"It's been over a week, Jasyn. We can't stay here any longer. They're getting suspicious."
She turned away from him, pretending not to hear him. Clark followed her.
"We've got fuel, we've got a cargo. We have to go."
"Not yet, Trevyn," Jasyn answered.
"She hasn't even tried to call us," Darus said. He shook his head. "She refused all of our messages. She's changed. She's made her choice. It's as simple as that."
Jasyn bit her lip, turning her back on them to fuss with the pot on the stove. Clark came up behind her and rubbed her arms.
"Face it, Jasyn. She isn't the same person anymore. It's time to let her go."
"Maybe she'll be happy," Twyla said.
"She didn't look happy." Jasyn dropped the lid of the pot into the sink. "One more day, please. If we don't hear from her by then, we can go."
The mood in the ship was somber. Even Louie refrained from his usual cheerful babble. He fussed and refused to eat. Ghost sat on the ledge above them, twitching her tail and growling at anyone who came near.
"I'll wash up tonight," Ginni offered when they finished.
"I'll check on the cargo. Want to come?" Beryn asked Twyla. The two of them headed around the back of the ship.
Clark took Louie into the nursery to clean him up. Darus helped Ginni rinse dishes.
Jasyn crossed to the open hatch. She leaned against it, watching the evening light spread slowly over the city and ships. The ocean moved restlessly beyond the last row of buildings. She took a deep breath, reaching for the clean smell of salt water. She tried not to think about her decision. She didn't want to let Dace go, but maybe it was time. The polished, perfect woman she'd seen at the mansion wasn't the Dace she knew. It was hard to believe she would change that much but Dace had chosen her way and it no longer included the Phoenix.
She leaned on the hatch and listened to Ginni sing as she scrubbed dishes. It was peaceful. She watched the transports move past, not really paying attention. The light faded into a reddish haze. She started to turn to go back inside when a single figure caught her eye.
Whoever it was wore a shapeless gray shipsuit. She was too far away, and her head was down. Jasyn straightened, staring at the figure as it trudged closer to the ship.
Was she just wishing too hard? She moved down the ramp a few steps. It had to be someone else, going to another ship. The woman came closer. She kept her head down. Her hair was clipped short, almost shaved into a military cut. She had her hands jammed into her pockets. Her shoulders drooped. Jasyn watched her, hardly daring to breathe in case it was only her imagination drawing the figure in the reddish air.
She came to the bottom of the ramp and stopped. She looked up hesitantly. It was Dace. She was too thin, her face lined with weariness. There was pain in her eyes that hadn't been there before. She studied Jasyn wordlessly for a long moment.
"Permission to come aboard?" Dace finally asked. She looked as if a word would send her trudging away again.
Jasyn shook her head, trying to speak past the lump in her throat. "You don't have to ask permission, Dace. You own half the ship."
Dace stood a little straighter, as if a weight had slid off her shoulders.
"Welcome home," Jasyn said. She almost ran down the ramp and gathered Dace into a hug.
Dace stiffened briefly. She suddenly relaxed and returned the hug. Jasyn wasn't surprised to find her crying. Her own eyes were more than a little wet.
Ginni was next, flying down the ramp to wrap her arms around Dace. Darus and the others weren't far behind. Dace was smiling and crying and laughing as they escorted her back into the ship.