Page 166 of Trove’s Purpose

“That’s not a feeling.”

She yawned, burrowing into his chest. “Sure. A house, a den, a ship – those are places. What makes them homes is that feeling.”

“Home…”

“Mm-hm…”

“I’m home,” he breathed, like he was stunned. And for him, who had never had a place where he was perfectly safe, unselfishly loved, belonged absolutely, and had a purpose that gave him fulfillment, maybe something that simple really was stunning.

“Welcome home,” she greeted, sleep tugging insistently at her conscious.

She didn’t hear Trove’s reply, but she felt his arms tightening around her. And it told her everything she needed to know.

***

Chee never thought this day would come. She still wasn’t even sure that it was real. Part of her was terrified that she’d wake up any moment and all of this would have just been a fantastical dream. She’d still be in her small rental home, living alone, with a pantsuit she set aside the night before waiting for her to don and wear to another meaningless day at work.

But even when she pinched her thigh repeatedly until her fingers shook from the pressure, she didn’t wake from the pain.

She was still sitting in this purple colored district in Holotulle, in one of the many tall buildings that acted as landing docks for the multitude of landing shuttles that were coming in. This entire district did very little else but act as a massive landing area. It was the same place she had come through when she arrived from Earth.

But back then, she had been overwhelmed and uneasy, too stressed and nervous to pay much attention to her surroundings. San had picked her up, fortunately, so she hadn’t really needed to.

And now, she was still too stressed and nervous to care about her surroundings.

“You’re hurting yourself.”

Trove put his hand over hers, stopping her from pinching her thigh again. She started, whipping her head to look at him before offering a shaky smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

“Sorry,” she breathed.

Trove smiled back, lacing his fingers through hers. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. They’ll be here soon.”

Her parents were about to land.

And Chee was about to throw up. Stress and nerves combined and combatted with excitement and impatience in her belly, making it impossible to stay still. They were sitting at the base of the landing pad that her parents would be coming to. Her foot was bouncing nervously. Her eyes tracked through the sky, but there were so many shuttles coming in, she couldn’t figure out which one was theirs. And every time one came towards their building, she couldn’t breath and her heart skipped.

But they kept landing on different platforms. They weren’t her parents.

Hyde was having them brought on a private shuttle. Just the two of them. So there was no one else waiting in this area but the two of them. But the rest of the docking building was still behind them. Like an airport terminal, loud and big and busy.

But Chee paid it no mind as she continued to stare forward. Waiting. Twitching. Resisting the urge to be sick.

The small shuttle that finally came their way made her freeze. Because she knew somehow, with absolute certainty, even before it touched down, that it was them. That was the one.

Chee didn’t even realize she was standing until the glass wall that led outside was getting closer. She couldn’t push through, however, because the door remained sealed until the shuttle was fully landed and powered down. Only then did it unlock, letting her out.

She was breathless as she walked. Staring at the shuttle. At the door. The small spacecraft was plain, unadorned, but well made and sleek. And unmoving.

It wasn’t opening.

Why wasn’t it opening?

Had something gone wrong? Had something happened?? Had-

The doors slid apart and a ramp extended down.

And there he was.