by Linn Schwab
Delia shook her head. “No. Why?”
Christy pointed at the Wallaby’s name and started jumping up and down in excitement. She felt a powerful compulsion to scream aloud in joy, but she was too choked up to get anything out.
The observation lounge was quiet and still. The station’s lights had already been dimmed for the night. Jenny and Nancy stood side by side in the darkness, gazing out into the vast emptiness of space in the same way their missing friend had often done. Both of them had felt themselves drawn to the room by a desire to feel a connection to Virginia. If only they could find a hint as to what she’d been seeking, then perhaps they could achieve a better understanding of her actions — of her intentions, and what it was that motivated her. But whatever it was that had dominated her thoughts for so long, it stubbornly refused to reveal itself to them.
Jenny sighed in frustration as she stared at the stars. I’m just not looking at this right, she told herself. She blinked … and as her eyes refocused, she noticed a reflection on the inner surface of the glass. There was somebody standing directly behind her, quietly looking over her shoulder. She spun around and immediately recognized the face. Virginia was standing there right in front of her, with tears flowing out of both of her eyes. Jenny smiled at her in relief and understanding, then held her arms open and said, “Welcome back, Virginia.”
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The Sentinels will return in Childhoods Lost.
