Her first issue was space. The True wasn’t a small ship, but every square meter was designed to meet a purpose or need. Well, almost every meter.

It turned out that since the ship wasn’t being used as a cargo hauler, there were some parts that were not being used at all. While the primary cargo hold had been converted into holding cells, there were two secondary cargo areas on a lower floor.

Her husbands had converted one of them into a gymnasium, a place they could train and blow off steam. Now, she was in the middle of turning the other one into a hydroponics bay.

The area was more than large enough for her needs. The dull metal walls would one day be hidden behind tall racks of green, growing things. She had plans for some raised beds in the center of the space. Those would have proper soil, which was apparently easier to get than she had imagined. That was one of the many things she’d learned from the gardeners at the bio-dome. Tailings from the Drift’s main business of asteroid mining could be treated and then mixed with organic compost, easy enough to find on a station where everything is recycled.

Seeds weren’t hard to come by, either. Plenty of ships had hydroponic farms to supplement their food supply and add some variety to their diet.

She hummed as she busied herself with assembling one of the racks. She intended to start small and plant some hardy herbs that would survive her inevitable mistakes.

“Livy, can you display the instructions and blueprint for this rack again? I swear I’m missing some parts.”

A hologram shimmered into existence a meter ahead of her. On it was the schematic and instructions for assembly that she’d asked for, but in one corner of the screen was another image. That one was a wireframe map of the room with several areas flashing red.

“Are those the missing parts?” she asked.

“Affirmative,” Livy replied.

“How the fraxx did they end up way over there? Never mind, don’t answer that. I’m going to blame gremlins.”

“You always do,” Livy said. “I still do not understand why you prefer to blame a fictional creature for issues that have logical explanations.”

“Biological organisms are weird that way,” she muttered, more to herself than to the AI.

She was on her hands and knees, searching for the final missing screw when she heard footsteps in the corridor. The hatch opened a few seconds later, giving her just enough time to stand up. She’d learned long since that being on her knees always resulted in dirty jokes and suggestive commentary that usually led to nudity and orgasms. Not that she was complaining, but the deck plates were cold metal, and with her luck, she’d find the missing screw when it poked her somewhere sensitive.

Xaber walked in first. He looked around and then shook his head. “Your idea of a relaxing hobby looks remarkably similar to your job, mechanic.”

She stuck out her tongue at him. “Right now, yes. But once I get this running, I’ll spend more time tending the plants than working with the equipment.”

“I’ve got some equipment that could use tending,” Xaber winked at her.

Mace groaned. “Seriously? We’ve been married four months, and it’s like you’re not even trying anymore.”

She walked over, smiled sweetly, and then patted Xaber’s chest. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty.”

Mace choked out a laugh. “Oh, good one, temptress.”

Xaber grabbed his chest dramatically. “Ouch. I’m wounded. Cut to the quick.” Then he waggled his eyebrows at her. “Kiss it better?”

Mace elbowed his batch-brother aside and entered the room while keeping one hand behind his back. “Ignore him. I must have hit him on the head too many times during our last sparring session. There’s a reason for this visit.”

“And that would be?”

“You,” Xaber said with sincerity.

“To see you, and to give you this.” Mace offered her the gift he’d been hiding. It was a potted plant with stunning peach and salmon-colored flowers. When she looked closer, she saw that it was a cactus about the height of her outstretched hand. Symmetrical clusters of slender spines covered its surface.

“It’s lovely! Where did you get it?”

Mace handed her the plant. The pot was small enough that she could hold it in one hand, but she used both just to make sure she didn’t drop it.

Xaber answered her question. “We asked around. It turns out you’re not the only one who likes gardening. We got this from someone who grows them. He was happy to sell us this, and says you’re welcome to come by to ask him questions and check out the rest of his stock.”

That surprised and delighted her. Not simply the offer, but the fact that they’d reached out to a stranger because they wanted to get her a present. They weren’t the same guarded, wary males they’d been. They’d opened up and become part of the community.

“Thank you.” She carefully raised the plant to her nose and inhaled. It had a subtle, sweet fragrance. She looked around for a good spot to put it. Somewhere where she would see it whenever she was in this room.

There.

She’d set up a chair and a small table in one corner. Eventually she planned for it to be a reading nook, but for now it was mostly where she sat to rest and plan the next steps in her plans. She set the plant on the table with care and turned it until the placement felt right.

“I love it. Thank you.” She turned and stepped into Mace’s arms to kiss him. His lips lingered on hers, his kiss tender and sweeter than any flower.

He handed her over to Xaber, who stole several quick kisses before finishing with one that held enough heat to melt an ice moon. She kissed him back, her fingers tangling in the collar of shirt.

“And you’re done for the day,” Xaber announced before sweeping her into his arms. “You’ve worked hard. You need a nap.”

Mace nodded and tried to look serious. “You have to pace yourself, Tix.”

She snickered. “I have the same medi-bots that you do. I can stay awake for days and eat my own weight in pizza. I do not need a nap.”

“How about orgasms?” Xaber said. “Need any of those?”

“Always. Take me to bed, you scoundrels.”

“With pleasure,” Mace rumbled, his voice deliberately low and rough. He knew exactly what that did to her and abused that knowledge shamelessly.

It was one of the many reasons she loved them. They knew her better than anyone else in the universe, and they loved everything about her.

She had freedom, laughter, and a lifetime of love ahead of her.

As they carried her off, she gave voice to the truth in her heart. “I love you both.”

Mace smiled and Xaber whispered in her ear. “Right back at you, mechanic. Always.”

The End