Looking For Normal… and Something Else
Chapter 44
XLIV
It had been two weeks since Michael returned from taking care of "the Zwolinski problem." Liz was getting ready for bed and watching out her window as the children, Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx played outside chasing jaras droosh, or flash bugs, in the dark. During the warm seasons, the flash bugs would often light up the night with their twinkling. Jaras droosh –which is the correct Antarian name for the flash bugs- are much larger than fireflies, or lightning bugs, on Earth. They're closer to the size of large beetles, slightly larger than "June bugs." The light of a jaras droo can be seen for quite a few miles.
"One… two… three… four…" Liz counted softly as she stared out the window.
"You ready for bed, Liz," Max asked.
"Mmmm… just about… I'm letting the children play a while first. They love to catch the flash bugs when they're flying like they are tonight."
"You coming soon, though?"
"Huh? Oh… Yeah… I'll bring the kids inside in a few more minutes."
Max nodded and pulled the covers over himself.
"One… two… three… four…"
Max sat up and looked at Liz with a perplexed look. "Honey, what are you doing?"
"Doing? What do you mean?"
"What's this 'one, two, three, four' you keep saying?"
"Did I?"
"Only every time you look out the window."
Liz shook her head. "It's nothing, Max. I was… just counting flash bugs I guess."
"Ah…" Max rested his head back on his pillow.
"How many flash bugs are out there, Liz?"
"Hundreds… maybe thousands… maybe more."
"That's what I thought."
"One… two… three… four…" Liz counted quietly to herself. Then she noticed Max looking at her again.
"I'll get the kids and bring them in, Max. They've been chasing the jaras droosh long enough."
Max smiled. "I'll be waiting."
**********
"Mom, do we have to come in already? Look at all the jaras droosh we've caught! Alyyx is making lanterns for all of us."
"That's nice, Maya, but it's late. Your Dad and I want to get some sleep. And you need some sleep, too."
"Aw, Mom…"
"Come on in… all of you."
Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx streamed into the house one by one. Liz watched as each one came in from outside… "One… two… three… four…"
"Mom, can we keep the jaras droosh in our rooms tonight?"
"Huh? Oh… sure, yeah, I guess so, Andya."
"Can we let them fly around in our rooms and give us night lights?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Leese."
"Aw, Mom, pleeease!"
Liz looked at JoLeesa and shook her head slightly. "Alright… but you guys had better catch every one of them in the morning and put them back in… whatever you're keeping them in. I don't want to go in there and be surrounded by a swarm of flash bugs in the morning."
"We will, Mom! Promise," Alyyx said.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Maya?"
"We're all in. Are you going to close the door?"
"Oh! Yeah!" Liz took one last look outside and sighed. Then she closed the door.
"What are you looking for, Mom," Maya asked.
"Nothing. I was just taking another look at all the pretty flash bugs flying in the sky tonight."
Maya smiled.
"Off to bed now! All of you!"
Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx ran up the stairs and disappeared down the hall. Liz followed them and tucked each one in in turn, instructing them that they could release the jaras droosh after she had left and the door was closed. Then Liz went back to her room and climbed into bed with Max.
"I'm sorry. That place is saved," Max said without rolling over. "You'll have to make a reservation."
Liz turned his face over to hers with her hand and pressed her lips to his. Max put his arms around her and pulled her close.
"Now who were you saving that place for, Max?"
"I don't know, but you can stay," Max said with a smile. "Do you have a reservation?"
Liz slipped off her blouse and pants and cuddled up against Max.
"Yeah… I guess you do…"
Liz turned the lights out.
"Will this get me in," she asked softly.
"Mmmm… Oh, yeah! That's the reservation I had in mind."
**********
As the sun came up, Max awoke refreshed and happy. It was hard for Max to let anything distract his mind from the problems of the kingdom. He could be rather single-minded. Unfortunately, this led him to take all the problems of the kingdom upon himself, which sometimes made for a somewhat unhappy and overburdened king. Fortunately, he had Liz. When it came to taking Max's mind off his troubles, she could sometimes be a genius. This morning he awoke refreshed and happy… for the first time in a long time.
It appeared that Liz was already up, so Max got up, grabbed a shower and shave, and went to look for Liz. He found her in Alyyx's room… on her knees… looking for something under the bed.
"What you lookin' for, Hon?"
Liz pulled another flash bug out from under Alyyx's bed and put it in Max's hand.
"Oh."
"Looks like they missed a few," Liz said, finding another one under his pillow. She opened the window and tossed it out. Max walked over to the window and tossed the one he was holding out, too.
"What did you think I was looking for, Max?"
"I don't know. You just seem to be always searching for something lately, Liz. I don't know what it is. And last night you kept counting to four… I know you can count higher than that, and there were probably thousands of jaras droosh flying around out there last night. I'm concerned, Liz. That's all. I care about you."
Liz smiled. "I'm touched, Max. Really. But I'm alright. You needn't worry about me. It's just your imagination." Liz kissed him on the cheek.
"Is it?"
"Yes."
Liz walked over to Alyyx's dresser and scooped up four flash bugs she had collected and placed in a cup on the dresser. She carried the bugs to the window and started to throw them out but stopped.
"You gonna throw 'em out or keep 'em," Max asked with a smile.
"There were five," Liz said.
Max looked at the bugs and the cup on the dresser. "Well, one must have flown away or crawled off, Liz. There are only four now. Maybe the fifth one was the one you threw out."
Liz was silent for several moments. Max noticed that a look like fear came over her for a moment. Then she swallowed and regained her composure.
"Yeah… yeah, you're right, Max. It's just flash bugs, right? It doesn't matter if we lost one."
"I'm sure Alyyx will find it, Liz."
Liz nodded. Max kissed her and wrapped his arms around her. Liz closed her eyes. Then she opened them and looked into Max's eyes, and their lips drew slowly closer… until they touched, this time for longer… much longer.
"Ewwww! Gross! I'm gonna need years of emotional counseling to get over what I've seen," Alyyx said, walking into his room unexpectedly.
Max smiled but didn't hurry to finish his kiss. When he finally did finish, he turned to Alyyx and said, "I seem to remember your Uncle Michael telling me about seeing you and somebody at the edge of the woods. You didn't seem too worried about being psychiatrically damaged then, Alyyx. Hmmm?"
Alyyx was silent for a few moments. "Well… that was Jayyd. That's different. She's pretty… and young. You guys are old!"
"Not too old to whup you," Max said, grabbing Alyyx and flipping him onto his bed as Alyyx giggled. "I happen to think your mama's the prettiest girl around."
"And young, too," Liz added with a smile.
"Yeah! That's right! And young, too," Max said. Then he started to tickle Alyyx.
"Alright! Alright! I surrender," Alyyx said, laughing hysterically.
"If we're so old, maybe we better let you get a job and take care of us, Alyyx."
"I didn't mean you were that old, Dad! Just too old to… you know… be kissing and stuff like that."
Max started tickling Alyyx again.
"Wait'll you get a little older, Alyyx. You'll feel differently."
"Alright! Alright," Alyyx giggled. I give up. You and Mommy can kiss."
"That's more like it."
"Just don't blame me when the psychiatrist says you caused it…"
Max jumped toward Alyyx, and Alyyx ran out of the room as fast as his seven-year-old legs would carry him, with Max right behind him. Liz shook her head and smiled…
"Children!"
tbc