“Tavia Storm, I know you’re there.”
Busted.
I step out, trying to look innocent. “I was just... checking on the basil?”
“The basil is thriving, as you well know.” But he’s not really mad. “Pickles, unlock the door.”
“Override protocols restored. Most mysterious malfunction resolved.”
Dove walks past me, ruffling my hair. “Nice try, small person.”
But she’s smiling the whole way, and when I peek at Papa, his markings are still doing that happy-bright glow.
Phase One: Partial success. Proximity achieved. Almost-touching observed.
Science takes time.
Phase Two happens after lunch.
“Pickles,” I whisper. “Ready?”
“I am not a matchmaking service. However, I am providing technical support for environmental systems maintenance. Any romantic consequences are purely coincidental.”
“Kissing probability?”
“Currently calculated at sixty-two percent and rising.”
The lights flicker. Then go completely dark except for emergency runners.
“Papa!” I call, running into the common area. “The lights broke!”
Papa’s already at the main control panel. In the dim emergency lighting, his markings provide most of the illumination, casting everything in soft yellow-gold.
“Pickles, status report.”
“Primary lighting grid has experienced a cascading failure. I require manual reset at junction box in maintenance corridor three. I recommend technical support.”
“I’ll come,” Dove volunteers.
They head off together, and I count to ten before following at a safe distance.
The maintenance corridor is so narrow they have to turn sideways to fit. I peek around the corner, staying in shadow.
Papa reaches up to access the junction box, which puts his arm right around Dove’s shoulders. She has to duck slightly, which brings her face really close to his chest.
His markings pulse brighter.
“Sorry,” he says quietly. “Tight quarters.”
“It’s okay.” Her voice sounds different. Softer. “I don’t mind.”
“Dove...”
“Yeah?”
He doesn’t finish. Just looks down at her, and his markings do this slow, beautiful pulse.
They’re so close. Just a little bit closer and they’d be—
