Page 24

Idon’t actually know what time of day or night it is on the station.

I’ve never needed a clock before, so I’ve never learned what the numbers shifting on the station walls mean, but the corridors aren’t as busy as I’m used to seeing them, so I would guess it’s mid day? More people are at their jobs, maybe. Or early morning? Most people are asleep.

The few dozen aliens we pass though, they all look at us—at me—with curious smiles.

I don’t think it’s because I’m human. I think it’s because I can’t wipe this silly smile off my face.

I don’t want to wait anymore.

When we reach a deserted intersection, I pull him aside, making him stop. It’s not a romantic place, or even a particularly pretty one, but I just need to tell him before we get wherever we are going.

He looks down at me curious smile, hand squeezing mine. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” I pull him down to kiss me. I need to be certain he understands me.

I kiss him and let him kiss me back and I almost forget that I need to let him go.

When I do, I don’t let him get away.

Noses still touching, I softly say the three words that have fluttered in my chest for too long.

“I love you.”

He smiles against my lips. “I am so glad to hear it.”

“I’ve wanted to say it a million times, but the timing was never right.” I wince, even as I keep smiling. “And then I got worried that the ‘timing’ was never going to be right.”

“Any time you say those words will be perfect. A little bubble of perfection in this chaotic and imperfect universe because I love you too, Maggie.” He kisses me again and then eases back with a reluctant sigh. “I would stay here forever kissing you, but we’re going to be late.”

I jiggle, impatience starting to strain. “Late for what?”

“You’ll see, just be patient.”

And I do see when, three levels down and two corridors over, he leads me into a completely empty restaurant.

“I don’t think they’re open yet,” I whisper, holding tight to his wrist as he squeezes my hand.

“They’re open for us.” Gently tugging my hand, he leads me all the way through the empty dining room, to a table beside a window that looks out on the planet below and the rings that spread out like a glittering sheet.

“Oh!” My eyes go a little wider as lights burst in the atmosphere. It’s night down there and they look like fireworks.

But Lochdon isn’t watching the fireworks. He smiles down at me and when I look up, feeling a little silly, he leans down to press a kiss to my cheek.

“Look at me, acting like I’ve never seen fireworks before.” I can feel the heat in my cheeks as they turn pink.

“Have you seen them from orbit?”

I shake my head and he whispers, “Then you don’t have anything to feel embarrassed about. Besides, there’s nothing in this universe more beautiful than your smile.”

My heart does a little flutter as he turns me to the table and holds out my chair.

This isn’t like any of the other restaurants I’ve been to on station. There’s a tablecloth and multiple utensils and a three tiered stand for food that hasn’t come out yet.

There are even little lights floating inside spindles that look like glass candles.

“Welcome, welcome,” a voice booms from the brightly lit kitchen and a Glantanian man comes out holding plates in each of his four arms.

I can understand him, which either means he knows English, or—and more likely—he’s a part of Lochdon’s clan.

“Stuffed French toast and a side of bacon for the lady,” he sets the plate down in front of me before putting one in front of Lochdon without commenting on its contents, and then puts the other two plates on the tiered stand. They are full of tiny cakes and squares that look like foods that are not chocolate made of chocolate.

“Thank you,” I tell him and he gives me a wide smile, but he turns and looks sternly at Lochdon before he goes.

“What is going on?” I ask, in a whisper when he’s far enough away that I think he won’t hear me.

“Eat first, then I’ll explain.” Lochdon pulls out his own napkin and then nods at the plates. “Breakfast and then we’re skipping straight to dessert.”

Just like I told him I’d like every day’s meals to be. That was… months ago.

Our time has always been so limited, we’ve only spoken about food while eating.

The French toast is delicious. The strawberries and cream cheese stuffed inside are almost sweet enough to count as dessert on their own, and the bacon… the bacon tastes real.

If it is, I’d bet I have Phantom to thank for it.

We eat and Lochdon points out the moon suspended in the planet’s ring and then a freighter I can barely see against the dark backdrop of stars. I finish my breakfast as he tells me what to look for to find them and manage to spot three more he didn’t tell me were there.

I love seeing him in the booth. But I love these moments more. I relish them.

That doesn’t stop me from sucking on his finger tip when he feeds me one of those tiny cakes.

He smiles, even as he tells me to “behave.”

I nod without looking to find our one-man audience. “Only because I don’t want to embarrass you or shock him.”

The next little cake tastes like nothing I’ve ever had before and Lochdon gives it a name that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remember.

Eventually, the other man comes to clear the plates away, leaving us with a single small one with the remaining desserts, but I don’t care about them anymore.

Lochdon looks… nervous.

He comes around to stand beside me and I raise my lips to his, we haven’t kissed in a while and I still don’t know exactly how long the connection works.

But I don’t have to crane my neck for too long.

Lochdon goes to his knees.

“Love and impatience made me say things before I meant to, yesterday. I had always planned to bring you here and to do this when I asked you to be mine.”

Movement catches my eye behind him.

The man who brought over our food has tried to conceal himself, but he is watching. I can see him peeking out from the back.

It makes me want to laugh, but I don’t. Lochdon looks up at me with an expression too soft to ever consider letting him think I’m laughing at him.

“Will you be my mate, Maggie?”

I lean forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Yes. I don’t know how we’re going to make it work. But we’ll figure it out. I want to be yours Lochdon. Will you be mine?”

His smile makes my heart flutter. “I already am.”

I want to kiss him again, but he leans back and digs in his pocket. “It is a tradition on your planet to give you a ring.”

“I don’t need one.” I’d rather practice Glantanian traditions.

“I do.” Kissing me, he slips the band on my finger. “When you go back to your planet, while I’m away on ships thinking only of you, I want to make sure no humans mistake you for their own.”

When I look down at the gem, I managing to swallow the “Jesus Christ” before I say it.

“Phantom said I could give it to you as long as it was made from an Earth stone…” He grimaces twisting the massive diamond this way and that. “You are worth more than this trinket.”

“This would probably cost the same as a three-bedroom house on Earth.” Maybe more.

“I do not understand your planet’s obsession with carbon waste.”

“Neither do I.”

“We’ll get you something else,” he tells me, picking up my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm. “But this is yours to do with as you please. Sell it if you don’t wish to keep it.”

I don’t want to sell it. Even if I can’t imagine wearing it as it is, it’s what he proposed to me with.

I’ll keep it forever. Besides, I would probably be arrested if I tried to sell it. They’d want to know where I got it or think it was some kind of counterfeit.

“We can put it in a different setting,” I tell him. “And I’ll wear it here, with you.”