Theodore Read Free

distance.  Anna sat in a rocking chair beside him and enjoyed
the calm with him.
    “Your whole family is amazing, you know that of course!”
blurted Theodore.  “I noticed your mother was eating vegetarian, yet she cooked
a fabulous meal for my family.  Vegetarian is not in my little sister's
vocabulary.  There is no reason she had to go through all that trouble, we
could have just eaten at the hotel.”
    Anna laughed, “No, you don't understand, they were delighted
to have you over for company.  It's so rare to have off worlders over and your
family was delightful.”
    “I take it they used to travel a bit?”
    Anna nodded, “Yep, they both met off world doing volunteer
work.  I was born off world as well.  My parents didn't really settle down
until I was school aged.”
    “Your mother is a pediatrician?”
    “Yep, again!  She started off as an anthropologist and then
got into medicine later.  She has two PhDs.  She splits half her time at the
teaching hospital and half teaching at the university.”
    “If your family was any more perfect, flowers would sprout
where they walked.”
    Anna laughed hard at that, “They aren't perfect.  Everyone
has their own faults, but they try hard.”
    Theodore replied with a soft chortle, “They try hard?  I get
tired just watching them!  They are machines!”
    Anna laughed, but not as heartily, “Well, there you have
their first fault.  It is a rare, rare night that both of them are home. 
I love them dearly, I do!  I just wish they were around more.”
    “Is that why you do volunteer work with Emergency Services? 
So you can see more of them?”
    Anna laughed and smiled, “You are the first person to make
that connection!  Not that I don't enjoy helping people, but I also miss seeing
more of my parents.”
    “I, on the other hand, was never free of my parents until I
went off to school...”
    “What was that like?” asked a suddenly giddy Anna.  “Growing
up with a big family?  You have three mothers?”
    Theodore laughed, it was always refreshing when someone was
curious of Highland culture rather than confused by it.  “Yes, my father and
three mothers.  That is a small family back in the Highlands; average is four
mothers.”
    “Male to female ratio is one to four there in the Highlands,
so I guess that all makes sense...  Four being average and all.  But what was
it like?”
    Theodore smiled, it was nice talking to someone that was at
least superficially versed with his culture.  He was amazed at her education,
but after meeting her parents, he shouldn't have been.  “Well, on one hand it
is hard to find time alone.  On the other hand, there is always someone around
if you need help or just someone to talk to.  Second Mother... Second Mothers
take care of the kids rather than work the family business... anyway!  She
could be busy, busy, busy with Rose but she always could make time for me. 
Little Abby was born when I was off at school.  This trip was only the second
time I've seen her.”
    Anna grinned, “As a teenager, I always like my privacy, but
I am so terribly envious at the thought of being able to talk to my mother, any
mother , whenever I... well...”
    “Was lonely,” finished Theodore.  “Would you like to sit
here next to me?” he offered with a childish grin.
    “I was getting ready to offer you a spot next to my seat,”
she replied with a sheepish grin.
    Theodore fired back an exaggerated frown, “Um, long tails
and rocking chairs do not get along.”
    Anna laughed and moved to sit next to Theodore.  “Oh, your
fur is soft!  You and Abby both kinda look like clouded leopards.  Just an
observation.”
    Theodore grinned, “I've heard that description before; it
doesn't bother me.”
    A sudden flash of white light from behind them made
Theodore's fur stand on end nervously, but Anna just turned and groused,
“Mother!”  She rolled her eyes and sat back next to Theodore, “She just took a
picture of the two