Chapter 9

Carmen

Carmen woke up to gray and dreary skies greeting her through the bedroom window. She sighed, wishing she could have at least a little sunshine to brighten her mood. She grabbed her phone off the charger and opened her weather app. The little sad-faced cloud icon gave her the bad news that it was going to be like this all day.

She lay back down against the mattress with a heavy thump as she contemplated what the point even was of getting out of bed.

Maybe things would be different if she had woken up next to Arccoo. To spend an entire night with him and greet the morning in his arms was all her heart craved these past few days. Stolen kisses and whispered affections always ended abruptly with heavy hearts full of apologetic woe.

Arccoo was going to leave. Soon, probably. The stronger her feelings grew for him, the harder it would be to watch him leave. She knew this. He told her as much, several times. But she couldn’t dampen her feelings.

Try as she might, her heart knew what it wanted. What she wanted. No amount of deluding herself for her own good was going to change that.

She wondered, if she asked him to stay, would he? If she demanded he choose between his people and her love, would he pick her? Would he even hesitate before getting on board the rescue ship?

Carmen slapped her palm over her face. As if she’d ever do that. As an oldest sister, she didn’t have an ounce of selfishness in her body. She never had the time or energy to put herself first, especially since they lost their parents. She certainly wasn’t about to start doing so now.

With a deep breath, Carmen lifted the covers up and slid out of bed. She would bravely face the new day as she’d faced all of them—with a kind smile and open heart. If her and Arccoo’s days together were numbered, she’d just have to make the most of them.

Carmen stepped into her bathroom and started running a hot, steamy shower. As she washed herself, her mind took her away to the last time they made love. She felt his hands brush against her in place of the loofah, his lips taking hers where instead steam whispered against them.

She toweled off and dried her hair, put on a little makeup, and dressed in comfortable clothing. They had work to do on the house, and she couldn’t let anything like an impending breaking heart get in the way.

Besides, she reminded herself as she descended the stairs to the kitchen, they still had some time.

“Geez, took you long enough,” Sofia said as Carmen walked into the kitchen. The smell of sugar and hot coffee hit her immediately, making the tension in her muscles melt away. “I taught our friend here how to make pancakes. I know you want some.” Sofia gestured at a plate of pancakes sitting next to a jug of real maple syrup.

“It was fascinatingly simple,” Arccoo said while washing out a pan. “Your sister was telling me how every culture on your planet has their own version of this one basic recipe.”

“That’s true,” Carmen said, feeling a strange sense of pride in her humanity. She poured a dollop of the thick amber liquid over her pancakes and sat down next to Elena. “Some people make it savory and serve it with fish eggs.”

Elena stuck her tongue out in disgust. Carmen laughed at her youngest sister’s childishness and cut into her stack. They were fluffy, warm, and delightfully perfect.

“You don’t normally cook,” Carmen said to Sofia. “What’s the occasion?”

“Oh, you hadn’t heard? Today’s a special day I call ‘Carmen slept in and I was hungry.’ The whole town is celebrating!”

Elena snorted a laugh, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. Arccoo turned around from washing and looked between them as if trying to discern whether Sofia’s statement was sarcastic or genuine. Elena’s fitful giggling seemed to clue him in on the truth of the matter.

“I could get used to this,” Carmen mused while cutting herself another bite. “Maybe I should sleep in more often.”

“Don’t you dare! Look at the mess I made!” Sofia yelled, her hands in the air. The countertop was covered in flour and sugar with far more dishes than necessary for pancakes. But the end product was, to Carmen, completely worth it.

“Aren’t you going to have some?” Carmen asked Arccoo.

“I did, your sisters and I ate earlier.”

“Oh…” Carmen felt her face go red in embarrassment and regret. Here she was desperately clinging to what little time they had left together, yet she was wasting it by moping in bed. She vowed not to make that mistake again.

“Hey, dude, is your battery running low?” Elena asked, pointing at Arccoo’s wrist.

“Hm?” Arccoo took a look at the electronic device strapped there. His gentle smile fell immediately, his violet eyes setting into a somber expression. “It’s… my communicator. If you will excuse me, ladies.”

Carmen held her breath as Arccoo stepped out of the kitchen. She dropped her fork and knife on the plate with a loud clatter and stood up, dragging the chair across the linoleum floor. Carmen had many good qualities, but being sneaky was never one of them. She hurried to the door and lingered by the frame, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation being held around the corner.

Sofia tiptoed over to join her. Elena stayed still and waited with wide eyes.

“Ah. I see. Yes, the same coordinates I sent previously. There is no threat of danger.”

Carmen could swear a bucket of ice water had just been poured directly into her stomach. It spread through her veins and into her limbs, making her feel heavy with sorrow.

“How long until your estimated arrival? …All right. Yes, I will be fine spending one more night here.”

Sofia squeezed Carmen’s shoulder as the enormity of those stilted words crashed onto her. She pressed her back against the wall and slid down to the floor, gathering her knees to her chest and resting her head on them.

One night. Arccoo was going to be here for one more night, and then he’d be gone forever. This was their last day together, and somehow, she’d wasted at least an hour of it oversleeping and lingering in bed. How could she have been so selfish? So stupid?

Sofia kneeled at her side and continued rubbing her shoulders. Elena stood and joined them there on the floor. Both sisters put their arms around Carmen, holding her while she let out the tears her heart wouldn’t allow her to ignore.

“Oh my god,” Carmen cried out, muffled by her hands. “They’re coming for him. They’re coming right now.”

“I’m so sorry, Carmen,” Sofia whispered.

“How could I be so stupid? As if he’d just stay here with me forever.” Carmen choked, not for the first time, as hot tears of heartbreak rolled down her cheeks. She cursed her heart for stringing her along once again. For making her fall for a man who was always destined to leave her, no matter how hard she tried.

“You’re not stupid,” Elena whispered. “Don’t ever say that.”

“We can’t choose who we fall in love with,” Sofia said wistfully. “You guys were cute together. It’s not your fault he can’t stay here.”

Carmen sat back up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. There was simply no getting around the truth. Arccoo needed to help his people. And he certainly couldn’t do that sitting around with her all the way out here on Earth. And there was no way Carmen could go with him.

Space wasn’t made for humans. They needed stuff like water and oxygen to survive, and space notoriously did not have those things in it.

“Hey. We’re here for you, no matter what,” Elena said. She placed her head against the side of Carmen’s.

“Anything at all. We’ll do it.” Sofia gripped her tightly.

Carmen sniffled and swallowed hard in a bid to calm down before Arccoo returned. Too late, she realized, as his form materialized in the corner of her eye.

“I… see you heard the news,” Arccoo said gently. “I’m sorry. They’ll be here tomorrow, around mid-morning, our time.”

Carmen bit her lip and nodded.

Sofia jumped to her feet, hands on her hips. “Is that all you have to say to her?” she asked.

Carmen grabbed the hem of Sofia’s shirt and tugged on it. “Sofia, please, it’s okay.”

Elena stood and took Sofia by the arm. “Let’s give them a moment,” she said quietly. The two stepped through the door, leaving Carmen and Arccoo alone.

He reached out, offering his hand to Carmen. She smiled and took it as she slowly stood back up.

“Why did I bother with makeup?” she asked with a short laugh.

Arccoo lifted his hand and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I never understood the need. You look beautiful without it.”

Carmen sighed. That exact behavior made this so hard to handle in the first place.

“Would you take a walk with me?” he asked. “I want to enjoy the scenery of this planet one more time.”

Carmen nodded and took his hand as he led her outside into the nearby woods. They strolled through the path silently, stepping on fallen yellow leaves and listening to birds chirping at each other. They would be moving further south soon and needed to eat up plenty of bugs and seeds to fuel their trip.

The thought made Carmen’s heart sink. Her grip on his hand loosened as thoughts of the future they couldn’t have flashed through her mind. She imagined some fairytale happy ending, where she and Arccoo would live together in their mansion forever. They’d get married, introduce him to the town who would adore and accept him, and they’d live happily ever after.

As if.

“Carmen,” Arccoo said as he stopped their walk. “I… want you to know how much you mean to me. This world is full of so much beauty and wonder. These creatures, your plant life, architecture, art and music, all of this has made such an impact on me. But none of it can possibly compare to your face.”

Carmen choked back a sob, her lip quivering despite her attempts to maintain her composure.

“I will take the memory of you with me into the stars, where you will be in my heart until the day I take my final breath. The vastness of space between us will do nothing to quiet the depth of my love for you.”

Arccoo leaned down, a finger lifting Carmen’s chin toward him. He brushed his lips against hers, making her sigh in contentment. If every kiss was threatening to be their last, she’d have to take in the passion of each one in equal measure.

She stood on her toes as their kiss deepened. He held her closely against his body as if worried she’d float away if he let go.

That question flickered through her mind again. The ugly, selfish question she would never let herself speak out loud.

Would he stay for me? If I asked him right now, would he?

Carmen sighed as their lips parted, her heels touching the ground again. Somehow, deep down, she knew the true answer. She wouldn’t let him. If he told his rescue party to head back out and leave him here, she’d be the first to pack his bags and shove him on board.

His people needed him. She understood that feeling more than most people, and she wasn’t about to let her own feelings stand in the way of an entire planet’s needs.

“I love you, too,” she finally said.

“I want you to be happy.” Arccoo held her face in his hand, his thumb tracing over her cheekbone. “If that means, one day, that you—”

“Don’t,” she said, cutting him off. She couldn’t even consider the concept of ever moving on, especially not right now. This ache hurt, sure, but it was proof their love was real. She wanted to hold on to that ache as long as her heart would allow. It was bad enough that, as a prince, surely Arccoo would need to marry another woman one day. That’s just what princes did. They married princesses.

Not plain, frumpy human women like her.

“Very well.” Arccoo took her hand again and squeezed it. He led her further into the woods, this time with less silence. He pointed out things he enjoyed and things he found strange or fascinating, little observations about her planet that he loved.

“What is that creature?” he asked, pointing at a tree branch. “I’ve seen many of them around here.”

“A squirrel?” Carmen asked with raised eyebrows.

“A squirrel…” Arccoo repeated. “It’s so small yet appears so angry.”

Carmen giggled, holding back another round of tears. “He’s busy gathering nuts to store for the winter. He’s going to bury them, so when food becomes scarce, he’ll know where to go when he gets hungry. We’re probably standing in his way.”

“Intelligent. We will leave you to it, then, squirrel.”

Carmen shook her head with a wide smile. She knew she’d never be able to look at a squirrel again without thinking of Arccoo and his unending love of her planet.

And maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

“We should head back soon,” Carmen said. “You probably have to get your things in order.”

He nodded, squeezing her hand. “It won’t take long. Most of my effects are in order and ready to transport. I plan to spend this entire day at your side.”

“And the night?” she asked hopefully.

Arccoo smiled down at her. “The whole night.”