The party was, at best, bittersweet for me. The passage of Time while I was in coldsleep had taken my original family from me; a pain that would always haunt my memories.
But I was also celebrating my rebirth in this strange and wondrous future; one that I would now be sharing with my new family. The warmth and welcome I felt from them helped ease the pain of my loss.
We spent most of the afternoon at the party, eating cake and talking with the people who had come. Through it all, Claru never left my side.
When the party finally let out, Claru, his family, and I went over to the city center to take care of filing the necessary documents to legally make me Claru's big sister for real! And then, I took my new family up to my apartment to give them a look.
"Oh, sweetheart, it's beautiful!" Meesa, Claru's mother, sighed as she wandered about.
"I had a lot of help decorating," I explained, giving Dara and Zuna a hug. Then, taking Meesa's hand, I said, "I just need to know what I can take home with me."
"Cindi?" Meesa called out.
"Yes, Ma'am?" the apartment's domo responded, putting in an appearance.
"We would like to transfer Jayden's belongings to our residence," Meesa explained. "Sector A5, 28th Level, Block D4, number 2845."
"Your place is the same number as Jayden's?!" Zuna exclaimed.
"I need a current holo-layout of our home, please," Meesa requested.
"At once, Ma'am," Cindi replied.
Extending her hand, a one-meter across replica of Meesa's home appeared, complete with all the furniture and other items displayed.
"Please follow me, Cindi," Meesa instructed.
"As you wish, Ma'am," Cindi replied, carrying the holo-model with her.
Slowly, methodically, Claru's mother went through every room of my apartment, giving Cindi instructions on where my things would be moved to at its new location. As each item was selected and placed, Cindi used the apartment's replicator to digitize the item and transfer it to my new home. By the time Meesa was finished, the apartment was completely empty.
Right on cue, Saru stopped by just as we were leaving.
"Don't worry about a thing, Jayden," he assured me, giving me a hug and peck on the cheek. "It shouldn't take long to find a new tenant. You head on home now with your new family!"
"I will," I wept, returning the hug. "Thanks for everything, Saru! See ya!"
"We'll catch up with you tomorrow, girlfriend," Dara said, giving me a hug.
"You take good care of your sister, hear?" Zuna told Claru, giving him a hug. "See ya, Jayden!"
Waving as they went, my two friends were soon out of sight.
A tiny hand took mine. Startled, I looked down to find Claru's little brother, Yaru, holding it.
"Jayden!" he blurted out, grinning from ear to ear.
This caused my new family to all gasp in surprise.
"His first word!" Claru's father, Koru, whispered.
"Wow!" Claru sighed, grinning up at me.
"Jayden! Jayden!" Yaru repeated, pulling on my hand.
Tears of joy streaming down my cheeks, I lifted Yaru up into my arms, giving him a hug. That made him giggle and cling to me.
"Let's go home," I said, taking Claru's hand with my free one.
Home… such a simple word, yet one that now bore new meaning for me, surrounded as I was by my new loving family.
The ride down in the turbolift passed with hardly any notice. From there, we boarded the hover-rail that would take us to the other side of the city.
There were many calls and well wishes from the citizens out and about as we made our way across the central plaza of Sector A5.
Claru and Yaru grew more and more excited as we reached the 28th level and stepped off the turbolift. Then, the two boys practically dragged me at a run down the corridors of Block D4 until we reached quarters 2845.
"Hey, wait for us!" Koru laughed, he and Meesa breathing hard as they caught up.
At the doorway, I hesitated.
"Go on sweetheart," Meesa quietly urged. "This is your home now, too!"
Smiling as I gave her hand a grateful squeeze, I took a step, the door hissing open at my approach.
Slowly, I entered; feeling very much an intruder. But as I moved further into the quarters, I caught sight of the things from my apartment lovingly blended in with the rest of their possessions. I wept as I turned slowly around in the main sitting room.
"It's beautiful!" I sighed, clutching my hands over my heart.
"Claru, why don't you show your sister where her bedroom is?" Koru suggested to his grinning son.
"This way!" my Otouto-san ordered, seizing my hand and taking off at a run.
"Wait! Slow down!" I laughed, struggling to keep up with him. "Whoa, horse!"
We reached the end of a short hallway then barely missed the edge of the room's door as it hissed open at our approach.
"Ta da!" Claru gleefully declared, waving his hand about. "What do you think?"
I went first to the balcony door, glancing out the window. Just like my apartment, this room faced east. And my canopy bed, placed against the north wall of the room, would be bathed in sunlight every morning.
My dresser stood against the south wall, its drawers filled with the clothes Dara and Zuna had helped me pick out. On the other side of the bed, the doors of the clothes closet stood open, showing my wardrobe hanging there. And my vanity table sat serenely in the southeast corner of the room, waiting patiently for me to use it.
Koru and Meesa had quietly joined us, watching as I checked the place out.
"Sweetheart, I know this isn't the same as your own apartment…" Meesa quietly spoke.
"It's perfect," I wept, throwing my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly.
"Perfect?" Koru wondered, looking puzzled. "Your apartment was so much bigger!"
"Because," I told him, switching off to give him a hug, too. "My new family lives here!"
Pulling back so that I could look at everyone, my throat choked with emotion, I whispered, "Thank you all so much!"
"We understand it may take some time for you to feel comfortable here," Koru addressed me. "Why don't you just call us…"
My hand on his lips cut him off.
"Claru?"
"Big sis?"
"What do you normally call your mother and father?"
"Mama," he replied, smiling up at Meesa. To Koru, he said, "And Papa."
Weeping as I took Koru and Meesa each by the hand, I softly said, "I would… be honored… if you… would let me… do the same… Mama… Papa!"
Their response was immediate and unrestrained.
"Jayden!" they said as one, the two of them wrapping me in a warm and tender embrace.
"Jayden! Jayden!" Yaru shouted, slapping me on the leg.
I picked him up, laughing and crying at the same time. Then the five of us hugged each other, sealing the deal!