Valorie walked in with a platter of food, interrupting the moment. “I’m spending time with a friend right now,” Mara said defensively.
Valorie set a steaming bowl in front of her. “Homemade vegetable soup.”
Mara stared at the bowl.
Then burst into tears.
Not cute tears. Not delicate tears. Full-on ugly crying.
Valorie froze, horrified. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no,” her father said, moving to sit beside Mara and pulling her into a hug. “She’s just missing her man.”
Valorie sat on Mara’s other side. “So it’s what we suspected?”
“Afraid so,” Martin said. “Our Mara here is lovesick.”
Mara wiped at her face, mortified. “What are you two talking about?”
Her father gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know you’re in love with that Crytharian. Why haven’t you reached out to him?”
“I tried,” she said, voice cracking. “Right after I won, I tried to contact him. But the GSG officials said Vaelor requested immediate departure to his home world. And when I asked for his contact information, they told me he didn’t want it given to me. That he didn’t want to see me again.”
She burst into another round of tears. Then hiccuped. Loudly.
Valorie took a bite of bread. “I think that’s bullshit.”
“I agree,” her father said. “Remember what I told you before you went off to college?”
Mara sniffed and took a sip of water. “You said not to let anyone speak for me. That I had a voice and I should use it.”
“Exactly.” He squeezed her hand. “If those words didn’t come out of his mouth, then don’t believe them. From what I saw on screen, that man is deeply in love with you.”
Valorie waved her bread like a baton. “Seriously. It was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen when he stepped back and let you win. I cried. My mom cried. My dog cried.”
Mara groaned. “I don’t know how to contact him.”
Valorie shrugged. “Then go to him.”
Mara blinked. “Go to his home world? How would I even do that?”
Her father smiled—the kind of smile that meant he was about to do something outrageous. “Let me handle that.”
Mara’s eyes widened. “Dad, I’m not leaving you here.”
“You won’t be,” he said, patting her hand. “I’m going with you.”
Mara stared at him.
Valorie grinned.
And for the first time in two months, Mara felt something spark inside her chest.
Hope.
Epilogue
Vaelor
