NOVEL NEXT 157: We Have Time
EURI
Home.
What a word. My casita felt so small after traveling across two galaxies for half a year. So small, and so humble, but so warm and comfortable. The fridge was full of fresh food, and the gardens were tended. My dads had gone out of their way to make our homecoming easy.
Portia was in the shower, rinsing away the detritus of our afternoon landing at Coal Station because a brisk wind had come across the desert as we'd packed the porter. I'd stilled it, but we'd been pelted by sand and grit.
It wasn't the best greeting for Cyn, but she'd sent a text message that she didn't mind, and Ronnie was so overjoyed with Frank's happiness to be home that whatever else I'd been worried about was washed away.
One benefit to the ridiculously long trip from Earth to Shurwinn was that my dads had time to get one of the vacation rental apartments in their building ready for Ronnie and Cyn. So, they were set up in an apartment down the hall from Muse and Mets.
It was odd to be in my house and not have Ronnie and Frank downstairs. I kinda wished that I had room for Cyn and Ronnie. Even if Cyn only talked to us by text, I'd gotten used to her presence. I really liked her, and it was weird to have our little family split up, even if they were only a five-minute walk down the hill.
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I finished hanging up the clothes in the walk-in closet and went to join Shah in the shower. But, the water turned off just as I went in the bathroom.
"Oh no, mister. You're gonna get clean before you touch this."
I laughed and switched places with her, washing the grime off. Portia was wrestling with herself, but she was facing it. She wasn't running away.
Tonight we were meeting her parents for dinner at Ronnie and Cyn's apartment. Shah was nervous because she wanted to be open to whatever was coming. Even though it all made her feel sick.
I was proud of her for just being willing to think about it, even if neither of us knew what that meant. I wasn't sure what Ronnie and Cyn had in mind either. Was Cyn going to tell Borden and Nika about hacking her relay? They knew about my dad, so it wasn't that implausible.
Dammit. It would help if Ronnie would give us a clue every now and then. I toweled off and stepped out to find Shah bent over, squishing gel into her curly hair. Naked as a jaybird.
"Well, if that isn't an invitation, I don't know what is."
She laughed. "Pervert. I'm fixing my hair. We have dinner plans."
"We have time."
She turned around, quirking an eyebrow. My eyes roamed her body, remembering last night. She saw the memory and stepped to me, tearing the towel from my waist.
"Yeah, we have time."
Both of us felt much better after that. Anxiety forgotten for a few minutes. We got dressed and ready for dinner and whatever awaited us.
