Page 42 of Doran

He let them out.

“Okay.”

I laughed.

Doran looked at me.

“I think that went well,” I told him.

“Pick me up,” Lucy demanded, having decided he was now indeed hers, and he obliged. She already had him wrapped around her little finger for sure.

Then Caleb was there, wrapping his arms around me.

“Mama!” was all he said before he broke out in tears that I knew he’d want us all to forget about later.

“You all right?” I asked him once he’d calmed down

“Yeah.” He stepped away, squaring his shoulders and swiping his face with the back of his arm.

I searched his face.

“You sure?”

He nodded.

Then he whispered, “I missed you.”

I closed my eyes.

“I missed you too.”

He pulled away a bit more and looked around.

“Is this New Haven?”

“It is.”

He stared through the open hangar toward the settlement.

“Cool.”

Emma laughed. “You crossed the galaxy, and all you have to say is 'cool’?”

Caleb shrugged.

“What else am I supposed to say?”

Doran laughed.

Caleb looked at him.

“Doran!”

“Caleb,” he smiled and nodded back.

“You're our new Dad and are going to marry Mama.”

“I am.”