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Chapter thirty-nine

Nora

Simon was already up by the time Nora woke the next morning, cooking and singing songs with Tilly. Her core clenched as they made eye contact. He smiled at her while tilting his head toward Tilly as she continued talking. Sitting there, watching them, Nora’s shoulders relaxed and she gave a small, lingering smile.

This feels good. Right. She shifted down further into her chair. Like I have something I didn’t know was missing before. Simon had held her the entire night and she was already looking forward to when he would hold her again. Last time I felt this way was back before I worked at the shop. When Ma and Dad were still alive.

Simon put a plate on the table of eggs, scrambled, and motioned for Nora to sit. “We need to go get more things to sell.”

“Alright, yes. In a day or so though. Still gotta see what happened from the sweep. How does it look outside today?” Nora picked up her fork to start to eat.

“It looks fine.” After Tilly skipped into the other room, he turned back to say to Nora, his tone brisk, “Yes. Going can wait a few days. We shouldn’t wear ourselves out during the day for a bit.” He emphasized the word “day” with raised eyebrows.

Nora laughed but covered it with a cough. “Right.”

A few minutes later, Tilly came back carrying her chalkboard. She put it down next to Nora’s half-eaten eggs. “Simon taught me a game. Will you play too? It’s called tic-tac-toe. And there’s also one with boxes. I like that one more.”

Simon came over. “Let Mama eat first, Tilly. We didn’t finish yet. Here, stir this for me too.” He gave her a bowl of some batter and a spoon that Tilly started to mix.

Nora watched them work and then looked out the window, the sky still decidedly less hazy today after the atmosphere sweep. I think it really helped. She said as much a second later. “Have you been outside this morning? I think it’s clearer still.”

“Yes. The air quality indicator says it’s better.” Simon indicated the small sensor Nora had on top of one of their air filters.

A huff left Nora. “Yeah, but I’m unsure about how accurate that is.”

She finished her eggs and thought hard on what he had said a few days ago, about there being a better life somewhere else. The only thing making me stay here is Anna. And well . . . kind of scared too. But really, if there was definitely better shouldn’t they go there? The images from the magazine flit across her mind. Maybe not that nice . But humans used to move around a lot before.

“Been thinking about what you said. Didn’t you say there was a better place to live up north?” She stood up and put her plate in a bucket of water to rinse off.

Simon handed Tilly a plate of fried bread, who sat down at the table while they continued talking at the counter. “Yes. Actually, I was going to speak with you about that again. Are you interested?”

Nora cleared her throat. “At least interested in talking about it.”

She caught a relieved look on Simon’s face before he spoke. “I got some records last night. But we will need to plan and stockpile supplies before we can do or think of anything. There are still forests in spots, and the air is a bit cleaner up north.”

Nora stared out the window, thinking. Forests, huh? Then she looked over at Tilly and her eyes widened. “Woah, slow down Tilly. That’s gonna hurt your stomach.”

Tilly had some of the fried bread that Simon made, from scratch, and was attempting to eat her third piece while Nora was distracted. Her nose scrunched. “No it won’t.”

“Tilly . . .”

Tilly shoved the rest in her mouth and washed it down with a drink. Nora sighed and went back to her own plate.

When Tilly left to go outside, Simon took Nora’s hands. “I never knew what love would feel like. The humans watched movies—”

“Huh?” Nora tilted her head.

Simon paused, then breathed out. “Stories like on the radio, only you watch them.”

“Ah. Like the bulletin board.”

Simon chuckled a deep sound “Sort of.” He put his hand on her cheek. “Nora, I’m trying to be romantic . . .”

Nora snorted, squeezing his hand. “Alright, okay.”

He leaned in, his tone fiery and intent. “Just listen. The stories. They looked . . . cliche. Like it was fake, how love happened. But love really is like that, Nora. The feeling slowly builds until it is all you can see.”

Nora’s eyes lost their humor and turned into something softer. Her heart pounded at his words. “Simon. . .”

He leaned into her again, kissing her, before pulling back and holding her close. He took his hand and put it right over her heart. “I like feeling your heartbeat quicken when we touch. That and how your temperature rises. Those were the first signs I had that you were feeling something back for me.”

Nora sighed, feeling her heartbeat gallop even faster. “That obvious, huh?”

His voice dropped to a velvet tone. “Yes, once I realized what it was.”

She reached up and tugged on her hair. “Well . . . it felt right last night.”

Simon grinned, mischievously, folding her in his embrace.

Nora settled more comfortably on his shoulder. How long he must have known I wanted him, huh. It was a forgone conclusion this entire time.

Simon’s hand stroked down her hair. “Yes, it did feel right. Tonight we will do more. Then let’s go gather some more scrap tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“And then . . . are you open to exploring?” His fingers trailed down her side.

“Exploring?” Nora’s voice raised at the end, her brows puckering. What kind of . . .

An amused huff left Simon. “Ah. Well, besides that, I meant for other, more habitable spots. The drone let me have the data. If we have enough gas, we can take a trip and pull the little hover along as a backup as well, so we will not be stranded with just the scooters. We don’t have to decide right then, but we can look and see. At what is still out there.”

Oh. That kind of exploring. Nora closed her eyes, feeling the uncertainty. Everything is a risk. But then again, I took a risk putting Simon back together and that paid off. She pulled away from Simon and glanced out the window. “Yes. Let’s look first though. And then come back. I don’t like that Max knows about you. It might be better to just start fresh in a new spot. Only thing tying me here is the memories, and Anna.” Oh, Anna. Just saying that, and the thought of leaving Anna, made tears prick at her eyes.

Simon sighed beside her. “Would Anna ever leave?”

Nora shook her head. “No. Anna isn’t happy but . . . I don’t know. She might feel differently, like I did, once that baby gets there.” She added in an undertone, “I know I would think different having Paul as my husband. She might find it in her to get away.”

“Hmm. We can ask.”

“Yeah, I will.” Nora leaned into his hug and settled against his chest. “Can tell Anna too, if she ever needed help, once we find a good spot.”

Her body loosened in Simon’s arms as he held her and hummed a tune she didn’t know, from the past. The song felt warm in her veins, her body responding to his touch.

He stopped humming and then let her go, his touch lingering. “I’d take you again this morning, but that would be irresponsible.”

Nora smiled, wishing they could do just that, but also knew Tilly came first during the day. “Let me go check on Tilly, okay?”

Simon nodded and released her, turning back to the dishes. “The weather isn’t so hot today. I’ll show her some yard games. Do you have a ball anywhere?”

“Yeah. In the garage.” Nora started to move away before Simon came back and bent down, giving her a long, measured kiss and gripping her bottom with his hand.

Her breath caught and she swatted at his hands, unsure how to react. “Damn, Simon.”

“Tilly’s right, you do swear a lot.” He tapped her on her rear slightly after letting go and then returned to the dishes like nothing happened.

She called back to him, adjusting her shirt. “How else should I react to that?”

Simon just chuckled, not turning around. Nora took a few seconds to breathe deep and get herself under control before she walked outside.

Immediately, she found Tilly in the front yard, lining up the rocks she’d collected. “You okay? Your stomach hurting at all from that food?” Nora leaned down to poke her stomach. “Where did it all go in there?”

Tilly giggled and jumped out of Nora’s reaching hand. “Nuh uh. Simon even made more. Can I eat that too?”

“In a bit, Tilly. In a bit.” Nora grinned at her daughter, and then her eyes raised and she saw the drone, hovering. The smile fell from her face as she bit her lip, considering. That drone.

Ever since Simon told her what the drone was and about the truth on Mars, she hadn’t been able to ignore it like she had before. Especially when the drone stayed close to her, like now.

I gotta say something. Hanging over me every day. She looked up at the dark green metal. Literally hanging over my head. Nora walked a few steps away, out of sight of Tilly and the house, and impulsively waved at its dented side, beckoning it to come closer to where she stood alone.

“Hello,” she said, waving up as its dull green body came to a dead stop right out of reach above her head. “Can you follow me?” She gestured behind her and watched as the drone did as she asked, following her a pace behind.

Nora walked slowly to the other side of the garage, far away from the house, to be alone. She stopped then, wringing her hands across her front. “I know what you are. Up there on Mars.” Her voice was hesitant. “I won’t tell anyone what you really are. I promise.”

The drone didn’t respond, but Nora kept her head raised at its faded green side and the camera lenses pointed down toward the ground. How did you tell something that you understood their point of view, especially when they were denying you a spot in would-be paradise? It’s confusing, that’s for sure. But Nora accepted their hesitation. I get it. She’d ran away from humanity as well for many of the same reasons.

Nora had a different opinion of the drone, and Mars, than Simon. In fact, she felt better about Mars now, after having some time to think it through. She was relieved that no one would be coming after her and Simon.

Before, Nora thought it was humans lording over the less fortunate here on Earth. Now she knew that the androids were just fearful as she had been. She knew Simon was angry that they wouldn’t take any humans to Mars, but Nora didn’t see it that way.

She cleared her throat and spoke loud to make sure they could hear. “I know everything. And I understand.”

Silence hung after her words. The drone didn’t do anything except hover, making Nora feel even more awkward. Are they even listening?

She tried again. “I don’t even trust many humans myself. So I get it. I get why you don’t want any humans from Earth there now.” She let the words hang a minute before continuing, “But thank you anyways, for doing what you can. It means a lot. All the humans need the drops. There were a few times when Tilly got sick that the medicine from the drop helped.” She pulled on the shirt she wore, pointing to it with her other hand. “And this, I made clothing from what you sent too.”

The drone still hovered. But it did come a bit closer, until Nora could reach out her hand and wipe the dust from it if she wanted to. Androids are listening close, huh. Nora didn’t know what else to say now, with the drone so close she could see her reflection back in its faded side and feel a small wind as it kept itself airborne.

She took a step back. “Well, that’s all I had to say. Thank you. I know the other humans don’t know anything just like how I didn’t, but figured I should say something anyway because they all sure do appreciate it. Don’t know if you can see that though, hovering above.”

Silence.

Nora nibbled her lip as the drone came even closer still. “It’s not like I did anything for you to have you help me. So anything you do I’m grateful for. You really helped keep us alive all these years.” She added one more thing, “I tried telling that to Simon, but . . . it’s enough I tell you now too.”

The drone backed up a bit, but Nora could still reach out and touch it if she wanted to. It’s just looking at me now. She rubbed on her arms and took another step back herself. “I won’t tell, I promise. I won’t tell your secret about Mars not being all humans. Not gonna tell anyone.”

Nora moved away, ready to start her morning chores. But she continued to talk toward the spot right in the center where the camera lens was, showing what she was doing and why, just like how she’d showed Simon her life those first few days he woke up. Nothing was said back, but the drone came closer, trailing her throughout the day.

And Nora continued speaking and explaining, until talking to it throughout the day became as natural for her as Tilly talking to her dolls.