I step inside and she shuts the door. We stand a few feet apart. She changed from her uniform into light blue night clothes, and her hair is slung over both shoulders. It has a light golden sheen, almost the color of her bright hazel eyes, except right now their flare is missing. The twinkle that usually makes them shine. Instead, they are dull, sad…exhausted. The corner of her mouth starts quivering. Her face stiffens. A tear glistens inside her eye.

I hold out my arms and she walks into them. Her ear rests against my neck, and her breathing becomes as heavy as it was the last time we hugged. We sway a bit, and Glacia rubs her cheek against my uniform to dry it. I adjust my head so my neck and shoulder cradle hers. Then I stare at the door and find myself wishing I didn’t have to go to work later.

“I hate it,” Glacia whispers, her voice muffled.

“I know. I’ve heard what Cap—”

“I hate not seeing you.”

My chest hardens. Another rush of nausea passes through me, and my limbs tingle with weakness. I feel like I should say something, but my silence seems to satisfy her, because she squeezes her arms tighter around my back. Then she slips away from me and rubs her hands down her face, taking a few long breaths.

“And yeah, I hate that too,” Glacia finally says. “She just yells. And yells. And yells. I can’t do anything right for her. I never boost the thrusters in time, or I never power the shields enough, or I never turn the station the right direction. No m—”

“Those are simulations, right?” I ask quickly, not meaning to interrupt her.

“Mmhmm. And nobody says anything about it. Orcher watches for a while, and when he leaves, she gets worse. I can’t stand it. Like, come on. Back off.”

“Victoria and Officer Remmit said that, too,” I say, hoping it helps somehow, but I can’t tell if she cares. So I say, “I think Orcher is trying to get you on a regular shift. He told me he’d talk to her about you. And you know what else?”

Her eyes flick up briefly. “Hmm?”

“I haven’t really used the StarPad, so if you get a normal shift, want to use it with me?”

A concerned look darkens her eyes. “Didn’t you go with Michael and Ellin?”

“Yeah. You’d love it. It’s really cool. But I haven’t gone back because I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You don’t have to wait.”

I shake my head quickly. “Michael and Ellin don’t have much time. I only see them at dinner, and we don’t even talk.”