Falling Like Stars

by Eve Kasey

He bumped her with his hip to make her look at him. “What matters is that you came all this way. That you’re helping my sister. What you’re doing is who you are, and they will see that.”

  Elle’s fraught look told him she was trying to tamp down conflicting emotions. He grasped her hand in his as he unlocked the door with a key he planned to give back today. His parents would be leaving for Chongqing soon. This would be he and Xiaoming’s last time in their childhood home. Chen wasn’t sad. He was relieved, excited, and the tiniest bit nervous that his reassurances about this meeting were untrue. His dad would appear unaffected, Xiaoming would be silently enthralled, but his mother? She was harder to predict.

  Inside, he called out a loud greeting that brought his family into the living room. His dad was wearing the same navy cardigan he always wore, slippers on his feet. His mother helped Xiaoming in with her walker. Both women were smiling shyly.

  “Nei hou maa,” Elle said, smiling at his assembled family and bowing her head.

  Xiaoming cooed. His father returned a less formal greeting. “Please sit,” his mother said in English, gesturing to the couch where Chen had slept for months.

  His shoulders dropped an inch. The English in itself was a good sign. They sat and Chen launched into a recap of the flight and their tour of the city the night before, translating for Elle. She filled in some of her favorite parts, which he translated into Cantonese for his family. He never let go of Elle’s hand. Her grip was strong and sweaty. Nervous in the awkward situation, she’d still showed up and he was grateful.

  Elle asked if she could see Xiaoming’s stuffed animal collection, a request that turned his sister’s cheeks pink with pleasure. He fell in love with her all over again as he watched the two of them move slowly down the hall, Elle smiling down at his little sister with real warmth.

  His mom asked about his new job. Wilson Flynn, Rosie’s dad, had taken Chen under his wing as an adjunct professor in the planetary sciences department at the university. Only when she was satisfied about his job did she ask about the wedding, which was to take place in San Diego later in the year. She surprised Chen by informing him they’d attend.

  At Summer Palace, his family’s favorite dim sum place, Elle ate as much as the rest of them, and with almost as much skill.

  “She’s a good eater,” his mom commented approvingly, as Elle attacked her third plateful. His dad nodded in agreement and Chen fought a snicker.

  “She’s just good,” he replied in Cantonese, smiling at his bride-to-be. She smiled back, though she couldn’t know what they were saying. “They like you,” he whispered, leaning toward her. He flicked his gaze to his sister, who hadn’t stopped staring at Elle. “Want to pass Elle an egg tart, mui mui?”

  Elle smiled as Xiaoming slid over the tiny yellow dessert. She thanked her in Cantonese and gobbled it down. Xiaoming giggled and touched Elle’s cheek, her ultimate sign of affection. Chen easily read Elle’s reaction: She planned to love Xiaoming for life.

  Back at the apartment, Elle went to help Xiaoming box up the last of her stuff while Chen went over all the planning and legal documents with his parents. Quicker than he thought possible, Xiaoming’s room was boxed and ready for shipment. Her small suitcase of essentials for the rest of the trip was packed. She had on a new outfit Elle had brought her. The time had come—finally—to provide for his sister in the way he’d always wanted.

  But the scene looked so much different than he’d expected. He had a wild-haired woman at his side with whom he was madly in love. His parents were vacating the city where he’d expected to live out his life with them. They’d relieved him of that future and opened up the possibility of a new one. Guilt lanced through him, especially when his mother’s tears started to fall. The choice of the retirement community had been theirs, but it hadn’t been made solely for themselves. He knew their choice had also been their sacrifice. Tears filled his own eyes in response. Elle, an easy crier, started when he did.

  She reached forward and grasped his mom’s bony hands in hers. “We’ll take such good care of her. Please come see for yourself. You are always welcome.”

  A sob escaped his mom. His dad patted her back stiffly as she continued to grip Elle’s hands.

  “Mama,” Chen murmured, cutting in and wrapping his arms around her. They were not huggers, but this whole experience had shown him that change was possible. That anything was possible. “Thank you for trusting me. Trusting us. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

  She nodded against his chest. “That’s what you do, jai, for family. For love.”

  Epilogue

  Eighteen months later

  “As good as I remembered.” With a contented sigh, Elle crumpled up the cilantro-sprinkled paper that moments before had contained tacos. She smiled at Xiaoming, who ate much slower and cleaner than herself.

  “What do you think? Do they live up to Elle’s hype?” Chen asked his sister.

  Xiaoming nodded enthusiastically. She took a sip of horchata, probably her favorite part of her move to California. Horchata and proximity to Los Angeles. They had taken her on a tour of Hollywood for her twenty-seventh birthday a few months prior. Elle had cried at Xiaoming’s reactions to places she’d only seen in films.

  “I can’t wait to see everyone,” Elle gushed for the hundredth time. “I’m so excited for Tate and Vadim, and, well, everyone who’s worked so hard on this for so long.”

  “I just want to see Stratos again. The most beautiful plane I’ve ever flown.” Chen sighed.

  Elle studied her husband. He loved teaching at the university. He was a wildly popular instructor and still consulted all over the country on spaceflight and aerospace engineering. He wasn’t out of that world altogether, but sometimes she wondered if he’d ever stop missing the cockpit. “You okay, lóuhgùng?” Husband. The word still thrilled her.

  Clean-shaven for the occasion, he grinned at her from across the table. His gaze dropped to the swell of Elle’s belly. “I’ve never been happier.”

  She smiled back. She felt that same joy in every molecule of her body. Their family of three would be a family of four in a few more weeks.

  Chen’s deep, dark eyes crinkled at the corners as his delicious dimple appeared. “Think we have time to visit the grave of Melvin the Fish? The place where this crazy ride began?”

  Elle snorted. She checked her watch before shaking her head. “Press conference is in an hour. You about ready, sis?”

  Xiaoming nodded. They tossed their garbage, waved goodbye to the taco shop’s owners, then made their way back to the car.

  Ten minutes later, they pulled up at OrbitAll. The giant sign beckoned. All dreamers welcome. Elle pressed her lips together in delight as they drove down the tree-lined driveway that she’d envisioned. The landscape looked better than it had when they’d come for the hotel’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The trees were lush with late spring foliage. The decorative grasses and groundcovers had grown in, creating what looked like a true oasis in the desert. The small hotel, with its natural colors and stone accents, looked like it belonged there. The lot was crowded with cars and press vans.

  Elle spotted Rosie as soon as they were inside the lobby. Her friend darted over, squealing. “You made it!” She hugged the three of them and placed a warm hand on Elle’s protruding tummy.

  “You made it,” Elle countered, taking in the perfected lounge space and excited crowd. “Wow. This place is exactly like we pictured.”

  Rosie smiled. “It is. Tate followed your ideas to the letter. Elle, people are loving every aspect of the OrbitAll experience. The guests haven’t stopped gushing. Even the super famous ones.”

  Elle followed Rosie’s head tilt to the front of the room, near the polka-dotted accent wall Quinn had gone gaga for during one of their early design meetings. The six inaugural flight guests were gathered there, smiling into the flashes and shouted questions of the reporters and photographers in front of them. Elle recognized only two of the faces: a famous finan
cier and failed politician she’d only read about and, shockingly, Tommy Fines, the world-famous actor and Elle’s former most pain-in-the-ass resort guest.

  She snickered to herself. If her planning had impressed the impossible Tommy Fines, then she must have done something right. But it was the other faces she’d be watching throughout the evening and the launch the next day. Would the OrbitAll experience, carefully crafted to appeal to everyone and bring worlds together, be what she and Tate and the team had hoped to deliver? She might not work for OrbitAll anymore, but she still cared about the mission and the people they served.

  When she turned back to her group, she saw that Rosie had been pulled away and Chen was chatting with some engineers she recognized from their time with the company. Tate, looking insanely dapper, was across the room in a crush of people. She spotted Quinn, who looked remarkably relaxed. Vadim was charming reporters in a far corner; she could hear the timbre of his voice over the crowd. Elle grinned and put her hand on Xiaoming’s shoulder. She missed this place and these people, but she didn’t regret for a second that she’d left OrbitAll for Bayview. That job was fulfilling in a way she hadn’t expected. A quieter way, and a more permanent one.

  She was telling Xiaoming about some of the people in the room when her sister-in-law let out a strangled squeak. Elle glanced up and saw the intense blue eyes of Tommy Fines staring back.

  “Hi, resort lady.”

  She started. “You remember me?”

  She honestly hadn’t thought he would, despite the numerous conversations they’d had on the island. She didn’t think he cared enough to pay attention to the people who bent over backward to serve his impulses.

  “Of course I do. You helped me out a lot over the years.”

  Elle blinked. Was that a…compliment? A happy exhale from a squirming Xiaoming brought her back to the present. Oh. “Tommy, this is my sister-in-law, Xiaoming. You are her second-favorite actor, I believe.”

  He chuckled as he turned to give Xiaoming his full attention. His megawatt smile lit up his face, and hers by extension. Xiaoming glowed in the light he threw off. “It’s so nice to meet you, Xiaoming. Can I ask who your very favorite actor is? I promise your answer won’t hurt my feelings.”

  “Joo,” she said, her wide smile bunching up her blushing cheeks.

  “Julia Roberts,” Elle translated.

  “Ah. Good choice. Notting Hill is my favorite movie.”

  The action-film star with theme park rides based on his movies liked Notting Hill?

  Xiaoming nodded quickly. “It’s her favorite, too,” Elle told him.

  He smiled at Elle and damn if his grin didn’t take her breath away. He was so fucking pretty, despite his personality flaws. “I’m dying to remake that movie with me playing myself.”

  Elle laughed out loud. Of course he was. And the three of them, along with the rest of the world, would pay to see it.

  Chen sidled over and though he tried to hide his awe, Elle could see that her husband was just as starstruck as his sister. “Hey. Chen Lew. Congratulations on snagging an inaugural spot. Your pilot is a good friend of mine. You’re in good hands for the flight tomorrow.”

  “Chen, I’m Tommy. This your family?”

  “It is.”

  “You’re a lucky man.”

  Chen dropped a kiss on the top of Elle’s head. “I know.”

  Tommy’s searing gaze moved back to Xiaoming. “So nice to meet you, Xiaoming. I hope to see you again soon.” He glanced at Elle. “See you, resort lady.”

  “Enjoy the experience, Tommy.”

  Tate joined them before she could answer the question in Chen’s expression. Tate’s smile was content, posture devoid of stress. If he looked this relaxed hours before launch, then operations were running smoothly. “I’m so happy to see you,” she said, throwing her arms around her former boss. “I hope this moment is everything you wanted it to be.”

  “It’s more,” he answered. “Get a good look at Rosie when you get a chance. She may or may not be wearing more jewelry than she was yesterday.”

  Elle let out a shriek and shoved Tate away so she could search the room for her friend. There, across the way, she saw the hint of sparkle on Rosie’s ring finger as she talked with Quinn. Tate laughed softly at the tears in her eyes. “Glad you’re happy.”

  “So happy,” was all she could muster.

  Tate turned to greet Chen. “Hey, buddy. Glad you could make it. And the beautiful Xiaoming. Thank you all for coming.”

  “Vadim would never let me forget it if we skipped his big press conference,” Chen said.

  “Or our party tomorrow,” Quinn added, appearing at Elle’s side and wrapping her in a hug. “The man loves to entertain.”

  Rosie joined them then and Tate’s smile expanded. Elle couldn’t stop looking at the ring on Rosie’s finger. She would be cornering her about the proposal the second the speeches were over. “Look at us,” Tate said. “The dream team. Still together.”

  Indeed, Elle thought. But in more beautiful and lasting ways.

  The next day, the dream team lined up on the runway at a predawn hour, with hundreds of other people who wanted to witness paying passengers travel into space for the first time. The lottery winners for the inaugural flight had been a middle school teacher and a teenager from the Make-a-Wish foundation.

  Elle didn’t even ask to see Stratos’ cabin or what swag had been decided on. She’d done her part of the planning and trusted that Tate’s team had carried out what they thought best fit the OrbitAll experience. She was floating in space as the energy, the enthusiasm, flowed around the runway.

  Tate and Rosie’s hands were linked, their eyes skyward and heads bent together as they talked softly.

  Quinn wore a radiant smile, fingers steepled in front of her mouth, as she watched Vadim climb into Stratos in a flight suit that showed off his impressive frame. He turned at the last second to blow Quinn a kiss. Elle saw Quinn touch her fingers to her lips before sending him her signature finger wiggle.

  And Elle?

  She saw dreams, both epic and personal, being realized in front of her eyes. Her own included.

  Elle pulled Xiaoming’s walker closer to her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Her sister-in-law cooed contentedly. Chen, watching that exchange, leaned over his sister to capture Elle’s cheeks gently in his hands.

  “I could not be happier, xīngguāng. Everything I’ve ever wanted is right here.” His slow, love-steeped kiss proved the depth of his emotion.

  Their daughter kicked in her belly as Elle kissed him back. She agreed with her husband wholeheartedly. She was finally living her fairy tale, a love and a life written in the stars.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for taking the time to read this book! I hope you enjoyed Chen and Elle. I would be grateful if you left a review on your favorite sites (such as Amazon or Goodreads.) If you are holding a physical copy of this book in your hands, please consider passing it along to a friend or leaving it in a Little Free Library around town. Let’s keep spreading the love!

  Writing and publishing a novel takes a village. I’d like to send some serious love to mine. A big, warm, gushing thank you to:

  Suite Six Studios for the beautiful cover, formatting, and teaser graphics.

  Jenny Gardner for editing services. Who knew I had such an affinity for the word “thing”?

  My alpha readers, Melanie A. Smith and Eden Rayna, who are also both fantastic romance writers and more supportive than I can express. I learn so much from you both every time we do this dance.

  Melissa Frey, my accountability partner and friend. I appreciate your gentle check-ins and endless positivity.

  Kevin, who took time out of his “getting people to space” life to chat with me about the technical and psychological aspects of piloting and commercial spaceflight. Seriously, some of the coolest conversations ever. You were the perfect technical advisor for this series.

  My husband, for providi
ng a cultural critique of Chen’s life and experience. Thank you, my love, for sharing your favorite parts of Chinese culture with our family. Our life is richer for both you and your knowledge. And your cooking.

  The Badass Author Babes for answering my frantic questions and providing so much support, always.

  My lovely ARC readers for their excitement about Chen and Elle. Thank you for reading, and for helping people find this series!

  READERS old and new. Returning readers, thanks for sticking with me for a new, lighter type of book. New readers, thank you for taking a chance on me. Your time with my words is so appreciated. Truly.

  As always, love to my family and friends who provide the backbone of this #writinglife. None of my books could be accomplished without your love and support. (Hey KJ, what did you think of the “Chinese alien sex” book I’ve been talking about for so long?)

  Finally, I want to give some love to San Diego. To the city and people who forced me to acknowledge who I really was, and made me find my own way in the world. I knew exactly three people when I moved to that beautiful city by the sea; an adventure, a leap of faith, for which I will always, always be grateful. San Diego has my heart. If you have the chance, friends and readers, I advocate getting lost in new cities, new people, new cultures. As Elle says, “I highly recommend giving in.”

  About the Author

  Eve Kasey started composing stories in childhood, both in her head and with an electric typewriter loaded with pink paper. She writes for a design firm by day and reads independently published romance novels by night.

  Eve writes contemporary romance that balances sweetness and steam while aiming to teach readers something new. She believes romance novels can be a platform to portray healthy relationships and attitudes towards sex.

  Eve lives in Washington state with her very stylish husband and two children.

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