Page 71 of Leveling

Chapter 49

When Luna wokeup Sky was right where she had promised. It was night still, so Luna fell asleep again.

* * *

The next time she woke up, still dark, Sky was up, sitting on her board, trailing her feet in the water, looking around at the sea. Luna stretched and sat up on her board too, and together they faced the stars. Sky pointed up just in time for a shooting star. Luna blew a kiss toward the Monarch constellation to whisk away toward Beckett’s mountain home, and she felt a bit better. Probably because of the rest.

Sky asked if Luna would take the watch and then climbed over onto Buzz’s board, draping across his chest, kissing, his arm around her back, his hand pulling her in closer.

Luna sighed and looked the other direction.

Seggy slept sprawled on his belly, his right foot trailing in the water.

She sighed again. Now she didn’t feel better at all.

Now that she had known Beckett, had loved Beckett, for two whole days, was she broken? Would she—could she—find happiness in the commonalities of this family life? In group sleeping and night-time-groping?

She glanced back at Sky, Buzz’s hand was down the back of her yoga pants.

Luna stifled a giggle. Jeez that guy was horny—or was it her friend that was horny? Either way, give it a rest, people, paddle away by some feet.

She watched the horizon, as the sun slowly crept up the sky, lighting the day.

All around her shifts and tiny splashes signaled that morning had arrived. Zippers on packs signaled that breakfast time was now. Odo announced, “We’ve drifted west, but the wind’s shifted. Looks like we’ll have the wind at our back as we go home. We’ll be slow, but it’s all good, right?”

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