previously: the mythical bunions
Time melted away for Keri because her mind was light years away in her work. Somewhat literally. The Cassiopeia mission charged ahead to its big moment. They had their crew, their pilots, their scientists. They developed flight suits and long range sleep pods. There was so much still to do and get ready, but everything was coming along on schedule. And Keri did what Keri does best. She worked. She was at the helm of this ship and it was going to sail spectacularly.
They finally had a date set for launch. The crew buzzed with excitement over it. It was really happening, after all this time. The next great leap for humankind. June 4th, 2090.
Thankfully, with only twenty-two months left to departure, Keri’s mother had finally stopped nagging her to find an insta-husband and baby.
Work was easy for Keri, and it always had been. Life, on the other hand, was complicated and perplexing. Her mind was out here among the stars, while her family and loved ones carried on without her on the ground. And yes, she loved some people down there. Keri Riley was capable of love.
How inhospitable space is to the human body, and yet, she longed to go anyway, out into the void. Let’s see how far and how long and what we might find. And the farther and farther you go, the more you begin to wonder where home even is anymore.
Home. There was an invitation on her calendar, so she would go home.
Even though, certainly, nobody would have faulted her for missing this event. Seems an awful long way to travel for her ex-husband’s wedding to the woman he left her for. She had a good excuse.
“Welcome to Earth, passengers,” he crooned, full of swagger. “It is 1:43pm, and a hazy sixty-five degrees in Fort Hollow, Washington. All soldiers and civilians are welcome to join us for cards and trivia at the Constellation Club tonight. And thank you for flying with us this afternoon.”
“Is it that good?” A voice teased.
“Hey, you’re up and down three times a week,” she said. “It’s been a while for me. I’ve been breathing manufactured moon air for ten months.”
She’d seen his face enough times. The boy next door from Wisconsin; his parents live near her parents. He kept seeking her out. She didn’t know why.
Or, rather, she knew why. But he didn’t know that he shouldn’t bother.
“So hey, what are you doing this weekend? Cards? Karaoke? A few of us might hop down to Sierra Nova and hit up some clubs.”
“Sounds fun. But I can’t. Red-eye to Duluth tonight. Have a wedding to go to.”
“Oh, fun.”
“It’s my ex.”
“Oh, yikes. Really? You’re going to his wedding.”
“It’s okay, we’re friends now.”
“That’s very mature. So, you want a date? I have the weekend off. I love weddings!”
“I bet you do,” she said. He was like a giant puppy. Of course he loved weddings. He’d love his own someday, she was sure of it.
She tried to come up with a defense, but she could only laugh.
“I’ve seen your feet, Keri,” he said. “I’ve seen you run ten miles on rocky trails without a hitch. You don’t have bunions. But you’re missing out because I’m a great dancer. I have vacation time if you change your mind. I kind of feel like dancing.”
“It probably won’t be that kind of wedding,” she said. “It’s in a barn. Folksy music and moonshine cocktails in the daytime, hay bales and tea lights, lots of little kids running around.”
“I love kids.”
“Oh, Lord!” Keri spewed. She didn’t mean to blurt that out loud, and he was taken aback for a moment.
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, if you change your mind, my offer stands. And what are you doing for the next ten minutes?”
Man, he was cute. And full of himself. And a little bit sweet. And persistent. It was doing a number on her head and making her heart feel spongy. She didn’t owe anybody any explanation, but she wanted to give him a reason, beyond the mythical bunions, for why she wouldn’t go out with him. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to.
“It’s not you, by the way. I don’t date.”
“Anyone? Ever? For the rest of your life?”
“Sorry.”
“Because of the divorce?”
It was as good an excuse as any. It wasn’t entirely a lie. “You could say that. But I was gonna take a little walk in the woods. I guess you could tag along.”
He looked at her feet in those heels and raised an eyebrow.
“They’re very sensible two-inch pumps,” she said.
“Okay then. Let’s go. I love stories, by the way. If you want to unload some feelings about why your dad loves your ex more than you. Sounds juicy.”
story notes: honestly, though, Keri is not wrong to be cautious with Bentley. He is family-oriented and his IFS is 3 kids!
Time melted away for Keri because her mind was light years away in her work. Somewhat literally. The Cassiopeia mission charged ahead to its big moment. They had their crew, their pilots, their scientists. They developed flight suits and long range sleep pods. There was so much still to do and get ready, but everything was coming along on schedule. And Keri did what Keri does best. She worked. She was at the helm of this ship and it was going to sail spectacularly.
They finally had a date set for launch. The crew buzzed with excitement over it. It was really happening, after all this time. The next great leap for humankind. June 4th, 2090.
Thankfully, with only twenty-two months left to departure, Keri’s mother had finally stopped nagging her to find an insta-husband and baby.
Work was easy for Keri, and it always had been. Life, on the other hand, was complicated and perplexing. Her mind was out here among the stars, while her family and loved ones carried on without her on the ground. And yes, she loved some people down there. Keri Riley was capable of love.
But she didn’t belong there anymore—the Earth, where our bodies are perfectly calibrated to be. The water we are made of, the cycle of vapor to cloud to rain to sea. The perfect balance of oxygen and nitrogen our lungs need to breathe so that our blood can enrich our limbs. The gravity that keeps our bones from turning into moon dust.
Home. There was an invitation on her calendar, so she would go home.
Even though, certainly, nobody would have faulted her for missing this event. Seems an awful long way to travel for her ex-husband’s wedding to the woman he left her for. She had a good excuse.
“Sorry, I can’t make it this weekend, I’m a couple hundred thousand miles away at the moment.”
But her time with them was limited, and she wanted to go in good graces.
“Buckle up, folks. We’re re-entering in three minutes.”
Keri was used to this by now. It was like terrible airplane turbulence that lasted for half an hour. But this pilot was good, compared to some. Coming back from space, Bentley Booth, while still fresh behind the ears, always delivered the smoothest ride that she’d ever had.
Don’t let him know she said that, though. He was already cocky as hell.
“Buckle up, folks. We’re re-entering in three minutes.”
Keri was used to this by now. It was like terrible airplane turbulence that lasted for half an hour. But this pilot was good, compared to some. Coming back from space, Bentley Booth, while still fresh behind the ears, always delivered the smoothest ride that she’d ever had.
Don’t let him know she said that, though. He was already cocky as hell.
“Welcome to Earth, passengers,” he crooned, full of swagger. “It is 1:43pm, and a hazy sixty-five degrees in Fort Hollow, Washington. All soldiers and civilians are welcome to join us for cards and trivia at the Constellation Club tonight. And thank you for flying with us this afternoon.”
Keri didn’t waste any time leaving the shuttle and rushing straight outside. The mountain air was clear and fragrant, smelling of pine and moss. Keri breathed it deep. The smell of life, of decay, of home. She was tempted to strip off her clothes right here in this courtyard and let the sun embrace her hungry skin.
“Is it that good?” A voice teased.
She turned around to find Bentley, clocked off from his shift and changed out of his flight suit.
“Hey, you’re up and down three times a week,” she said. “It’s been a while for me. I’ve been breathing manufactured moon air for ten months.”
She’d seen his face enough times. The boy next door from Wisconsin; his parents live near her parents. He kept seeking her out. She didn’t know why.
Or, rather, she knew why. But he didn’t know that he shouldn’t bother.
“So hey, what are you doing this weekend? Cards? Karaoke? A few of us might hop down to Sierra Nova and hit up some clubs.”
“Sounds fun. But I can’t. Red-eye to Duluth tonight. Have a wedding to go to.”
“Oh, fun.”
“It’s my ex.”
“Oh, yikes. Really? You’re going to his wedding.”
“It’s okay, we’re friends now.”
“That’s very mature. So, you want a date? I have the weekend off. I love weddings!”
“I bet you do,” she said. He was like a giant puppy. Of course he loved weddings. He’d love his own someday, she was sure of it.
“Thanks, but no,” she said. “I’m going alone. Well, not really alone. I’m going with my dad.”
“Your dad gets along with your ex?”
“He loves Justin more than he loves me.”
“Your dad gets along with your ex?”
“He loves Justin more than he loves me.”
“Sounds complicated.”
Keri chuckled. “You have no idea.”
“Well, I’m all ears if you want.”
“Raincheck?”
“Okay. Then, maybe you could tell me how those bunions are treating you?”
She tried to come up with a defense, but she could only laugh.
“I’ve seen your feet, Keri,” he said. “I’ve seen you run ten miles on rocky trails without a hitch. You don’t have bunions. But you’re missing out because I’m a great dancer. I have vacation time if you change your mind. I kind of feel like dancing.”
“It probably won’t be that kind of wedding,” she said. “It’s in a barn. Folksy music and moonshine cocktails in the daytime, hay bales and tea lights, lots of little kids running around.”
“I love kids.”
“Oh, Lord!” Keri spewed. She didn’t mean to blurt that out loud, and he was taken aback for a moment.
Run! Run as fast as you can!
This was exactly why she couldn’t date him. Or most men, probably. She couldn’t begin to explain the whole ordeal of Lily. How she’d given birth to a child, left her newborn child, and ultimately given her child away to another woman. And he loved kids? Where would she begin? He knew nothing about her.
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, if you change your mind, my offer stands. And what are you doing for the next ten minutes?”
Man, he was cute. And full of himself. And a little bit sweet. And persistent. It was doing a number on her head and making her heart feel spongy. She didn’t owe anybody any explanation, but she wanted to give him a reason, beyond the mythical bunions, for why she wouldn’t go out with him. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to.
“It’s not you, by the way. I don’t date.”
“Anyone? Ever? For the rest of your life?”
“Sorry.”
“Because of the divorce?”
It was as good an excuse as any. It wasn’t entirely a lie. “You could say that. But I was gonna take a little walk in the woods. I guess you could tag along.”
He looked at her feet in those heels and raised an eyebrow.
“They’re very sensible two-inch pumps,” she said.
“Okay then. Let’s go. I love stories, by the way. If you want to unload some feelings about why your dad loves your ex more than you. Sounds juicy.”
—
story notes: honestly, though, Keri is not wrong to be cautious with Bentley. He is family-oriented and his IFS is 3 kids!
A while back, Keri suspected that he should probably move back home and marry his high school sweetheart and have those three kids he wants. (And his high school sweetheart exists out there. Jessica is not having the best time ever with her current boyfriend and still holds a little candle for Bentley.) But Bentley feels like he wants adventure and excitement, and he’s like a moth to a flame with Keri. She’s dismissed him enough times, and he keeps coming back. I can’t even keep him away. What do you do about that?
But he’s young still, and at some point will that boy next door resurface and he’ll want to retire to Wisconsin with a nice suburban home, three kids, and a dog?
It sounds like you can't keep those two apart! But yeah, the kids thing is a little worrying and could make for some conflict further down the line. And really I don't want to see Keri heartbroken again. I'm not gonna pretend she's always made all the right choices, but she's definitely matured over the years, and doesn't deserve this.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my boyfriend came in while I was reading this, saw half of this picture (https://lauraraeamos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2088_04Home11.jpg) and thought at first that I was reading porn! :O I think it's the colour of Keri's jacket and the fact that she looks a little... busty? in that photo that did it! :D Gave me a laugh so I thought I'd share!
Great to see another update! :)
Ha ha ha, good thing he didn’t catch you reading one of the saucier ones, or he might be right? 🤣🤣🤣
DeleteNo shame in it! We’re all grown ups here!
I love that you recognize how Keri has matured over the years. It’s been a long road for her, but I love this life she’s carved out for herself now. She is true to herself, and it works for her. She’s not disappointing anyone (except her mother, I guess, lol!)