A shudder went through her body. “Yes.”
She felt him smile against her skin. “Good.”
“How soon?”
“A ship is already on its way. They have a life-sustaining one a bit out of orbit that they dispatch the drops out of remotely. Around a week or so.”
Nora’s voice broke. “Okay. Okay.” She looked up at the sky. At where the stars should be, had there not been the haze to contend with. “All the way to Mars. That doesn’t sound real.”
“Yes, but it is.”
Nora swallowed heavily. “Oh, what do I say to Tilly?”
Simon stopped his rubbing and squeezed her tightly in his arms instead. “Tell her the creators ofPrincess Pearl and the Dastardly Threewant to meet her.”
***
Nora gazed around the house, chest heaving with emotion as she sat with bins that she’d sorted her life into. Her attention snagged on the pictures that she and Tilly drew.So many memories.Tilly grew up here, and Nora did too, learning to trust and depend on herself to make everything happen.This house kept us safe. Tilly grew up here.A tear ran down Nora’s face.I did too. Mistakes and all.
The chickens were dropped off in the outskirts of town by Simon and left there in a container, the drone keeping watch to make sure nobody from the town saw him. They would be found by someone before too long.
Now, next to Nora, was a row of bins that held everything important from their lives. And a box with air holes that contained a very unhappy Tatertot, all packaged up to leave with them.
Nora bent down next to Tilly, who was done collecting the items she wanted to take. “You got it all?”
“Yes.” Tilly rubbed her face, where tears had been flowing all morning. In the end, a few more of the sack dolls than were necessary made it into the bins lined up in front of the door. Tilly was having a harder time saying goodbye.
Nora wanted to cry more as well, but she knew if she started she wouldn’t be able to stop and . . . She took a deep breath looking around the living room.This was our life for so long.
She stared at the radio that would stay there, thinking of how it would no longer get played when it was such an important part of their life before. In the open container in front of her, Nora had hardly packed anything. She had a few clothing items, her favorite utensils, the Grand Canyon mug, and Simon’s manual.
Anna sat next to her on the sofa. There was nothing in front of her for herself and no way to get anything, as her life had been left behind in town.
Nora’s heart ached for her friend as she placed one of Tilly’s drawings back in the bin. She reached over to touch her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Anna.”
Anna pushed her curly brown hair behind her ears and forced a smile. “Don’t be sorry. I’m confused as all get-out, Nora. And hurting. But you were always more family than anyone. It’s just the transition period and . . . not knowing.” She touched her belly, and then Nora saw the tears start to form. “Not knowing where this baby will be born and having no control over anything right now is kinda tearing me up.”
Nora leaned over, her leg protesting the movement from where it sat propped up on a chair Simon had put in front of her, and hugged Anna’s shoulders as she started to cry. “I’m still sorry. Not what you expected.”
“No.” Anna took a deep, shuddering breath. “But I don’t think it’s gonna be bad though.”
Nora’s leg hurt too much to keep leaning over, so she sat up and adjusted herself on the sofa, looking outside the window. It had become an compulsion to gaze at the skies, even before the ship was scheduled to arrive today. “Yeah. You said it right though, Anna, a few months ago.”
“Said what right?” Anna’s face was confused as she wiped her red-rimmed eyes.
A wry grin crossed her face. “That you’re glad at least someone cares, when we were talking about the drop. We’re going to the only place it seems where someone cares enough to help.”
Anna gave a shaky smile. “You’re right.” She steeled her shoulders and closed the bin’s lid. “Keep telling myself it's a better world.”
“Should be, Anna.” Nora smiled back at her, then looked around the room again. “That’s the hope.”
A huff came from Anna. “Yeah. And I got you and Tilly.”
“Yes you do.” Nora reached over and patted Anna’s belly. “And that’s your own Tilly right there too.”
Anna laughed. “Sure is. Gonna literally be born in a new world.”
Nora bit her lip, looking around.Dust.Everything here would be left, collecting dust, when it had been a home before.That’s what bothers me the most.That her house would turn into ruins just like the rest of the Earth she’d scavenged from.
