Page 330 of Commander’s Mate

“Not in her kitchen.”

He considered.

“This Earth sounds dangerous.”

“You have no idea.”

I leaned back.

“What if I want both?”

“Both?”

“Earth and this.”

His expression changed.

“Can you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then we find out.”

No sacrifice speech.

No noble promise to disappear from my life if Earth returned.

No assumption that love required one of us to erase ourselves.

Just logistics.

Routes.

Work.

Travel.

Family.

The things life was actually made of after the dramatic part ended.

“I’d bring coffee back,” I said.

“To Farseek?”

“Real coffee.”

“Halor has coffee.”

“Halor has an insult in a cup.”

He smiled.

“What would you bring from Farseek to Earth?”

I thought of redflowers.

Then laughed.