She was helping Kendis find places to put his things in her tent, when she remembered to tell Maggie.
Jade felt the same way with telling Maggie as she’d felt about telling Lark - uncomfortable but knew it was the right thing to do.
She got an immediate reply.
Maggie gave a mental chuckle.
she cried, her face hot.
Maggie caught Jade’s embarrassment and wondered why she would feel that way. After all, they’d had conversations when she was much younger, before she’d moved away from home.
They’d had to, really. It was one of the areas any fourteen year old had to show maturity in to be declared a predult and become independent. Of course, they hadn’t discussed particulars, just mechanics and consequences.
Jade had made her own appointment with Healer Chen to get the fertility inhibitor implant, thus proving that she knew she had to also be responsible in that part of life.
Maggie was puzzled. Then a wild thought struck her. Surely not, but she asked anyway.
Jade was disgusted. Shards! Now she was going to have to explain to her mother too!
she admitted sourly.
Maggie apologized.
She told Maggie about her last date with Reece.
exclaimed Maggie, shocked.
She told her Mother how she had gotten him out of her house. She described the look on his face and how he had stood in her driveway apologizing before he left.
she finished.
said Maggie, grimly,
That made Jade stop and think.
She thought of what she’d accidentally glimpsed Loretta doing with Healer Ross, and said to Maggie,
asked Maggie.
She wasn’t sure she should say anything but this was her mother and maybe she could help her figure out how to control her errant esa, so she explained how the Healer was “attending” Loretta.
She exclaimed,
Maggie laughed when she heard of the “attention” the Healer was giving Loretta.
By the time she’d finished her conversation with Maggie, she and Kendis had all of his stuff put away. He was going to the ship with Ro and Alex after lunch, so Jade told him about wanting to talk to Reece.
“Why are you going to do that?” he asked in surprise. He didn’t want Jade anywhere near that asshole. He wasn’t jealous, he knew she loved him, but he hated what Reece had tried to do to her.
“Mom wants to send him back to the Dome - maybe punish him, Kendis. She’s afraid he’ll try it again with someone less able to defend herself. I don’t think he will and I do think he’s sorry for his attempt on me. I just want to ask him a few questions. Besides, I have the distinct impression he wants to talk to me but is afraid of offending you if he does,” she replied. “I promise to be careful. In fact, if you want me to, I’ll relay our entire conversation to you.”
Kendis considered her, thoughtfully. Finally, he shrugged. “I can’t stop you if this is what you want to do. And, yes, I would like to hear what he has to say.” He reflected on their escape from the Dimmers.
“I saw him try to help Loretta so I suppose he’s not an all selfish asshole.” He paused, then asked, out of curiosity, “Did he stay with her? It looked as if they might get something going.”
She chuckled and told him about Healer Ross and Loretta.
Kendis raised an eyebrow. “Heh, well, I’m not surprised about that. Loretta always did have a preference for tall blonds,” which was a good description of Healer Ross. It was also a pretty good description of Kendis at nearly seven feet tall with his platinum hair. He seemed to realize this when Jade looked at his hair and smirked.
He shut up and they went to lunch.
They sat with Ro and Alex in the mess tent. Jade noticed Loretta was sitting with Healer Ross, leaning into him and giggling as if he’d said something that struck her as funny.
She cast around for Reece, and found him sitting at a table in a corner, alone. He was watching her table.