Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 124077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
“I believe you have everything,” he said.
“Yes.” Terra nodded and tightened her arms around herself. “I think so.”
“Good.”
There was an awkward silence between them. Lucy was occupied with the children and their gifts, but Terra could feel her mother watching from the corner of her eye.
“Thank you for bringing me home,” she said at last. “And for the trip. I really did enjoy seeing the Mother Ship.”
“I am glad.” Taurex’s voice was quiet and formal. “I am sorry the experience ended as it did.”
Terra’s throat tightened.
“Taurex…”
He raised one hand slightly.
“You do not have to say anything. I understand.”
Did he? Terra wasn’t sure she understood anymore.
Taurex looked at her for another moment, and for one heartbeat she thought he might reach for her. Instead, he inclined his head.
“Have a beautiful life, Terra.”
The words struck her much harder than they should have and her stomach fisted unhappily in her midsection.
“Wait—what?” she asked, staring at him. Was he saying they were never going to see each other again? As in, ever?
But Taurex had already stepped back.
“Take care of yourself and your family,” he said quietly. “I wish you every happiness.”
Then he turned and walked toward the shuttle.
Terra stood frozen beside her luggage as he climbed inside. A moment later, the golden vehicle lifted silently from the driveway, gliding toward the street before accelerating away.
She watched until it disappeared.
“Mommy, look!” Lisa cried, pulling on Terra’s hand. “My flowers turned blue!”
Terra looked down.
The little blossoms around Lisa’s wrist had changed from excited yellow to a soft, peaceful blue.
“They’re beautiful, baby,” she whispered.
And because the bracelet made her think of Taurex, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Terra blinked them away quickly and pasted on a smile, but when she looked up, her mother was watching her.
Lucy waited until the children had carried their treasures into the house before saying anything. She set the glowing plant carefully on the porch table and folded her arms.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Terra.” Her mother gave her a look—the one that said, “I know you’re lying.”
“Mom, please.”
Lucy’s expression softened.
“Honey, that man looked like somebody shot his dog, and you look like you’ve been crying for twelve hours. Something happened.”
Terra picked up her overnight bag.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” The answer came instantly—too instantly.
Lucy noticed.
“Did he scare you?”
Terra hesitated.
“Kind of.”
Her mother’s face tightened.
“But not…not the way you’re thinking,” Terra added quickly. “He didn’t force me to do anything. He didn’t threaten me. He didn’t even get angry.”
“Then what happened?”
Terra shook her head.
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
Lucy studied her for another moment, then sighed.
“All right. I won’t push. But when you do want to talk, I’m here.”
Terra gave her a brief hug.
“I know. Thanks, Mom.”
She carried her bags inside and went straight to the bedroom that had once been hers as a teenager and had become hers again after her divorce. She shut the door behind her, sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to hold herself together.
She lasted about thirty seconds…then she put her face in her hands and cried.
The thing was, Terra wasn’t even sure what she was crying about.
She was home. She was safe. Her children were right down the hall and her mother was in the kitchen fussing over her new plant. This was exactly what she had wanted all morning.
So why did she feel as though she had left something important behind? Why did she keep seeing Taurex’s exhausted face when he offered to have another Monstrum fly her home because he thought she was afraid of him? Why did she keep hearing his voice saying, “Have a beautiful life, Terra,” with that terrible finality?
She cried until she had no tears left, then washed her face, hugged her children again and told herself she had done the right thing.
For the next several days, she continued telling herself the same thing. Then several days became a week. A week became two and the certainty she’d had became harder and harder to maintain.
Taurex didn’t call. He didn’t text. He didn’t show up outside the bungalow or send gifts or try to convince her to reconsider.
At first, Terra was relieved…then she was irritated. Then she began checking her phone far more often than she wanted to admit.
By the end of the second week, she had begun to wonder if she was still employed.
Technically Taurex had never fired her. She hadn’t quit either. In all the emotional disaster of their return to Earth, neither of them had said a word about Intergalactic Imports.
Finally, on Monday morning, Terra dressed in one of the nice office outfits she had bought with her new income, drove downtown in her battered Honda and parked in the Montana Building garage.
The front desk staff didn’t give her any trouble this time. Apparently Taurex’s instructions still stood because they greeted her politely and allowed her to take the golden elevator to the penthouse without question.