“No,” I said weakly. My voice was barely a croak.
“I should get dressed,” Cleb said.
He slipped off the sofa. He was about to turn and leave when he stopped and turned to me. He extended his arms to me. I leaned forward and he hugged me.
“It’s okay to be sad, Uncle,” he said.
“I’m not sad,” I said. “I’ve got you.”
“Yes,” Cleb said. “But you’re still sad.”
He planted a kiss on my cheek. It was the first time he’d ever done that and it made me beam.
“It was nice though,” Cleb said.
“What was?”
“Being part of a family,” he said. “Even if it was for a little while.”
“You were part of a family,” I said. “With your parents.”
“They weren’t at home much. They were out most of the time. When they came back, it was always late and I was asleep. They woke me up. They’d been drinking. I never liked the smell. You’re always at home but you weren’t really here either. I know you’ll be better now. And it’s thanks to her, right?”
I never knew what his home life had been like before. I assumed he’d had a happy upbringing. But how could he when both his parents were gamblers?
“Right,” I said. “It’s thanks to her.”
In his face, I saw the love and emotion he had for Bianca. She wasn’t his mother but he loved her like one. And she had loved him the same way in return.
And I had stripped them from each other.
All because I blamed her for bringing the kidnapper to our home. Yes, she shouldn’t have lied, and yes, she should have asked me for help, but should that get in the way of Cleb keeping the best relationship he’d ever had?
Should it get in the way of the best one I’d ever had?
With the woman I loved?
“Everybody we love goes one day,” Cleb had said. “And we can’t stop them.”
But it didn’t have to be that way. It’d been my decision to send her away. I still loved her. If I decided she ought to leave, I could just as easily decide for her to stay.
If she still wanted to.
“Cleb,” I said.
Cleb stopped and turned at the doorway.
“Would you like it if Bianca was to stay a little longer?” I said.
Cleb beamed at me.
“Yes,” he said. “Very much.”
“Sometimes the people we love do leave us,” I said. “Sometimes it’s their fault and sometimes it’s ours. And sometimes, there’s no need for them to leave at all and you can change things. You can ask them to do the things you need them to. And sometimes people make a mistake and deserve a second chance.”
I got to my feet.
“Get your coat,” I said. “We’re going to the spaceport.”
Cleb wanted to take the arjaths to the spaceport but with the distance we had to cover, they weren’t exactly the most efficient means of transportation.
Waev brought the shuttlecraft around to the front of the house. He didn’t even land. The back lowered, forming a ramp for us to run up.
“Hop in!” he bellowed.
I helped Cleb onboard first and followed him up the ramp. The shuttle shuddered beneath our feet and didn’t settle down until the hatch door shut. I placed Cleb in a seat and strapped him in. He was excited and swung his legs back and forth with greater fervor.
I joined Waev in the co-pilot chair at the front.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Waev said. “We could get into a lot of trouble.”
“We’re not hurting anyone,” I said. “We just want to get Bianca off the ship.”
I accessed my communicator and checked Bianca’s flight details. It was due to take off in one hour. After the journey flight time, we’d have thirty minutes to get through the screening process.
I called the company’s ticket office.
“I bought a ticket yesterday for a one-way trip to Earth,” I said. “Under the name Traes. I want to know if the passenger has checked in yet or not.”
“Let me check that for you, sir,” the automated voice said. “I can confirm the passenger has checked in. She downgraded to pod class. The extra credits will be refunded to your account. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?”
“Yes,” I said. “What is the pod number?”
“The passenger will be staying in pod number JJ13-6492.”
“Are there any pods available for the flight?” I said.
Waev gave me a look of apprehension and nodded at the clock on the dashboard. Time was going to be a major issue.
“All pods are full,” the automated voice said. “Would you like me to check for other classes?”
“Yes.”
“We have three penthouse suites still available. Would you like to book one?”
“Yes!” I said, half to hurry the voice up, half in surprise.
This might actually work! I just needed to get on board the ship. Then I could find her pod and open it. I could speak to her and convince her to return home with me.
I hoped she would come back.
“Would you like me to charge the same bank account?” the automated voice said.
“Yes,” I said. “Send the tickets to my communicator.”
“Payment made and tickets sent. Please have a pleasant journey. Thank you for choosing—”
I ended the communication and waited for the tickets to arrive. It seemed to take an impossibly long amount of time. Then my communicator blinked.
Yes!
“Any luck?” Waev said.
“Yes,” I said. “Expensive luck.”
“It looks like you just ran out of luck. Expensive or otherwise.”
He brought the shuttlecraft to a halt in the long line of traffic. There was strictly no flying allowed within ten miles of the spaceport and all vehicles were restricted to ground level.
This was why I hated interstellar travel.
“Can’t we go around them?” I said.
“Not without me losing my license,” Waev said.
I growled and released my safety harness.
“Cleb, I’m going to run into the spaceport,” I said. “I want you to stay here with Waev.”
“No!”
“It’s safer here.”
“I don’t care! I want Bianca to come home with us!”
“So do I,” I
