Cooper
Three weeks later
Itap my fingers onthe steering wheel; my impatience has reached its peak.I have been stuck here in traffic in my car for the past twenty minutes.I went last-minute grocery shopping to get all of Luna’s favourite snacks and foods for when she comes back from her mission to the moon.I also got all the props I need to decorate our house for the surprise I am planning.I finally got the notice from the jewellery shop that the custom ring that I had ordered was ready – it is a silver ring with a ruby in the middle and two crescent moons on either side of the stone.It is her birth month gemstone with the moon (because she is my moon).I managed to collect it today from the store.
I am finally going to do it, ask her to marry me.It wasn’t our idea of settling, but for the past two years, she has been slowly dropping hints that she was ready to do it.And I didn’t need many hints.
My being stuck in traffic means that I will miss the livestream of the re-entry of Luna’s shuttle to Earth after eight days in space.I keep checking the time to make sure I won’t miss the entire thing, but from the long line of vehicles arranged behind one another, I will not be making it back home on time.But it’s okay, as long as I receive a message from her that she’s made it back, I am a happy man.
There is finally movement after an agonising fifteen minutes, and I take all the shortcuts and make my way home.I reach home and grab all the shopping bags to take inside.I speed-walk to my door with both hands full of bags, but my phone rings from inside my trouser pocket.
I manage to unlock the door and go inside, only to find Nova meowing loudly at the door.I drop the bags onto the couch and pick her up, only to realise that the auto-feeder has run out of food, and that has led to an upset kitten.My phone rings again, but I ignore it for a second to fill in Nova’s food bowl.
I let out a sigh of relief that all the fires have been put out and I finally sit on the couch, but my phone has stopped ringing before I can take the call.I pick up the remote to switch on the television to catch the tail end of the livestream, but my phone rings again.It must be urgent if someone is calling me thrice in the span of five minutes.I slip my phone out of my pocket and check the caller ID – it is from SAE.
I attend the call.‘Hello, sorry I was in the middle of something and couldn’t pick up the call.’
‘Hi, is this Mr Murphy?Luna’s emergency contact?’A deep, formal voice talks back to me.
‘Yes, this is him.Is everything alright?’
A moment of silence.‘Hi, Mr Murphy, this is Dr Campbell calling.I’m sorry to inform you that the shuttle that Dr Vikram was in failed on re-entry and exploded due to high temperatures ...’
My thoughts drift off for a second, and my stomach drops.I definitely heard something wrong; it’s probably the fatigue messing with my brain.I stand from the couch and blink a few times.‘Sorry, Dr Campbell, your voice cut off for a second.Can you please repeat what you said?’I ask again, hoping to hear something different.
‘I’m sorry, Mr Murphy.Dr Vikram’s shuttle burned up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded mid-flight.None of the astronauts survived.I am sorry for your loss.’
The silence roars in my ears.This can’t be true.Luna will text me in a few hours, and she will be back in a few days, and I can ask her to marry me.I clear my throat.‘Are you sure, Dr Campbell?What if she, sorry, they survived and it’s all a misunderstanding?’
He takes a deep breath before he speaks.‘We have triple checked Mr Murphy, we have no communication from any of the crew, and it was a fatal accident, there is no way anyone can survive that.’
No.She can’t leave me already.We are supposed to grow old together.I barely got her back a couple of years ago.I don’t even know all the things in the world she likes or dislikes.I stay silent for so long that the person continues talking again.‘I am sorry for your loss, Mr Murphy.We are promptly sending you support to your house.Please know that you aren’t alone in this.Feel free to reach out to me or any other person on my team if you need more support.’A long beep.The call has ended.
That’s it.They’ve taken away my Luna from me in the blink of an eye.No, this isn’t real.She will be back.She must have survived it; she has to have survived it.My Luna is fearless; she is strong and smart.She will come back to Nova and me.
***
Ihave been sittingon the couch staring into the distance for an hour now.It is already dark outside.Nova walks right next to my feet and chirps loudly.It takes me out of the trance; Luna’s parents still don’t know.Ihave to tell them.
I immediately grab Nova and get out of the house.I call Leo, Darshan and Zara, although I suspect that Zara has already found out directly from SAE.I ask Leo to pick up my Mum and meet me at Kate and Vikram’s house; they need all the support they can get right now.They aren’t going to survive the death of another child easily.
I am still in shock, and I am numb.I still don't believe it.Five minutes into the drive, Nova looks at me and purrs loudly.It is the final trigger for my tears to break out.I let out a guttural cry, and I clutch my heart.I immediately park the car on the side of the road.I pick up my phone, call Luna’s number and put it on speaker.The photo of Luna playing with Nova fills my screen, and the dial tone keeps ringing.It doesn’t stop; she doesn’t pick up.I keep calling her ten more times, and it finally dawns on me that I will never again hear her voice at the other end of the line.
I lift Nova and hold her in my hands, ‘She is never coming back, baby.’And I lament the loss of the love of my life and the fact that I will never see her again.
