Page 36 of Uprooted
“You kept me waiting,” she says with mock seriousness.
“Not my fault. I was ready to leave hours ago.” I drop a quick kiss on her cheek.
“You’re here now. Grab a knife and start chopping.” She motions over to a pile of veg on the counter. “How have you been? Things at the muradome must be busy. I haven’t heard from you in weeks.” She pauses her movements around the kitchen to watch me. She’s always had the uncanny ability to see right through me.
“It’s not too busy. I mean, I’ve been busy, but the dome is boring… but busy.” I trip over my words and laugh a little. This must be Elowen’s influence rubbing off on me.
“So which is it—busy or not busy?” Her dark eyes stare into me.
“Busy. I’ve been busy.”
“If it’s not the work keeping you busy, then what is?” she asks. My mom has a unique way of asking questions. If it were anyone else, it would be an interrogation. She manages to get away with it. I’m not going to bother resisting. I might as well just tell her what’s going on.
“I’ve been spending time with one of the scientists.”
She silently urges me to continue.
“She’s funny, and smart, and completely unimpressed with me,” I tell her.
“She sounds perfect,” Mom says and pops a bite of veg in her mouth.
“There’s one tiny insignificant detail,” I say sarcastically. “She’s human and will be returning to Earth once her research is done. I brace myself for her reaction, but none comes. She continues to cook.
I haven’t stopped to think about how this could all play out, and I don’t want to now. There is just something about Elowen that feels right, and I’m going to follow that instinct. We can figure everything else out later.
“Who’s to say what is significant or not? Things are always changing. Who knows what our world will look like in a few rotations?" She shrugs like this is all no big deal.
“I’m starving!” my dad declares when he walks into the kitchen. He greets my mom with a kiss on her cheek and steals a bite of veg.
“Aro was telling me about his new friend at the dome, a human.” My mom brings him up to speed.
“Rameera,” he warns. My dad is much better at giving me space when it comes to my private life.
“Roman.” She mimics his tone.
I’m hardly listening while the two of them recount their day. I keep replaying what my mom said. It didn’t bother her at all that I’m interested in a human. My family’s support would make it a lot easier on both of us. If only I can somehow convince Elowen to stay after the program is done.
23
Elowen
“Ready to lose that bet?” Aro asks, appearing out of nowhere. He could’ve very loudly approached me, and I still would have missed. I was so fixated on my work, I could have missed a herd of stampeding elephants.
I brought my work to the rec room today. I wanted a change of scenery from the lab, and it’s usually empty in here while everyone works.
“I’m not easily impressed, but that storage room wasprettyspectacular,” I tell him with a note of sarcasm.
“Let’s go. It’s now or never.”
“Right now?”
I worry we look too much like a couple. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to him, but this is still a no-go.
The fact that I let my eyes wander all over him when no one’s paying attention is my own little secret.
I follow him through the hall, and I watch him walk. That’s really not the right word—it’s a goddamn swagger.
“If we hurry we can get there during shift change in the greenhouse, and it will be empty for a little bit. Now’s your chance to check it out,” he explains, and I match his stride.
