Carl had aged more than the five years that had passed since she’d last seen him. Lines were traced on his previously boyish features, but his warm, kind, deep brown eyes were the same.
“Is it okay if I come in?” he asked, looking a little anxious.
Responding automatically, Jas stepped back. Carl came into her cabin and she closed the door. She leaned back on it, catching her breath as if she’d been running.
For a moment, they looked at each other in silence. Jas reached out and touched Carl’s arm. She wanted to reassure herself that he was real. She was still unsure if she was dreaming. He was wearing an old, faded flight suit. The material was worn and soft, and she could feel the lean, hard muscles of his arm beneath it.
“Where have you been?” she whispered. “Where have you been all
