Page 77 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

He inclines his head. “Let’s see the rest.”

As I navigate around the replica of the ship, I wonder if it’s tough for him to be here. Humans can create the illusion of what he needs, but we’re just not advanced enough for me to help him get home. I can’t give him the stars, but I can offer him a life here, with me, where he’s not just an extraterrestrial—and to others, maybe a specimen—but my partner. But I’ve already offered to let him move in. I won’t beg or even ask again.

The ball is in Seeker’s court, even if I’m dying to hear his answer.

Even more people have piled into the museum when we exit the crashed ship replica; that surprises me a little. But maybe they’re like me and wanted a break from the con atmosphere. I’ll be ready to go back tomorrow and maybe do some gaming. I wonder if Seeker would enjoy tabletop RPGs.

“Sick costume, dude!” A guy in a gray alien T-shirt has stopped in the middle of the foot traffic, staring at Seeker, the first person who’s given him a second glance.

Seeker pauses, glancing at me for guidance.

“So glad you like it! You wouldn’t believe how long he spent on it,” I say. “Custom-made on our 3-D printer.”

Anything to keep this fanboy looking at me.

“It’s incredible. So realistic. It’s like his eyes are really—”

“Don’t touch! Are you forgetting the first rule of cosplay?”

“Uh, what?”

Maybe he’s not here for Space Con? Possibly there are people in the world who just randomly show up during the busiest week in Rellows because they live an hour away and thought the UFO Museum would be fun. I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I quote from the manual. “Cosplay is not consent. Don’t touch without permission. You need to ask before taking photos too.”

“Oh, right. I forgot how serious you people are about this stuff.”

You people.

I give him a tight smile and tilt my head toward the exit. Seeker follows me, seeming eager to get out of here, and I feel bad that I suggested he stop using his tech camo. I’ve never been in his situation, and I blithely dismissed the possibility he could be in danger. I thought this was the one place in the whole world where he could go unnoticed. I thread through the bodies, finding the most direct path to the exit.

Outside, it’s unexpectedly overcast. July in Utah is hot and dry; I should know, as I spent hours researching everything related to this trip. But rare showers do happen, and it seems today is that day. Maybe that’s why people flocked to the museum, trying to avoid the rain. Even the air smells a little different.

“Do you smell that?” I ask, drawing a deep breath. “Rain’s coming.”

“It probably won’t last long.”

I smile at that because we’re talking about the weather. Nobody else would realize how momentous this is because he’s a newcomer, just learning the patterns and processes here. But small moments like this might make him feel less like an outsider, less a being bound by gravity against his will.

“Maybe we’ll get a rainbow.”

Seeker gazes up at the sky, seeming intrigued by the prospect. “I have only seen representations in photographs online. It’s a fascinating phenomenon, one I have not seen replicated on any other world.”

“Earth has some unique beauty, then?” It’s important for him to think so.

Otherwise, this planet will never be more than a place of exile. I hope that he finds solace in the swirl of high clouds and the scent of impending rain. Maybe then he’ll see that though the skies are out of reach, the world beneath them can still be full of wonders.

Like a life with me.

Okay, that might be overselling the point. I can’t categorize starting a romantic relationship with me as wonderful, but I hope he’s thinking about it. Just then, the first drops of rain plink down, cool and refreshing against the lingering heat. Seeker tips his head back and closes his eyes, seeming to savor the sensation.

“I never understood before,” he says then.

“What?”

“The human obsession with water. You use it for so many things. It’s scarce on many planets and they use it only for hydration. The rains I experienced on Terjan felt oily, and there were other substances in the precipitation.”

I make a face. “That sounds gross.”