Alcott would have usually joined Levi and Walsh for dinner, but Levi doubted that she'd make it today. Dylan came in a little later with a shy smile, but to his surprise and delight, she didn't go to her room but joined them as they sliced potatoes. She didn't say anything, but Dylan rarely did nowadays.
"Is Alcott coming?" Walsh inquired.
"I can message her; she got a new partner today," Levi said. "It's a...rotated situation. Dashiell's fault."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Walsh scoffed. "Then she either shows up or she doesn't; I'm sure she has much happening her life. A partner? Why? Can't they leave that girl alone?"
Levi heard someone rap on the door and he grabbed one of his crutches to get the door. Alcott was standing there with a smile. Levi's first thought was to glance at Dylan, worried that she was going to dart away.
"Where's the new guy?" Walsh called.
"Asleep," Alcott replied. "Or at least in his room. I don't know what Dashiell said to him, but he wasn't happy about it."
"When was the last time someone was happy about talking to Dashiell Turner?" he pointed out. "Dylan, do we have any onion left?"
"I think so," Dylan replied, and moved to the refrigerator to get some.
Dylan had been shifting away from the group, but Walsh had caught her in time. Levi took the onion from her and chopped it up. Dylan snaked her hand around his arm, standing next to him. He smiled, glad that she seemed to be doing better this week.
"He would have been welcome over," Walsh remarked.
"Tyson seemed upset; I didn't want to push things," Alcott replied. "Like I said, I'm not sure what Dashiell told him. They didn't have partners on Earth like we do, right?"
"Right, they had enough people for diversity," Levi said. "People married for all sorts of things: money, love, politics. Earth wasn't perfect."
"Of course not, they sent us here," Dylan said.
Levi glanced at her, squeezing her hand.
"My madre said that we were the best and brightest of Earth," Alcott remarked. "I would usually respond that Lully was hardly the best and brightest."
Walsh laughed.
"Lully is a smart boy. He needs to have less rotated hobbies, but Esperanza keeps him in line."
"You know, you could invite your parents over if you wanted," Walsh remarked. "You talk about them, but..."
"They think I should have made different choices; we don't agree on much," Alcott shrugged. "Of course, now my madre is moonshy over the baby, so I'm avoiding her more than I should."
"She's just excited about being a grandparent," Walsh said.
Levi could hear the wistfulness in his voice. Dylan squeezed his arm, and he slid the chopped onion to Walsh who added it to the potatoes.
"Ibsen wants to move the Aeneid," Dylan mentioned. "To the lake to make a satellite base."
"What?" Alcott laughed. "It's half buried in the side of the hill. Wouldn't that be something to see? When?"
"It's not set yet," Dylan admitted. "But we're talking about it."
"I would move out to the lake in a heartbeat," Walsh admitted. "Nothing to do with environmental, but Lully has built something impressive out there."
"You can always donate to the cause," Levi remarked. "Lully has been wanting to plant some trees out there, and Anatoly worries that they won't survive out there without better earthstorm planning."
YOU ARE READING
If Jove Stray
Science Fiction{✨Book 5✨} Earth. Light years away, and yet now that some on the base were born there, it seems so...close. As communication with the mother planet seems more and more likely, Dylan and Alcott have to wonder if Earth really has anything to offer to...
