"Come along" said Sithathor to her son, a young Minotaur bull named Anhur. Anhur was clearly delighted with the low Martian gravity, leaping and bounding along. "I get to meet Grandma!" he said "Grandma can fly!"
"That she can" said Ashley. Ashley was nervous, not only because this would be the first time he would be meeting his mother since he transitioned from human woman to minotaur bull, but also because Taprobana herself had changed. She had abandoned her artificially prolonged second adolescence to allow herself to mature, and was currently studying for a second career as an asteroid geologist. Ashley's virtual contacts with his mother indicated that she had changed from a bubbly adolescent to a serious young lady, more like the mother he remembered from his own childhood. The Minotaur family had paid the expensive passage to Mars because it was time for Taprobana to meet her new son and his family, but also because of a special occasion.
Taprobana and Carlotta were getting married.
Ashley saw a speck in the Martian sky. Getting closer. "Is that?" asked Sithathor, pointing at the speck, which now had discernible features. "I think so" said Ashley.
A lithe, winged female human landed in front of Ashley. "Ashley?"
"Mom?"
The contrast between the Minotaur bull, exuding power and weight even in the low Martian gravity, and the graceful winged human who looked like she might blow away in a strong breeze was extreme. So it was particularly remarkable when they both burst out laughing at once.