Chapter 12:
It had been four weeks since Beka had told Rhade the truth and they had opened the box. The Nietzchean Museum on Tarazed was translating the scroll from the box. They told them it would be a while before they knew something.
Beka and the girls were still on Tarazed waiting for Beka's last medical check up. So far everything had gone well.
The doctors walked over to Beka and began explain things again, while the girls sat with Rhade. They still had no idea that Rhade was their father; Beka had decided to wait until all of this was over with. After the doctors shook hands with Beka and walked away, she got up and walked over to the others.
"Everything is fine, I have a clean bill of health," she said smiling at them.
"That's great," Rhade said as the girls hugged her.
"Girls why don't you go play, but stick together," Beka said.
Phaedra grabbed Nisa, and Serena grabbed Deana and they walked hip to hip away from their parents giggling to themselves.
"Very funny, get," Beka said smiling and shaking her head at them, "I sometimes wonder where they got that from."
Rhade smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"The girls and I are going to be leaving soon, Rhade."
His arm dropped as if her body was made of fire.
"I know you expected us to stay. But I am not good on planets. You know that. Staying here as long as I have is a record for me."
"It's fine, Beka. Just promise me something."
"Of course, you can see them," she said suddenly.
"That's not what I am talking about, tell them who their father is before its too late, Beka," he said walking away from her.
That night the girls and Beka sat down to dinner. Beka had not seen Rhade, since the visit to the doctors. So it was no surprise that he wasn't there for dinner. She could tell that her daughters enjoyed his company. Rather than eat their food they sat there pushing it back and forth with their silverware.
"Why couldn't Rhade eat with us tonight?" Deana asked her mother.
"I guess something came up," Beka answered trying to look upbeat, hoping in vain they would not see that it was her fault that their father had not joined them.
"Girls, I have something to tell you," Beka said after a brief moment of painful silence.
"What?" asked Serena.
"We will be leaving Tarazed in a few days. I need you all to pack up all your stuff tonight."
"Aww Mom, why? We don't want to leave," the girls whined.
"I know you don't, put we don't need to intrude on Rhade anymore."
"May we be excused," Phaedra asked.
"Of course," Beka replied watching her girls get up from the table and walk out miserably.
The next night when the girls got home, dinner was not ready. Beka was sitting on the couch reading.
"Mom, where's dinner?" asked Nisa.
"Oh, I've already eaten, you girls are going to have dinner with Rhade tonight, so go wash up and head over. Okay?"
The girls all ran to the back and came back a few minutes later saying good bye to their mother and heading over to Rhade's.