“Pamia. It’s sort of become our home base,” Anna explains. “Once we get there, you can decide what you want to do next. Treto pinged Earth, so going back is an option for you.”
It doesn’t escape my notice that she saysfor you.“You don’t have family back on Earth?”
Anna’s face loses some of its color, and her eyes stare down into her tea. “I do.”
Great. Way to bring up a sore subject for her. “I’m sorry; it’s none of my business…”
“No, it’s okay.” She smiles up at me again, although she doesn’t try to hide the sadness in this smile. “I left behind a great family, but I’ve been gone for so long now.” She shrugs. “What would I even tell them? And it’s not like I can stay. Can you imagine how people would react if I brought Rovos?”
Yeah—no. I’ve seen that movie. It never ends well for the aliens.
“It’s so weird thinking of humans on a planet that’s not Earth,” I mutter into my cup.
“I know, right?!” Anna snorts then pushes my stew closer. “Eat. You’ll feel better once you get your blood sugar up.”
I do as I’m told and find that, not only is the stew quite tasty, but Anna’s right, and I do start to feel better. More of the grogginess clears up, and the headache that has settled behind my eyes eases a bit.
“So, you’re a nurse?” I ask her between bites.
“Yup,” she leans back in her chair with her cup of tea, “it’s all I wanted to do since I was a little girl. I even took college courses during high school so I could get my prerequisites for nursing school out of the way faster.”
“That explains why you look so young,” I muse.
“What about you? What did you do back on Earth?”
I snort, “I was barely surviving, honestly. My whole life, I feel like I’ve been working just to get by.”
“What about your family?” she asks softly.
“Gone. Everyone.”
“I’m so sorry.” She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Maybe… just maybe this was where you were supposed to end up?”
I’ve never been much of a believer, but even Treto talks about his Fates sometimes. I’ve grown up with the belief that no one is going to do anything for me, so it’s up to me—and only me—to take care of shit myself.
Before long I’ve cleaned the whole bowl but decline a second. I don’t want to make myself sick by going overboard.
“You said Treto spent the day talking to Rovos.” I lean back in my seat and can’t help thinking of how he cried in my arms when I found him on theShade. “How… is he?”
Anna blows out a long breath, hitching one of her shoulders. “It’s hard to say. I haven’t known him for long, and he’s always been really quiet, but...” her blue eyes latch onto mine, “I don’t think it’s good for him to be alone right now.”
I can’t help my sharp intake of breath.
“No, I don’t mean he might do something to harm himself,” Anna tells me quickly. “Just that,” she shrugs again, “Sone was closer to him than a brother. I know nothing will ever replace him, but he’s going to need someone to help him through this.”
My mind drifts to my sister, and my hand rubs at the spot in my chest that is still raw from her loss. I know from first losing my mother that the pain fades some over time. Though never entirely.
“I should talk to him. I—I’ve been through what he’s going through.”
Anna gives me a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry that you have, but maybe this is another reason you’re here? If you truly are his mate—and I never would have thought any of this was true before finding Rovos—then you are his best hope for getting through this.”
Part of me wants to scoff and tell her I think she’s full of shit. But the way she’s looking at me makes me pause. And wonder.
What if…
After she shows me how to load the replicator with our dishes, I follow Anna through the maze of corridors until we reach a doorway leading into the bridge. Treto is sitting in front of a bank of blank computer monitors. His back is to me, but I can see he’s hunched over with his head resting in his hands.
“Are you okay?” Anna asks me, resting her hand on my shoulder.
