That evening, while Galvus was asleep, Aster and Garrus went over to his mother's apartment next door to pack a bag for Galvus and to grab his enviro-suit.
The pair quickly entered the apartment and got to work. Aster found Galvus's room and got to work. Within thirty minutes, Aster had all of Galvus's clothes, enviro-suit, and personal effects backed into several bags.
"Do you have everything?" Garrus asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Aster signed heavily. "I grabbed everything that would fit in the bags. But we will probably need to get the apartment packed up and cleaned. Hopefully, we can get the deposit back. I would hate to leave Galvus without any credits."
"We still have a few hours before we need to get ready to leave," Garrus began. "Why don't we start packing up a few things?"
"Alright," Aster agreed.
While Aster and Garrus packed up the apartment, Castis joined them and began helping. Camelea had stayed with Galvus. What would have taken Aster and Garrus hours to complete was done in half the time.
"That's everything," Garrus announced, looking around. "They didn't have much to begin with."
"Let's take everything over to the apartment," Aster suggested, picking up one of the boxes. "We can decide what to do with everything later."
Castis and Garrus grabbed what they could and followed behind Aster. Between the three of them, they grabbed all of the pack boxes and Galvus's bags.
"It's a good thing we didn't unpack," Camelea commented, walking out of the kitchen.
In her hands, she carried a small, steaming tray with three mugs.
"You all look like you could use a drink," she observed. "Here, a little something to warm you up."
Camelea offered a mug to Castis, then Garrus, and finally to Aster. Aster took a moment to familiarize herself with the drink's aroma. It was unfamiliar to her.
A spicy scent, with an undercurrent of something almost metallic. Aster eyed it warily. Her digestive system was human, and turian dextro-amino drinks weren't exactly known for their universal appeal. Even though her turian implants had given her some sort of tolerance to dedtro-amino foods, Aster was still unsure how much her body could tolerate.
Taking a cautious sip, her eyes widened. It wasn't what she expected at all. The initial spice gave way to a rich, earthy flavor, surprisingly complex and oddly comforting. There was a subtle sweetness, too, and a lingering warmth that spread through her chest.
"Camelea," Aster said, genuinely surprised. "This… this is actually really good! What is it?"
Camelea smiled. "Just a traditional Vakarian family brew. Good for tired muscles and for a tired spirit. I'm glad you like it, dear."
Garrus took another sip of his own, a contented hum vibrating in his chest.
"You should ask for the recipe," SAM said. "This drink triggers an emotional response."
"I'll ask later," Aster promised. "We have more urgent matters to take care of."
"The child knows that his mother abandoned him," SAM informed her.
Aster froze at the news. "What?! HOW!"
"He received a message on his data pad while you and your husband were packing up the apartment," SAM replied. "He's pretending to be asleep and has been listening in."
"I should go and comfort him," Aster decided.
"He wants to be alone," SAM replied. "He's locked the door and is hiding in a corner. You should wait until tomorrow at least."
Aster slowly put her cup down. Sensing her uneasiness, Garrus grabbed her hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Aster shook her head and pointed her chin to Galvus's room. Garrus stared toward the room and nodded. He understood what she meant.
"Why don't we head to bed?' Garrus suggested. "We can talk tomorrow morning."
"Don't worry about us," Camelea added. "We'll take the spare bedroom."
"Alright," Aster nodded. "See you in the morning."
*
Sleep was not easy to come by. Aster lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. Garrus was in the shower. Moments later, the mattress shifted, and the sheets rustled.
Aster felt his warmth against her back, his large hand pulled her closer into him.
"Still awake?" Garrus asked softly.
"Hmm. I can't sleep," she whispered.
"Still think about Vilia," Garrus assumed.
"I-I don't know," Aster said softly. "I can't wrap my mind around Vilia leaving Galvus behind. It's unheard of. He's only ten years old, Garrus. Who does that?"
"I know," Garrus agreed. "It's uncommon on Palaven, but I've heard rumors of abandonment in other planets. The punishment is severe if the parent or parents get caught."
"I hope they find out what happened," Aster said, her heart feeling heavy. "I was told that Galvus knows what's going on. He must be so heartbroken."
Garrus shifted beside her. He leaned in, his mandibles brushing her ear as his lips, surprisingly soft, found the sensitive skin behind her lobe. He kissed her temple, then the damp curve of her cheek.
"Aster?" His voice was low, laced with concern.
Aster turned into him, burying her face against his neck.
"She just… left him, Garrus," she choked out. "We had just gotten to the apartment, and SAM told me she was leaving. No warning, no explanation."
Garrus's arm tightened around her. His fingers, surprisingly gentle, began to trace patterns on her back, a slow, hypnotic rhythm.
"That's… unspeakable, Aster. Truly," he murmured, his voice rough with anger. "He didn't deserve that."
"No one deserves that," she whispered, the tears finally flowing freely.
She felt his body stiffen slightly as a single tear, hot and stinging, fell onto his scales. He didn't flinch. He just held her tighter. He shifted again, pulling her closer until her head was resting on his shoulder, his chin resting on her hair. His hand moved from her back to gently caress her temple, his thumb brushing away the stray tears.
He kissed her hair. "It's okay to be angry, Aster. We'll do what we can for him. Even if that means taking him as our own. You saw how mom and dad were excited to have a grandchild.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we took him in."
"What if he doesn't want to stay with us?" Aster asked. "What if his relatives don't want to take him? Won't he be placed in an orphanage?"
"It's a possibility," Garrus admitted. "But we'll do what we can to help him. We can decide when we get to Palaven. There's no need to rush."
"Ok," Aster said, pressing closer to him.