Kevin exited the hatch to start the space station hull inspection. Being an astronaut rocked! Even better, his fiancée worked this mission too. Jane gripped a handhold nearby, graceful in her bulky suit.
Jane’s voice crackled through the radio. “…move to the farthest panel.”
They were so in love, so in synch, no need to clarify. Kevin clipped Jane’s proffered cable to his waist.
He pushed off, confident Jane would clip a second cable to the hull, securing them both.
Jane pushed off too, then gasped at the misunderstanding.
Tethered only to each other, they drifted away among endless stars.
Previously published in Speculative Valentine Drabbles
Holly Schofield travels through time at the rate of one second per second, oscillating between the alternate realities of city and country life. Her stories have appeared in Analog, Lightspeed, Escape Pod, and many other publications throughout the world. You can find her at hollyschofield.wordpress.com.
Subscribe to Martian Magazine to support us! Subscription includes four quarterly digital issues PLUS the year-end anthology for only $8!
themartianmagazine.com 