Onyx had completely forgotten about what had riled him up so deeply. He adored children, their innocence, and their natural joy. He was playing with the little boy, talking to him and tickling him, when he realized everyone in the room was looking at him.
He blinked hard.
“I see,” Onyx said.
Bella and Gerri burst out laughing. Bella sauntered over to Onyx’s side, looking down at her son, giggling in his arms.
“Isn’t it great?” Bella asked.
Onyx raised his eyebrows.
“Family,” Alyx said, leaning against his hands.
He realized what they were trying to say to him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he often thought of family, someone who knew his heart better than him, who warmed his soul ...
Onyx sighed as he held Randal close.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “I will go to Earth and meet this woman.”
Alyx stood and slapped him on the back. Gerri held up her wine glass and nodded in his direction.
“Atta boy,” the king said.
They continued on with their night, speaking of family, Randal, and the ongoings of their other children. Onyx was comforted by the boy’s presence because the boy expected nothing of him. He also craved his attention and laughter, which was something he was more than willing to give.
Onyx left a few hours later that night. He sat in his aircar, watching the ongoings of the cityscape below. He brooded about his company and about what arrangements he was going to have to make before he made his way to Earth.
For a few moments, he also let himself indulge in the thought of the family life within which Alyx and Bella had thrived. Onyx had thought about finding a mate. A partner to live his life with, to snuggle with at night, and to express himself physically and emotionally with.
But he also didn’t think that it was made for him. Onyx had met a few women in his lifetime, many of whom were from the Earth, and they just couldn’t connect. It had either taken too long, or they simply didn’t understand his obsession with his business.
Could he be romantically involved with someone and run a business? He had always told himself no, that wasn’t possible.
He listened to the hum of the aircar as it took him back to his mansion. He got out, listening to the sounds of the night creatures, and felt a sense of loneliness creeping deep into his bones.
Maybe that was why he was so quick to get to work, turn the radio on, and to bury himself in some problem that he deemed solvable. It was because he was lonely and would not ever admit that to anyone.
Not even himself.
He stripped and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over his head. Onyx did not dream because he was barely able to sleep at all.