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Chapter One

KIRA

I walk into the main corridor, my eyes seeking out DaR .

My heart hits my throat when I see him standing in the distance.

Turning , I know the second he senses I am near, just as I can sense him.

I still enjoy the look on his face as he prowls my way.

His massive arms wrap lovingly around my waist before his lips literally take my breath away.

He growls playfully when I hear Ember’s voice, and I pull away.

My love for him and his family, who have welcomed me with open arms from the very start, seems all-consuming.

Smacking me playfully on the butt, he turns away just as Ember and Qwin rush toward me.

The girls fill my arms, and everyone is talking at once until I glance up at DaR , and my world comes to a crashing halt.

That is, … until I’m faced with the man I loved … before.

Something I’ve learned is that you can never really escape.

No matter how hard you try to push it all behind you, it’s always there waiting for you when you least expect it …

your past. I’ve become comfortable in this new world and accepted the changes forced upon me.

Even though it took time, I found that I could love again.

Maybe not in the same way, but no less so, as it seems the heart is big enough to love any and all in its own way.

My heart weeps when a ghost from my past appears out of nowhere, stopping me in my tracks.

Now , here I stand, helpless in the agony of experiencing all these emotions, reliving that heartache once more.

It’s as if a bolt of lightning has struck me; my heart stops, and all I can see is Rick …

who is currently looking up at DaR , deep in conversation.

The world around me becomes silent as I try to comprehend who or what is right before me.

Rick turns my way just as DaR notices my distress.

Vaguely , I recall asking Ember to try to distract DaR for a moment, but he doesn’t miss much.

He didn’t inquire about what caused the pain that flared between our link before I could stop it.

Instead , he focused on his specialty, sweeping me up in his arms and taking me away from the heartache I’m projecting through our bond.

Our Symbots twirl together affectionately as they try to detect the cause of my sudden grief.

I’m in a daze as DaR walks us quickly back to our temporary living quarters on ANDI , laying me down gently on one of the loungers.

He grabs a throw from its back before tucking it all around me.

Then he sits beside me, staring down at me before leaning forward to kiss me gently on the forehead.

Worry is clear on his face as he waits patiently for me to tell him what’s wrong.

Since I don’t understand it myself, I paste a smile on my face and try my best to reassure him.

“ I’m fine my love. Seeing so many of my own displaced just hit me hard.

You go on; I know you need to talk to your boys, and you had planned on escorting the volunteers to that moon you and SCOUT found. ”

“ I will make arrangements for another to take my place.”

“ No , you go on. I could use a few moments alone to sort through my thoughts.” I can tell he doesn’t believe a word I just said, but instead of pushing me further, he allows me the time to work through it.

Cupping his cheek in my hand, I run my thumb over his lower lip, amazed by my influence over such a powerful being.

“ We will talk on this more later,” he growls before I hear him sigh in agitation; he absolutely hates it when I’m upset.

I smile and shake my head, then close my eyes, trying to calm my thoughts.

Not long after, I hear his large footsteps leave the room.

This is one of the rare times I’m grateful he will be gone for the majority of the day.

Tears well up in my eyes, and I fight them back.

I’ve cried enough over my past already, but in all my dreams …

I never saw this coming. For a moment in time, my Rick stood alive in front of me, my heart instantly reaching out for the man I have and will always love.

Only when he turned slightly did I realize the differences.

The eyes served as the first clue: Rick’s were sky blue, while Ricky’s are brown. Although their features appeared similar from a distance, they are uniquely his own; still, there is no missing the resemblance. Wiping a stray tear off my face, I mumble. “ ANDI , are you busy?”

“ When it comes to you Kira , never.”

“ Flirt , … Do you have any records on the humans that are coming on board later?”

“ I have not done a complete sweep, no, but I can if there is anyone particular you are acquiring about.”

“ I think someone mentioned his name was Ricky . He was talking to DaR earlier.”

“ Let me see … Oh , I now understand your sudden interest. Ricky and Ginger Summers . I swear the closer we get to the end of their planet’s lifespan, the rarer my records become.

What I can find shows that he was a guard stationed at the Scientific Center that launched the pods, and Ginger worked there as a custodian.

One of the perks of being an employee at the facility was the option of on-site living quarters.

If you stayed on call, they offered it rent-free for your continued services.

It appears that when Ricky was presented with the job, his one request was that he would only accept the position if his wife could come along with him.

She was hired shortly thereafter. The only other real records I can find of him are a birth certificate and a few pictures in a graduation yearbook.

It appears neither of them had a social media account.

And the only document I can find with her name on it is their marriage license and a few work records.

Honestly , I do find that odd, so I will do a hard search to see if I can find out more, but that may take a few rotations for me to complete. ”

“ ANDI , that’s fine, but he looks just like my husband, … I mean Rick my former husband.”

“ Ahh , I need to cross reference something, but I believe you already know who he is; you simply want me to confirm it. Yes , here it is. It appears Ricky Summers is your grandson - two, no … three times removed. Your son, Cody , had a daughter. Her name was Paisley ; she had two boys, Rick and Robert . That brings us to the current Ricky , born to Rick , and I am assuming they attached the ‘ Y ’ just to make things easier. Kira , I cannot imagine how thrilled you are knowing you will be able to talk to your grandson.”

His words roll over in my mind. I should be excited … he’s right. Instead ? I’m just numb.

“ I have no idea how to proceed with this, ANDI . He was probably lucky to have even heard my name mentioned at any point in his life. I have no memory of any of my great-grandparents, so I don’t expect him to either.

I also don’t want others to feel like he’s being given any favoritism because of his ties to me.

This new world is going to be hard enough to adapt to as it is.

However , I will secretly try to help him in any way I can.

Do you know what he was talking to DaR about before? ”

“ His wife Ginger is missing. She was not in the pods that were recovered, even though they were launched at the same time. Ricky wanted to be allowed to stay on the Destroyer so he could continue looking for her. He was not pleased when the Commander told him that the search was over and the best thing he could do was try to rebuild his life, just like the other survivors.”

“ I’m sure not happy is putting it mildly if his temper is anything like my own Rick’s was. ANDI , do you think there might be more out there that were not located in the original search?”

“ Truthfully , Kira , there is no real way of knowing. I have heard rumors of others through some rare channels, but they are no more than that. The odds of her being found alive are not high at this point. The pods were at the end of their lifespans. He might find solace in knowing he is not alone and has actual family here.”

“ Take my word for it, ANDI . Knowing me will not ease anything for him if he has lost his wife somewhere on the way here. I’m trying to look at it from all points of view, and I think it would just create questions and accusations that I don’t want to relive.

Maybe in time, I’ll reveal who I am to him, but not right now.

Until then, I’ll simply do my best to help him without him or the others knowing or suspecting it.

Thank you, ANDI . Once again, your information has proven invaluable. ”

“ It is my pleasure, Kira . If you will excuse me, I have a meeting with the Destroyer . I do love a female with all her curves.”

Even with ANDI’s playfulness, I’m still struggling to pull my mind out of the past. I wonder if Rick’s ghost will forever haunt me.

Curling up on the lounger, I will my mind to push that part of my life back into the little boxes I’ve created to hold those memories.

I’ll open them again when my emotions don’t feel so raw.

Until that moment occurs, I’m excited to meet all the survivors and to reunite with Ember .

Although she looked as if she might deliver at any minute, her pregnancy glow was undeniable.

Now , I feel like all I’ve done to push myself forward … was for nothing.

I know better than anyone that looking back will never lead you forward.

So , for my sake, I need to handle this issue quickly and process how I’m going to move forward.

Because I’ve not come this far to fail now, DaR loves me, and I love him.

He’s my future, and I need to find a way to unknot the rope of my past that strangles me every time I forget it’s there.