She could still see him working in his office. He had looked up in surprise and then smiled upon seeing her. He was an older East Indian man, and his bushy black mustache twitched when he spoke.

“So you’ll come visit us with the tot this summer?”

Liz smiled at her professor. “Oh, of course. I’m not going to completely abandon my work.” In the back of her mind, Liz wondered if she would be back that soon.

“I’m sure you’ll have your hands full by then. But remember that there’s always room for Liz Evans in any of my bacteriology research.”

They said their goodbyes, and he had been chuckling as she left.

At least I won’t have to make the commute now, Liz thought idly as she unlocked the door. The apartment was dark when she came in, so she set her books down on the end table by the door to be able to hit the lights. Where was Max? As she flipped the switch, she heard a chorus of voices yell, “Surprise!”

Liz just stood there for a moment, smiling and staring, absorbing what her friends had done for her. Max, Maria, Michael, Isabel, Tess, Kyle, Alex, Serena, and Sheriff Valenti were all standing around the small table in the breakfast area next to the kitchen. “You guys are so great.”

Maria walked up to her friend. “Aren’t you going to take off your coat? We’ve prepared you a feast! And you know, Serena can cook pretty good for only having been around Earth food for a few years.”

Liz laughed through happy tears as Max led her to the head of the table. “For you, madam,” he said, pulling her chair back and taking her coat. They had put a card table on one end and somehow fit ten chairs—and ten table settings—around the table.

Liz wiped her eyes, saying, “I’m sorry. I’ve just been so emotional lately.”

Towards the end of dinner, after eating Tess and Serena’s amazing chicken penne pasta, Liz watched everyone smiling and laughing. This is what I’m going to miss most, she thought. And it wouldn’t be that bad spending so much time with Serena. She was pretty nice, especially for a shape-shifter—much nicer than Nasedo, and, from what Serena had said, much more like everyone else of her race.

Suddenly, Max stood up and lifted his glass to Liz. Everyone quieted. “To my wife, my intelligent and beautiful wife, who never says anything about my lack of scientific knowledge”—Liz laughed softly—“who indulges my love of Tabasco sauce”—everyone laughed this time—“who is always open-minded, who understands me; my wife who saved me that day in the Crashdown nine years ago. To Liz.” Max and Liz’s eyes locked as everyone echoed, saying, “To Liz,” with glasses clinking all around.

“We got sparkling apple cider just for you, babe,” Maria said, smiling.

“You…”—Liz looked around the table at all the faces—“you all make my life worthwhile.”

* * *

Liz stood in front of the dresser in their bedroom, looking at all the pictures she had put on it ages ago. One of her favorites was of her and Max sitting on the roof outside her old room, looking into each other’s eyes. Maria had taken it when they weren’t paying attention. Another frame held a picture of Alex and Isabel smiling giddily as they fed each other cake on their wedding day.

Max came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She held onto him and leaned her head back against his shoulder. “How are you doing?”

“Well, you know… I’m doing.” She smiled.

“Did you tell your parents? About the baby, I mean.”

“Yeah. I talked to my mom last night. I suppose I should’ve called her sooner. She’s ecstatic, wanted to throw me a baby shower. I told her I didn’t want a big fuss, but she’s going to keep on. You’re going to have fun tiptoeing around that one.”

He chuckled. Pressing his cheek against hers, he said, “I’m going to miss you.”

She closed her eyes. “At night, look at the royal constellation, and think of me. I’ll be on a moon in one of those systems. I wonder what the rebel base will be like. I know your race breathes air similar to ours, though the Skins breathe that other element that’s in the air there that we don’t have on Earth. At least I’ll have oxygen, right? I wonder what they eat. I never asked Serena. She’s been able to survive on human food, so I suppose I’ll be able to eat theirs.” Liz paused and turned her head towards her husband’s. “I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he mumbled, burying his face in her hair, wanting to remember the smell of her. He looked up. “Liz?”

“Yes.”

“Close your eyes and wait here for a minute.”

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word as she closed her eyes.

In a moment, he came back, turning her around to be facing him. “Open your eyes.” He was holding out a small, wrapped box. “Go on, open it.”

She smiled at him and carefully unwrapped it, slowly taking the lid off the box. Inside was a small silver chain with an amber heart. “Max, it’s beautiful…”

“Just something to remember me by. For now.”

“I know how dangerous it is, but I thought you were going to come visit me in a couple months.”

He put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm’s length, and, for a minute, he just stood there, looking at her.

“What are you doing, Max?”

“I want to remember you just as you are now, like this, in your nightgown with your hair down, smiling at me.” And then he laughed, saying, “You know, barefoot and pregnant.”

“Ma-ax!” She shoved him playfully.

He pushed her back, and she landed on the bed, laughing. He pinned her and kissed her. “I love you, Liz Parker Evans.”

* * *

The next morning, Liz followed Serena into the granilith chamber, holding Max’s hand as she went in.

“Can’t we wait a few more minutes for Maria and Michael?” Liz asked. They hadn’t come to the pod chamber that morning, where everyone had agreed to meet.

“We only have a short amount of time before the moon the rebel base is on moves into Antar’s shadow, at which point that gate cannot be reached for seven months.”

“Seven months!” Liz cried.

“You didn’t know?” Serena’s short-cropped, loose black curls grazed her face as she looked from Liz to Max.

“Did you know this, Max?” Liz stared at him in disbelief as he nodded slightly.

“But the rebel base is the only place the Skins can’t infiltrate. Every security measure has been taken. The fact that it is under their nose makes it even safer because they won’t look there. They don’t know it exists. That moon is just some barren rock to them. I want you to be safe, Liz.” He brushed her hair out of her face and saw that she was crying now.

Suddenly, Maria and Michael came into the granilith chamber.

“Liz! I’m so sorry we’re late,” Maria said, rushing over to her friend. “Are you okay?”

“What happened?” Max looked at Michael.

“Maria’s alarm didn’t go off, and she was going to wake me up… Well, we’re here now, aren’t we?”

“Maria,” Liz breathed, “I’m going to be alone for seven months.”

“Seven months?” Maria gasped, glancing over at Max, Michael, and Serena, then back at Liz. “I’m coming with you.”

“Maria, no.” Liz couldn’t let her friend do that.

“Yes,” Maria countered.

“We have to leave, Liz.” Serena was kneeling at the base of the granilith with the crystal in her hand.

“What about—” Liz started.

“I’m in between jobs anyway. Spaceboy’ll cover for me. Right, Michael?”

“I…” Maria gave him a look. “Fine,” he said, throwing up his hands.

“You can come. That’s fine. But we have to leave NOW. Liz, Maria, take my hand.” Serena’s words were urgent and hurried.

Liz kissed her husband. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you. Now go.”

Michael and Maria kissed, and he asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“Now!” Serena yelled.

They joined hands and Maria said, crying, “Because I’m pregnant, too. I love you Michael. Tell everyone goodbye for me.”

Suddenly, the three women were inside the granilith. Liz turned her head back to look at her husband as he reached out to her. The colors in the granilith swirled and shot into space, and they were gone. Max and Michael were thrown to the floor by the force of it.

As they got up, Michael murmured, stunned, “She’s pregnant.”