“Wouldn’t that be a coincidence meteor?” I joke.
“That doesn’t have the same ring to it,” he says. His phone vibrates against his chest pocket. He taps on an app, revealing a camera that lets us keep an eye on Sprinkles back home in Pasadena. I peek over the side of his arm.
“Sprinkles had a big day. Gong Gong went by earlier to feed her and watch a movie together. And now she’s currently lying on my slipper,” he says with a laugh.
“It’s either that or all my string,” I say, hugging Jack tighter. Nothing falling out of the sky could distract me from the man in front of me. All the shooting stars in the world could appear at this moment, and I wouldn’t even know. That’s how—
“Roo!” a voice calls out behind us, startling me.
Except for Mom.
I break from Jack’s gaze to see Mom and Dusty approaching us with their arms interlocked. As sweet as it is, the sight still takes some getting used to.
“Shit, it’s cold!” Mom says, rubbing her gloved hands together.
“California’s sounding better, right?” Jack asks.
Mom makes a horrified face. “Not even close, but if I can’t complain about the weather, what do I have in life?”
Dusty unbuttons his coat and wraps the enormity of it around Mom, sharing his body heat with her. She practically disappears under the cloth.
“Better, my love?” Dusty asks in his gruff voice. “You’d think I’d be the one suffering since I’m new to town.”
“All the armor that kept her warm has been removed. Now she’s vulnerable, exposed,” I say dramatically.
Beneath the fabric of Dusty’s coat, I can hear her laugh.
“NASA won’t be the same, or as clean, without you. Who’s going to keep that room in working order?” Jack asks Dusty.
Dusty chuckles. “It’ll be in good hands. I trained the guy but left him a little speck of a surprise as his final test. See if he can find it.” He adjusts his footing, rocking side to side and taking Mom with him. “Now I’ll be helping with preventing contamination in archives and museums at the Met,” he says proudly.
“That’s fantastic!” I say. “You could create a brand around yourself. Dust-Free with Dusty.”
“I like that. I might take it,” he says. “When the job opened up in the city where Wren lives, well, I knew it was meant to be. I’ve been lucky to have two dream jobs and now the dream woman. Nobody pinch me!”
Mom leans her head back against his chest to try to see his face. He hunches over to kiss her forehead. I’ve never seen her like this, but love looks good on her.
“What about yourself, Jack?” Dusty asks. “Is FATE still on track?”
Jack slides his hands into his coat pockets. “It had a few bumps, but it’s in a good place. We’re getting closer to launch. It’s exciting.”
After Jack transitioned out of being the liaison, he started mentoring junior engineers at the company. Within a couple of months, he was promoted to senior engineer on the team. It took time, but it’s like he said. What’s the rush? We’ll get where we’re going.
“What have you been working on lately, Wren?” Jack asks.
“I’ve been inspired lately by black holes and dying stars.” She peers up at me when she says this.
“There’s enough room in space for the two of us,” I say. “Whatever you’re up to, I’m sure it’ll be great. Your cacti collection was your most popular yet.”
“Big homes means big walls, and some people like to see inside their home what they can see outside their window,” Mom says with a shrug.
“Says the woman with a photograph of the city skyline in her living room,” I say.
“Hey, even those views are above my pay grade,” Mom says. “Besides, I’m happy to take your scraps while you think of the fresh ideas. When do you start installing your next work?”
“Next week,” I reply. “Once that’s set up, it’ll be on display through the spring and summer.”
I’m giddy at the thought of even having a next installation. After MoMA, more opportunities came along. Some I saidnoto. Most I saidyesto. I am still at the beginning of my career. I finished out the rest of the NASA Artist-in-Residence program, which ended up getting more funding for the second year. I worked with Nick for the remaining months until they could find a new mission liaison.
