Chapter 10
The next day was a little more relaxing. Amee's nausea had subsided for the time being and "the family" was gathered in the living room planning for the future.
"What are you gonna name it?" asked Shetka.
"I think if it's a boy, we'll name it Luke, but if it's a girl we'll name it Leia," Arakai suggested.
"No, those names are stupid," Amee shot the idea down, "We should name it Cassian if it's a boy or Jyn if it's a girl."
"You could name it after someone special," Shetka put in, "like yourselves or your parents."
"I don't like the idea of an Arakai Jr. running around the house," Arakai said, "but maybe our parents. Amee, what is your mother's name?"
"Her name was Hala," Amee said with a hint of sadness.
"Was?" Arakai asked softly.
"She was taken by pirates when I was nine," Amee explained, "I've never seen her since."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Arakai said, "Maybe let's not name it after our parents."
"No, wait," Amee said, "I think it's a good idea. If it's a girl we can name it Hala, but if it's a boy we can name it after your father."
"Alikai?" Arakai considered the idea, "I mean, it's really similar to my name but it always did have a nice ring to it."
"I like it too," Amee affirmed.
"Then it's settled," Shetka declared, "A boy will be named Alikai and a girl will be Hala."
Amee smiled at Shetka's confidence in his prediction. "I don't want to raise our baby on Tatooine though," she said.
"Wait, what?" it appeared as though all Shetka's confidence was gone.
"I don't want it to grow up on such a desolate world," Amee explained, "I've wanted to leave for a long time but I never had a really good reason until now."
"I know what you mean," Arakai began, "but we can't just leave our home. It takes time to move."
"We have nine months," Amee stated, "Is that not enough time for you?"
"She has a point," Shetka agreed, "I wouldn't want to raise a child here either, man. Much too dangerous with all the slavery and pirates, not to mention the huts."
"I know, I know," Arakai conceded, "I'll tell you what. I'll research and see if I can find a place within our price range on another planet that's big enough for the four of us."
"The three of you," Shetka said.
"You're not coming?"
"I have a home here," Shetka said, "I own a business. I have friends here that I wouldn't otherwise have."
"If you stay," Amee pleaded, "We might never see you again."
"You will," Shetka reassured her, "That's a fact. But this is where my life is. I abandoned everything once, I can't so it again."
Amee continued to try to convince Shetka to come with them but Arakai knew better. He recognized the look on Shetka's face. It was the same one from when he left the military. There was no convincing him to come. If he and Amee left, it would be their parting of ways with Shetka. "The family" would be no more.
"Please," Amee urged him, "Come with us. It won't be the same without you. Do you not want our child to know you as 'Uncle Shetka'?"
"Yeah, now I'm definitely not coming," Shetka laughed, "Amee, as much as I'd love to come, and as much as I want to help you raise your child, I simply can't leave this place. I guess you could say it's grown on me."
"But you just said you'd never raise a child here," Amee pointed out, "Why would you submit yourself to the same torture?"
"I said I wouldn't want to," Shetka corrected, "but if I were to be married and have children of my own, I would raise them here just the same. I'm sorry Amee, but there has to be a goodbye."
Tears were rolling down her face. "No!" she cried and went to the bedroom, locking the door behind her.
"Wow," Shetka said calmly, "She's really emotional today."
"And she will be for nine months," Arakai said, eyes on the holonet, "This site says it's one of the side effects of a pregnancy."
"They call them side effects?"
"Well, what would you call them?"
"I don't know, it's just the term seems a bit crude."
"Well, I guess you'll have to deal with it then."
"Aren't you looking up other estates?"
"In a second, I was just looking at pregnancy and parenting sites to help with the next 38 weeks."
"You always did want to live on Alderaan."
"That is true."
"In a nice, big house with a pool and a huge porch."
"That is also true. What's your point?"
"Well, now you can. Minus the pool and porch of course."
Arakai smiled. He hadn't thought about Alderaan since Concordia. The thought was a pleasant one indeed. "You know?" he said, "I think that's the first place I'll look."
"Atta boy," Shetka approved, "You go find the house of your dreams."
"And is this the house of yours?"
"It will do Arakai, it will do."