I stare across the room. The hum grows louder as I become more aware of its low reverberation. It fills the air in the quietest of places. The empty food court, the dark Records room. Father’s—no, not his, my living quarters. Three days ago, the hum relaxed me and blanketed my thoughts. Now, on the fifth day of the expedition, it swells them. I don’t just think of Ladia: I yearn for her. If only she were here now… The pang wells up in my chest, but I have to do what Glacia said and suppress those urges, lock them down. Succumbing to my desires—desires I cannot yet fulfill—will break whatever progress I’ve made, no matter how small that progress may be.

When my thoughts finally wander elsewhere, the hollowness in my chest seems to vanish. I think that’s a good thing. It surprises me when I realize Ladia isn’t on my mind. Weird, yet satisfying.

So that’s what I force myself to do. The moment her name rushes into my thoughts, I hold it at bay. I make a plan. Having a plan helps prepare me for when I’ll finally see her. First chance I get, I’ll visit her city—Subari—and I’ll find her house: House 58 on Axio Street, wherever that might be. I’ll walk up to her door and knock. If Ambassador Purnell—her father—answers, we’ll talk for a few minutes. After a short chat, I’ll ask to see Ladia. If her mother answers the door, I’ll explain who I am and ask to see Ladia. And if Ladia answers the door, well…

My heart races. It’s been too long. I can’t even picture her face. We never any took pictures. Never thought to. Most people take pictures to tell stories about the places they’ve been, but even Ladia said Undil isn’t all that appealing. It’s just a desert, one big, empty, dusty desert with mesas here and there. Not the most beautiful of places.

What I do remember is her black hair. When she would lay on top of me, the ends of it would brush my ears and nose. It would surround our faces and block out the world. We’d kiss behind that veil and whisper how much we loved each other, how it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t stay longer, how my friends were jealous of us.

I’ll have all of those memories back. When Ladia sees me, her eyes will light up and she’ll smile as big as Glacia does. She’ll throw her arms around me and I’ll hold her and kiss her. Then we’ll figure out how we can stay together once and for all. We’ve waited too long for this.

We deserve a chance.