Opening day at the new planet has people coming off the shuttle in thousands. Caleb is at his best as he greets as many of them as he possibly can and points them in different directions to check out the different areas we’ve made here to start new lives in.

Caleb had us a huge home built near the cave we found Xavultan in. Water treatment processors were brought in. Solar converters and a few low-rises were built for the initial people who would start the inhabitation of the planet.

The Queen named it, The Euthenian Annex. I thought that was a bit bland. Personally, I wanted it to be called something a little less traditional, like Hoagpaths. But no one knew how to say that. So the Queen got her way.

The large predator who ate the birds he picked from the sky was found to be the only one of his species after all. We managed to capture him, and he’s now in a large, contained area on display.

Kerr loves messing with the beast and has staged a show for the newcomers. Kataline sits on the sidelines. No one else knows Kerr is completely protected by her shield and in no danger what-so-ever, but it makes for a good show, and the planet’s funds grow with each performance he gives.

And now a special ship lands in front of our welcome building. As I thought Gleeu and Hexultan come off the ship. Hand in hand.

They got back together and now live out at his farm on the Earth settlement. Kerr told us they might be coming to see about purchasing a place here.

I go to greet them as they look around. Neither have ever been here. “Hello, Gleeu and Hexultan. How are you today?”

The Queen is dressed in tan shorts and a white shirt. Her long blonde hair is in a long braid. Hexultan wears similar shorts and a blue shirt. His hair has managed to gain some color since their reunion.

Since she left the palace, she also left behind the monikers that have followed her since her coronation many years ago. She no longer wants to be called Queen or anything that has to do with that title.

She and Hexultan live like everyone else, and they seem very happy together. Hard to believe people can get past such a thing as they have.

“Kerr told us there’s a forest here with giant trees and you have built some magnificent tree houses in them,” Gleeu says as she runs her arm to wrap around Hexultan’s.

“We’d love to see the tree houses.” Hexultan kisses her cheek. “My precious wife says she’d like to live in one.”

“Follow me,” I tell them and walk toward the small area we have where pictures of the tree houses are. “If you like any of them by the pictures, then I’ll take you on my personal craft to look at the ones you like in person. How does that sound?”

I look back to see Gleeu smile. “That sounds wonderful. So how’s it all going so far, Emerald?”

“Very good, actually. The team of scientists we put together to study the planet and how Euthenian’s might change to adapt to the much larger areas to live in have already studied many of the species here.” I point to some pictures on the wall in the corridor leading us to the tree house sales room.

A cute tiny primate with thick pink fur and tiny purple eyes peers out of one of them. “I named these little guys puff balls, although the scientists named them something else. It’s a long word I can’t even pronounce.”

Gleeu runs her hand over the picture. “That is adorable!”

“Glad you think so because they are abundant in the trees of that forest where the tree houses are.” I smile as her face lights up. “Through studying theses little guys, the scientists think within three generations of people living here, the reproduction rate will climb.”

Gleeu looks relieved. “So it is like I thought. Given more room their bodies will reproduce more often. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

She runs her hand down Hexultan’s arm and laces her fingers with his. “Won’t that be nice for future generations, Hex?”

“It will.” He gives her nose a tweak. “And it was you who spearheaded this whole thing. What a treasure our people have in you, my dear.”

She drops her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Hex.”

Leading them on to the room with the pictures all over the walls of the grand tree houses our construction crews have built, I see both of their eyes draw immediately to the same one.

“The forest is called Rainbow Forest. As you can see, the trees grow on lines, and each line is a different color. Blue, yellow, light green, and pink.” I follow them as they walk straight up to the picture they were drawn to.

“What about this one here, Emerald?” Hexultan asks me. “This one in a blue tree.”

“I love those precious little blue flowers that cover the tree. It’s perfect!” Gleeu claps her hands and looks at Hexultan with light in her eyes. “Just like the blue gardens you made me.”

His hand runs over her cheek. “If you like it, it is yours, my love.”

“Can we go see it?” she asks with the enthusiasm of a child.

“Of course.” On our way out to my craft, Kerr and Kataline see us and come our way.

“Mother, Father, when did you two get here?” Kerr asks them as he carries their latest child, Gweneth who’s barely three months old. Their fourth child.

“Come with us, Kerr.” Gleeu holds out her arms for the baby. Kerr hands her over and wraps his free arm around Kataline.

“Will do. Where are we going?” he asks.

“To look at a tree house your mother likes.” Hexultan looks around. “Where are the rest of the children?”

Kataline smiles. “We put them to work. They’re showing people around for us.”

“How nice,” Hexultan says as he climbs into the back of my craft.

The ride to the Rainbow Forest is a nice twenty minutes outside the main hub. I look back to explain things to them. “There will be no roads made on this planet. Only hover crafts will be allowed.”

“And why is that?” Gleeu asks.

“We want to maintain the integrity of this planet for as long as we can. No digging, no mining, nothing that will hurt the planet. All the houses have been equipped with the latest technologies we have to use every little thing we can.”

Gleeu looks quite proud. “You young people have made it even better than I imagined.”

Kerr laughs. “Thanks, Mother.”

Kataline looks at Kerr with such love in her blue eyes. “Since women have been able to do more since the change, we’ve found some brilliant minds that were going untapped. So many people come up to help with innovative ideas. It has made a big difference in this place.”

“Here it is,” I say as I move up a bit higher to reach the deck of the house at the top of the huge blue tree.

“This is adorable,” Gleeu says as we all get out.

She hands the baby to Kataline and takes Hexultan’s hand. He smiles at her, “You love it already, don’t you?”

They walk off, whispering to each other about things they can do with the house. Kerr, Kataline, and I hang back and let them have their privacy.

“Looks like all’s well that ends well,” Kerr says as he plays with the baby’s hand who looks up at him with her mother’s eyes.

“The new planet seems to be a hit. We’ll have what’s built so far filled in no time.” I lean up against the trunk of the tree the house is built around.

So many things have changed, and I think that’s how life is supposed to be.

I guess some people do get happy endings!