Darcie hummed as she packed her bag. Chris had promised to do his later, but she was fairly certain she'd have to pack his.
Something rammed into her legs, causing her to nearly fall on the bed. She looked down to see a smiling Weston.
She picked him up with a smile. "What are you up to, little troublemaker."
Weston started pulling stuff from the bag and Darcie shook her head. "No, honey."
Chris walked into the room. "I'm sorry, Dari. He ran in and I couldn't stop him."
"It's fine." She let out a sigh. "Chris, what if he forgets us while we're gone? Maybe I should stay."
Chris placed his hands on her arms. "You've waited years for this, honey. We'll talk to Weston every night or day, depending on when we can. He's not gonna forget us."
"Promise?"
"Pinky promise." He held up his pinky.
Darcie let out a soft laugh and interlocked their pinkies and the two shook them.
Chris turned to Weston and said, "Are you excited to have a long vacation at Grammy and Grandpa's?"
Weston smiled and jumped on the bed.
He picked his son up, pretending he was an airplane and the little boy squealed while his father made airplane noises.
Darcie followed them out with a soft smile. "Hey, Chris, we gotta go. Are you ready?"
"Yeah. I packed last night while you slept."
"Bout of nervous insomnia?"
"Something like that. You know, I have this weird feeling-"
Darcie put a hand over his lips. "Let's not scare ourselves, okay? Everything will be fine. Short mission to Mars and then we'll be back with Weston."
He nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."
The three left, not realizing how right that feeling would be.
YOU ARE READING
Space Odyssey
Science FictionDarcie is chosen for and sent on a mission, alongside others, for, what feels to her, as a once in a lifetime opportunity. While she and her husband don't want to leave their young son behind, they know he's in good hands. But when the mission goe...
