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“You’re a life saver,” Jas said, embracing Divya. “Thank you. Be good for your Aunty Divya, okay, kiddo?”

The nestling nodded so enthusiastically, her hair fell into her face. Divya laughed, stroking the little one’s hair back out of her eyes, re-fixing it with a small clip that had shaken loose.

“I’ll be back for four at the absolute latest,” Jas said.

“Take your time,” Divya said, “I really don’t mind.”

“Thank you,” Jas said again as she backed down the path.

Thraal watched as Divya picked the nestling up, the little one’s arms going round Divya’s neck as she planted her lips on her cheek.

“Actually, it’s a good job you’re here today, Aivy,” Divya said. “I’ve got a job I need to do today, and I think you are just the person I need to help me.”

“What job?” the nestling said, her eyes bright with interest.

Divya glanced at Thraal and smiled. “I need to go to the florist.”

Quite why this was such a cause of excitement for the nestling, Thraal wasn’t sure, but her reaction made Thraal smile, as did the way she hugged Divya tight.

“Do you want to come?” Divya said to Thraal. “It’s just a shop not far from here. Maybe ten minutes away. A flower shop. Aivy loves flowers. Probably not quite as exciting for you.”

Thraal had little interest in flowers, but he did like being with Divya, and the nestling made him feel protective. He would go with his female, keep her and the nestling safe.

“I would like to come, if that’s okay with you?”

Divya looked to Aivy. “What do you think? Shall we bring Thraal and show him all the flowers?”

The nestling nodded, beaming in Thraal’s direction.

Moments later, they were heading out, Thraal wrapped in his warm coat, while Divya only had a light jacket on. Aivy didn’t even want to have her coat on, but Divya insisted, bundling the little one up nice and warm. As they stepped on to the path, Aivy placed one hand in Divya’s, the others reaching up to take Thraal’s. Thraal started, surprised by the contact. Divya caught his eye and smiled.The florists was a small, damp shop. A bell over the door jangled as Divya pushed it open, summoning a woman wearing an apron and gloves, her hair piled atop her head. She leaned on a counter, the top of which was strewn with bits of leaves and twigs and some strange green foam.

“Morning,” she said, her voice cheerful. “What can I do for you today?”

“Well,” Divya said, picking Aivy up and setting her down on a small ledge in front of the counter so she could see over the top of it. “We need some ideas for wedding flowers.”

The florist was quickly delighted by the nestling’s knowledge of flowers. The three of them looked through a book, discussing the colours and styles of different flowers at great length. The florist kept Aivy in the conversation at every turn, only addressing Divya to talk about particulars – button holes, bouquets and other things that Thraal didn’t understand. He liked how the florist made Aivy grin and giggle. Male nestlings on Jatax were raised by elders – males past their mating prime who were no threat to the younger generation and not distracted by the competition for the nest queen’s attention. Female nestlings were kept close by their mother’s side until they were old and strong enough to branch out on their own.

Thraal had no complaints about his own youth – the elders who cared for him had been kind enough. But none had ever gone out of their way to make him feel good, feel valued, the way the florist did for Aivy. He thought of how Aivy’s mother, Jas, showed no fear that Divya would do something to hurt Aivy – a constant worry for Jataxi females raising female young. Other females would kill a female nestling given half the chance. Get rid of the competition before they became dangerous. Humans, by contrast, seemed to share the responsibility of their nestlings, their friends and community coming together to make sure their nestlings were safe and happy.

Thraal watched Divya, the way her arms were round Aivy’s little body, holding her close. Would she want nestlings of her own one day? The thought made Thraal’s heart race. It was to his great shame in the Jataxi way of thinking that he had never sired a nestling. But Thraal had never wanted a nestling he wouldn’t ever see. His own flesh and blood raised by another into a society that would kill them if they were weak, or turn them into a monster if they were strong. The thought of it had turned his stomach.

But Divya… Divya wouldn’t get rid of their nestling if he was male. She would put her arms round him as she did Aivy, make him feel wanted. Precious. And Thraal would be able to be there for him as well, to be a father for him more than just biologically. The thought filled him with a yearning like he’d never experienced before.

“This all sounds great,” Divya said. “Can we talk quotes so I can take the information back to my client? Aivy, would you mind showing Thraal some of the flowers while you’re waiting? I wouldn’t want him to get bored.”

“Sure,” Aivy said.Divya caught Thraal’s eye and winked at him, then disappeared into another room with the florist.

“Do you like flowers, Thraal?” Aivy asked.She seemed more reserved now it was just the two of them, but she smiled at him. Thraal tried to smile back.

“I do not know much about them,” he said. “But it seems you know a lot.”

She giggled. “I like plants, they’re my favourite.”

“Then perhaps you can tell me something I have been wondering about,” Thraal said, looking round at the collections of flowers all round the shop. “What are they for?”

Aivy burst out laughing. “They’re for looking pretty,” she said. “On spaceships, they’re used to make oxygen so the passengers can breathe, but there’s lots of oxygen in the air here, so Humans put them in vases to make their houses prettier. Daddy buys my mummy flowers all the time. She says they mean he loves her.” Aivy frowned at this. “I don’t know why she needs the flowers. Daddy tells her he loves her all the time.”

“Flowers are a gift you give your Match?” Thraal said, looking round at the flowers with new eyes.

Aivy nodded. “Would you like to buy some for Aunty Divya?”

Thraal thought of the allowance the Intergalactic Community was paying him. He didn’t know how much flowers cost, but he hadn’t had to spend anything as yet. However expensive they were, he was pretty sure he could afford it.

“Which ones do you think she would like?”

The nestling gave the question some consideration, then took his hand and lead him over to a bunch of dark red flowers.

“These are roses,” she said. “Mummy says that roses are very romantic.”

Thraal looked at them. They looked no more special than any of the other flowers in the shop. Why these ones in particular for romance? He supposed it was a Human thing, but the more Thraal looked at them, the more sure he was that he didn’t want to get them.

“Are there any others that are romantic?” he asked.

“All flowers are romantic,” Aivy said, giggling.

He looked round the room again, wondering which of the many varieties would appeal to Divya. Then his eye caught on a collection of brightly coloured flowers with neat little blooms. “What about these?” he said.

“Pretty,” Aivy said. “I think they’re called tulips.”

Thraal considered the tulips. He liked them much better than the roses.

“These,” he said, nodding.Another shop assistant appeared from somewhere, a female fresh out of the nest, perhaps learning her trade from the older florist.

“Would you like a bunch?” she said.

When Divya emerged from the other room a moment later, Aivy giggled immediately, capturing the sound behind her little hands. Thraal had one hand behind his back, clutching the bouquet of tulips out of sight. Divya gave them a suspicious look as she approached.

“I’m all sorted,” she said. “Shall we get going?”

Aivy just giggled again. Divya put her hands on her hips, giving the nestling a mock stern look, her lips upturned at the corners like she was fighting the urge to smile.

“Okay, what are you up to, trouble?”

“Nothing,” Aivy said, sounding very much like the opposite was true.

Thraal found himself smiling. He pulled the flowers out, presenting them to Divya. Her eyes went wide.

“You bought these for me?” she said, taking them from him.

Thraal nodded.“How did you know?” she said, her brows knitting together as she looked up at him.

“Know what?”

“Tulips,” she said, “my favourite.”