughed.

“Well, better than some … politician,” Rah said, making the last word sound like a swear word.

“True, but I get enough paperwork and stress with my present job. Not to mention people occasionally trying to kill me. Me and meetings?” Shanti shivered. “I'd want to wring their necks after the first one!”

Her sister doubled over in a giggling fit.

Shanti rolled her eyes but there was a glitter of humor in it. “Thanks but no thanks,” she said firmly.

“Well, you've got to appreciate the offer. And it was just a suggestion,” Rah said between giggles.

Shanti snorted and shook her head. She sipped her drink as her sister recovered.

“So,” Rah said, taking a sip of her own drink. “What are you going to do when the nest is well and truly empty?”

Shanti flicked her ears. “I don't know,” she said honestly. “Spoil my niece and nephews rotten?” Rah snorted. Shanti shook her head wryly. “The way White keeps shelling them out I don't know if it ever will be.” She took on a thoughtful look as she looked up to the ceiling. “I considered going in for Star Marshal.”

“Huh,” her sister said noncommittally. “You could do it.”

“I know that. It's the travel part. I dunno about that,” Shanti admitted. She chuffed at herself. “Call me an old-fashioned homebody girl I guess. I can get enough excitement and adventure here.”

“True.”

“If the family moved to Antigua though …”

“No.” She squirmed a bit, considering mentioning the offered trip to Antigua. She decided against it. She was pretty sure where her sister would side on that dilemma.

“I mean, you'd be with Jethro,” Rah offered.

Shanti laughed. “Only when he's home!”

“True.”

“I don't know where in the galaxy the kittens will end up. College is just a stepping stone to their own careers,” Shanti reminded her.

Rah nodded sagely.

“Besides, they don't need me hovering.”

“And Jethro?”

“What is it they say? Absence doth make the heart grow fonder?” she said.

Rah smiled.

“We will see each other again.”

“Hopefully.”

“And we'll screw like minks when we do. So he'll probably get me knocked up and then take off again,” Shanti said in an aggrieved voice.

Rah doubled up laughing again. “Well, that'll solve your empty nest problem!”

“Maybe,” Shanti said.

When she left, she timed it just ahead of an incoming snow storm. Once she was home, Shanti and Red worried about the kittens but they said they were on their way. She reminded herself they were mostly grown; she had been in the resistance when she'd been their age. They'd held the kittens back long enough.

She felt a pang. She was going to miss them terribly and Jethro. She didn't know what the future would bring. She was almost tempted to follow them to Antigua.

Almost. She knew that they needed to strike out on their own, to become their own adult persons. They didn't need a helicopter mom hovering over them. They would trip, they would fall from time to time, but they'd learn to get up and stand on their own two feet, or four as the case may be.

Watching the snow fall curled up by a window in the evening, curled up with a book, the kittens come in, stomping their feet.

~~~*~~~