"Miss Davenport?"
"I was wondering something," Davenport said.
"What is it?"
"What is it going to be like after we get home?"
Goddard turned. "I- I don't know, TJ. I really don't know."
"Are we going to try to stick together? Are we going to keep in touch with each other?"
"I don't know, TJ. We'll just have to wait and see."
Radu and Harlan entered with Rosie and Bova behind them.
"I know what I'm going to do when I get home," Davenport said.
"What's that?" Harlan asked. "Give us a test on our trip?"
"Ha- ha, Mr. Band. No. I'm going straight home. No stopping until I get there. Maybe I'll take the Commander with me," Davenport added with a smile. Goddard looked embarrassed.
"How much longer?" Rosie asked. "Until we get back to the Starcademy?"
"About two years," Goddard said. "At least, that is what Thelma told us."
"Two years it is then," Radu said. "I can't wait. I think."
That remark stuck in Davenport's head all night long. "I can't wait. I think." What did that mean? Did Radu mean it? Did he really want to stay here for a long time? Davenport could not answer any of those questions.
Davenport lost all of her concentration the next day. She was so out of it that Jewel could not even get to her, after making a joke about Davenport's rules. Nothing got Davenport out of this mood.
"Are you all right?" Jewel asked. "You seem spaced out. You're a regular Rosie."
"Sorry."
"What's wrong?" Jewel asked, puzzled. "You can tell me, Theresa. I won't tell anyone."
"I was just thinking about how nice it would be to go home."
"Yeah, that would be pretty nice...."
"But I don't think I want to."
"You, uh, don't?"
"No. We've been here so long that what do you think would happen when we did get home? Nobody would want to leave. We'd all want to stay."
"There's a saying on Jupiter about things like this- Home sweet home."
"What?"
"Home is where you make it," Jewel said. "You're talking about going home. Back to Earth. But right now, this ship is your home. Just remember that."
Davenport didn't say anything after that. She just went back to her quarters.
Goddard started yelling at Jewel. She made fun of Rosie. Harlan took his place at helm.
Everything seemed pretty normal.
Davenport could hear Radu's words over and over again. She didn't know it yet, but this had been the best family she had ever had. She also knew that Jewel had been right- this was her home, even if it was only for awhile.
Later, she went up to Goddard. After a quick kiss, Davenport said,"This is home."
Goddard was confused. "What's home?"
"This ship," she said. "We're home, and one person helped me to see that- Radu."
"What?" Goddard asked, still confused. "I don't know-"
"Jewel helped too," Davenport added,"but Radu started it. And I think he should get a reward."
"WHAT???" Goddard said. "I think you have lost me."
"No, I haven't," Davenport said with a shy smile. "I'm just glad to be home. And you should thank your lucky stars we are home now."
Goddard walked off, confused.
He walked into his bunkroom, with the same confused expression Davenport had used. The look on his face said either Davenport was really crazy, or she had been right. The problem was, he didn't understand what she had meant by "This is home."
He jumped onto his bunk. He stared at the ceiling. He stared until he fell asleep.
That night he dreamt he was back at home. There were two little girls running around, though Goddard could not put a name on them. There was a woman sitting on the porch, who was with child, and Goddard walked over to her. She said,"Oh, Seth, this is wonderful! Who would have ever thought that the two of us could produce such beautiful girls?"
Goddard took it all in. He knew he knew the woman, but could not seem to remember who she was.
"Are you...." he tried to say more but nothing came out.
"Yes," the woman said. "I am. Do you remember?"
"No...."
"Ten years ago, when we were home in space, and we had a little girl. Do you remember?"
"No...."
"I'll tell you the story," she said, pulling him to her side. "The way it used to be, why, it was heaven!"
"Heaven?"
The woman turned. She began talking, but Goddard could not understand her, how soft she was talking.
That's when Goddard woke up from his dream.
He sat up straight in bed. That's when he realized the woman in the dream was TJ Davenport. He did not remember anything else about the dream, except for the little girls.
That's when Goddard later made the announcement to the crew:
"We're home."
