Dear Milton,

Well, it's been quite the past few months since you left us. Well, the pregnancy complications have settled down and Tarra's body ahs accepted the twins without fuss and we've been managing quite well with Lott's help. S/he's practically moved in with us. So yes, I guess Lott is the closest thing to a man in my life right now even though I feel hostile to him when he's in male form. Well, an incident with a married man on Megas-Tu didn't help any but he was cute and I didn't know he was married and besides I got this way when I was left pregnant with T'Saal and K'Torr, tossing myself at all the wrong men. Story of my life really.

Well, I've settled in as ship's counselor now and have been enjoying the position, particularly the pre-marriage counseling sessions. The Captain seems relieved to not have as many weddings and subsequent divorces to manage. It gives me such a warm feeling to know I'm helping people avoid the biggest mistake of their lives.

Over all I'm coping well despite the double hit of you and mother leaving at the same time, and I've looked into your past. I see your father ran out on your mother when you were a child. Like father like son I suppose, but I swear on my names that I will raise your cubs with every ounce of love I can muster and see to it that they bear the legacy that is their birthright. They are the grandcubs of Patriarchs and they deserve better than you. Thank the Fanged God for Tarra and Lott.

So it is decided, should mother return I shall have her put in care for her own safety. I'm not convinced she was all together there and heaven help me if I wasn't so awestruck at her presence that I overlooked the signs. And as for you Milton. Stay away. For the love of your children stay away. If you come back now I will take the telepath's drug and scan you so intrusively your every last secret will be mine to know, your every last memory, love, hate, everything. So there you have it Milton, if you want to be at all involved in your cubs' lives, you have to get past their mother first, and unlike human mothers, felinoids are hard wired to love their young, unconditionally and without hesitation. And also unlike human mothers, to a felinoid a male's presence is optional, and often undesirable. Goodbye.

Sincerely,

K'Lynxyl Nebendi-Riit

Cousin to the Patriarch

Mother of the new breed