Page 144 of Sky Song
“Not this!”
Paloma sighed. “He’s never liked me. You know why?”
“It isn’t true! He likes you.”
Paloma smiled at Rosamma as if she were a child. “You know you can’t only see what you want to see. He doesn’t like me because he’s jealous of me. He wants Ren and you to belong to him and only him.”
“He loves us.”
Paloma cocked her head. “You’re not wrong about that. But he definitely has a problem with letting you go.”
Cricket only shook her head. Her thoughts were occupied by Lyle and by her own future that had to,must, include mama.
She was coming to the inevitable conclusion that her only choice was to leave Meeus and go with Paloma and Ren to that terra-formed asteroid they talked so much about. Known as Priss, it had been established as an emergency landing point, but over time developed into a free zone where interspace travelers could come and stay a while. The asteroid was considered a relatively safe though not a fully trouble-free place, with a dismal air quality and perpetual deficit of provisions. But its technological system was robust, and in Ren and Paloma’s eyes it was a solid attraction.
Cricket wasn’t sure what she’d do once she got to the asteroid-station, so she abandoned thinking about something she couldn’t fully form in her imagination. Her life plans had become very short-term: not to get caught by the peacekeepers. Help Lyle get over his withdrawal. Take off.
Beyond that, her future was as murky as a swampy lake.
“I am going to Atticus to see Lyle,” she announced, eager to get away from her pressing thoughts.
Rosamma cut her a quick glance, and Paloma said, “Did you forget what happened the last time you went to Atticus?”
Cricket cringed. “I need to see for myself that he’s okay.”
“You know he isn’t okay. Ren checks on him every day.” Paloma looked tired. Their original plan had been to fly off on Friday, which was tomorrow. With Lyle’s condition so unstable, their plan was put on indefinite hold and everyone was feeling the stress.
Rosamma said nothing, averse to arguments of any kind.
“I’ll be quick,” Cricket promised and looked at Paloma. “Listen, I meant to ask… What would it take to send a message to my mama?”
Paloma didn’t raise her eyes, but her hands stopped mushing the keyboard. “To Earth?”
“Yes.”Where else?“To Earth. I’d like to write to her to tell her that I am leaving Meeus and that I will contact her once I arrive at… wherever. And that everything is okay, just a change of plans and an opportunity for me. I have to tell her that.”
“Will she believe it?”
“Probably not. She will at least know that I’m alive. I never responded to her last letter, and she’s worried by now.”
Paloma raised her deep-colored eyes to Cricket’s. “Did I ever tell you how jealous I am of your mother, Cricket?”
Taken a little aback, Cricket smiled. “You are?”
“I wish that just for one goddamn day in my life I felt so comfortable with my own people.”
Cricket took Paloma’s hands in hers, startling her. Among other things, touching was apparently frowned upon in her cold, painfully restrained family, and Paloma never quite knew what to do with people hugging or holding hands. “You have your people with you now, Paloma. You aren’t alone.”
“Thank you.” For a moment, her brazen, outspoken friend looked shy and uncomfortable.
“Are you going to let your family know that you’re leaving?”
“Hell, no.” Paloma pulled her hands from Cricket’s, herself once more. “But I plan to keep tabs on them. When that new little girl ofmaman’sis old enough, I want to reach out to her. If it gets as tough there for her as it was for me, I will want her to know she isn’t alone. Because, you know, she’s my sister.”
Cricket swallowed thickly. “You will be a great sister.” She cleared her suddenly scratchy throat. “And thank you for the message to mama. How much do I owe you?”
Paloma gave a watery laugh. “You don’t have any money.”
“I’ll pay you back later in some way.”
