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Sarah smiled. "That's the plan. I'm hoping to build a life there."

"Like a house?" he asked.

"Something like that. A place where people can stay when they're visiting, and somewhere they can feel at home while in Walnut Grove."

"That sounds nice," I said. I understood the appeal of starting over somewhere nobody knew our history. "A fresh start can be a good thing."

She studied me for a moment, then gave a small, understanding nod. "I think so, too. I've got children of my own, but they're staying with my parents back on Earth until my house is built. I want to get everything ready before I bring them out, so they can move straight into a proper home rather than having to live somewhere temporary and move all over again."

I nodded in understanding. "That must be hard, leaving them behind for a while."

"It is, but they're in good hands, and it's only temporary. I'm having a boarding house built, not just a regular family home. It'll have guest rooms, shared spaces, and room for my children as well as the people who come to stay. I want it to feel like a big home where people can gather, eat together, and feel welcome, whether they're visiting for a few days or staying longer. There's a lot to arrange before I can bring the children out, so that’s why they're staying with my parents on Earth until it's ready."

I nodded. That made perfect sense. Sarah wasn't simply waiting for a regular house to be built; she was creating a home and a business that would give her family a secure future.

“Our house also has to be built.”

“My mate already has one as he’s got a farm there already. He’s having extra bedrooms 3D printed on while we’re on the way.” There was something comforting about meeting people who were also making a deliberate choice to begin again. We weren't all traveling for the same reasons, and I wasn't about to unload my history on someone I'd only just met, but it was nice to be around people who understood that a new life could be worth the uncertainty.

Nick's boys had already begun talking to Evan and Matt about their toys, and it didn't take long before the four of them were comparing cars and deciding which ones were the fastest. Skye and Nick's golden retriever and Sarah’s dog seemed equally pleased to have found another dog to investigate the park with, although I kept an eye on them to make sure their enthusiasm didn't turn into a tangle of leads. Laura had woken again and was watching the activity from her stroller with wide, curious eyes. I leaned down to straighten her blanket, then looked up at Sarah.

"It sounds as though we'll be seeing a lot of one another once we reach New Haven," I said.

"I hope so," she said. "It'll be good to know some friendly faces. And the children will have each other to play with."

"That's certainly a bonus."

Nick glanced toward the boys, who were now making engine noises and racing their cars along the edge of the path. "Looks like they've already decided they're going to be friends."

I laughed. "I don't think we need to worry about introductions anymore."

For the first time in a long while, I felt something settle inside me. Not certainty, exactly, and certainly not the sort of confidence that made me think everything would be easy from here on out. But perhaps the beginning of belonging somewhere. A few friendly faces I was already associating with as new friends, children who were already making friends, a dog enjoying the grass, and a new world waiting for us.

Two days until Tarek arrived. Two days until I met the man who was legally my husband and, if all went well, might eventually become my closest friend. I wasn't ready to think beyond that yet. For now, I had three children to look after, a dog who needed walking, and an enormous spaceship to explore. It was a good place to start.

15

TAREK

By the time I reached the final station, I was beginning to think the journey to New Haven had been an adventure in its own right.

We'd changed ships more times than I cared to count, stopped at stations I hadn't known existed, and spent enough time in transit hubs to make me appreciate the efficiency of a well-run docking bay, which made a real change from the places my former captains, especially the last one, had decided to do business at. I'd even enjoyed most of it. There was something satisfying about seeing how the different species traveled, how their ships were designed, and how their crews handled the practical business of moving people and cargo between worlds. After years working security aboard merchant vessels, I could appreciate a ship that ran smoothly, and I hadn't found much to complain about.

Still, I was more than ready to reach my destination. New Haven had been waiting for a sheriff, and I was eager to get there, learn the town, and start doing the job I'd agreed to take. Five hundred or so people didn't sound like a particularly large population, but small communities had their own problems. Sometimes they had more than their share, because everyone knew everyone else's business, and a disagreement that might have been forgotten in a city could become a feud when the people involved lived next door to each other.

I'd seen that often enough during my years aboard merchant vessels, when crew members had to live and work together for months at a time. It was one thing to settle an argument between two people who could be assigned to different ships at the next port. It was another when they were going to be neighbors for the foreseeable future. I was looking forward to it, though. The job had appealed to me from the moment I'd seen the offer. New Haven needed someone to keep the peace, and I wanted to do something useful with the next part of my life. I had no intention of spending the rest of it drifting from ship to ship simply because that was what I'd always done. I wanted somewhere to belong. That was a rather more personal admission than I'd have made a few years ago, but it was true.

I'd learned about my assignment to escort Vrann before setting out on the last leg of my journey to New Haven. The arrangements had been made through Child Unification Services, and the plan was for me to meet the boy and his caseworker at the final station, then accompany him on the Alliance transport to the colony. That would allow the caseworker to return home rather than make the journey with him and have to go back.

I'd received the preliminary information ahead of time, including the circumstances that had led to the placement. Vrann's parents had died when he was very young, and he'd been raised by his great-grandmother, Clovira Hrial, with occasional help from his maternal grandparents. Now Clovira had decided to move into a retirement community near her friends, and Vrann needed a permanent home with a family who would love him and give him the stability he deserved.

Thalen and Evan had agreed to take him in after Clovira learned through family connections that they lived on New Haven. I knew their names, knew that there were other children in the household, and understood that the placement had been arranged with everyone's agreement. My part was comparatively straightforward. I was the new sheriff, already traveling to New Haven, and I could accompany Vrann from the station to the colony. Even so, I wanted to make sure the boy felt safe with me. Being told that a child needed a home was one thing. Actually meeting him, knowing he was about to leave the only home he'd ever known, was another.

I had just finished checking the arrangements for the Alliance transport when my wrist comm chimed. The message was from the station's arrival office, confirming that Bevit Grix from Child Unification Services had arrived and was waiting with Vrann in the family assistance reception area. I collected my bag and headed that way.

The station was busy, with passengers moving between concourses and cargo crews guiding grav pallets through the marked freight lanes. Announcements echoed overhead, and the air carried the familiar mixture of recycled station air, hot food from the nearby concessions, and the faint metallic tang that seemed to cling to large transport hubs. I followed the signs to the family assistance reception area, where a male Dragonii in a neatly pressed jacket stood beside a young male holding the strap of a travel bag.

The child looked up when I approached. His pale blond hair stuck up at the crown, and the darker blue scales along his jaw and arms contrasted with his lighter skin. His little horn buds were barely visible through his hair, and his deep blue eyes followed me with a wary curiosity that made him look even younger than he was.