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7
SOPHIA
“So, I’m assuming that you don’t want to shit where you eat.” Drex pauses, reconsidering his phrasing, “Or, I guess, eat where you put up with shit. Where do you want to grab dinner? My treat, of course.”
I giggle, a high, girlish thing that I’ve never done before when interacting with a guy, not even one I like. Something about Drex makes me giddy like drinking a whole bottle of Odex wine all by myself. “Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve been anywhere outside home and the bar that I forget what’s still here.”
The thought sobers us both as he gives me a pitying look, something I chafe against. Life sucks for everyone here. I’m not special.
He must notice the look on my face because he quickly wipes that expression off his handsome features. “I, uh, right. Sorry. There’s a place that does good Kaleidian food a few blocks over. I’ve been going there when we’re feeling homesick.”
In spite of myself, I snort in surprise as I let him lead me down the street. “A big, tough soldier like you gets homesick?”
“Don’t we all sometimes?” he asks.
I think back to Armstrong before the war. This was one of the few planets that was safe for humans. Five years ago, I could see myself raising kids here alongside Isa, my mom, and a husband whose name and face I could never quite picture in my mind. There was a future here. This was my home.
But now we huddle in the burnt-out wreckage of our former lives, scraping by with just enough food, water, and medicine to keep ourselves alive. In my case, I’m homesick for a place I never left, but it feels like it left me.
I sigh. “Yeah, I guess we do.”
“Have you ever tried Kaleidian food before?” he asks, and I’m grateful for the change in subject to something less emotionally fraught.
“Isa’s a big fan, but I haven’t had a lot of time to try it.”
“Isa?” he repeats, raising an eyebrow.
“My best friend.” I smile, imagining her right now sitting at my mom’s bedside playing Odexes in the Corner while half-paying attention to a holostream of my mom’s favorite series. I haven’t been able to get into All My Kilgari, but Mama and Isa seem to love it.
We reach the restaurant, which seems to be doing well despite the war. A server leads us to our table, and we pull up our menu screens. “You’re the expert,” I say. “What do you recommend?”
He smiles, revealing his pointed teeth. “The granthen steaks and herb seasoned vegetables. It’s just like they make it on Kalei.”
It’s also the most expensive item on the menu. Fresh meat and vegetables have been difficult to come by. It must be all the Kaleidian soldiers who keep this place thriving that allow the restaurant to procure such delicacies. “I don’t –” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“My treat, remember?” He takes my hand and my heart flutters. I feel a rush in my chest that reminds me of the seconds between jumping off a high place and hitting the ground, a moment of weightlessness waiting for that bastard gravity to assert itself once again. He smiles, and I am already so gone, it’s not even fair. “I just want to get to know you better, Sophia.”
The server returns and takes our orders. Along with our late-night dinner, Drex orders their finest bottle of Kaleidian rum for us to try. “So,” he starts, taking a sip. “Tell me about yourself.”
I absently swirl the alcohol in my glass, inhaling the sweet and pungent aroma. “Not much to say, really. I work at the bar, and with Isa’s help, I take care of my mom.”
He raises his eyebrows at that. “You still live with your mother?”
“Yeah.” I cross my arms, suddenly defensive. “What about it?”
“Nothing,” he replies, shaking his head vigorously. “I didn’t mean to imply that it was wrong or anything. I’m just surprised because, in my culture, once you’re grown, there’s no real expectation that you’ll ever return home. When you’re out of the house, you’re out. I have a good relationship with my parents and visit when I can, but I know some guys who haven’t so much as called them in almost a decade.”
He gives my hand a squeeze. “I think it’s admirable that you dedicate yourself to your family like this.”
The server returns with our food, and we both fall into silence as we devour our meals. It’s the most filling and delicious thing I’ve had in a very long time. The granthen steak is tender and the vegetables are cooked to perfection. I do my best to savor it, but soon the food is gone.
“So, are you a fan of Kaleidian food now, too?”
I smile, my stomach pleasantly aching from the fullness of my belly. “Absolutely.” My comm buzzes and a message from Isa asking where I am pops up. I deflate when I see the time. “I’m sorry. It’s getting late and tonight, we were going to change the sheets under my mom, so I really should be going.”
“I’ll go with you,” he says, gesturing for the server to bring us our bill.
“You don’t have to,“ I begin, but he shakes his head.
