I don't even have a wife, Aaron thought. "Yeah yeah. Man. But it's been what. Few days now? She'll turn up."
"You keep repeating these affirming words. But they're not based on any evidence."
"Come on. I got evidence! You two have a good relationship right?"
"Yeah..."
"And she's got a good head on her shoulder?"
"Yeah."
"Well then why would she throw it all away? A good thing, I mean."
Alan thought about this. Was their relationship good. Was it over? Fuck, he thought. Last week he had thought that this marriage was going to be for life. Not that he was excited about it. But now... now he just wanted her back. Was terrified at the thought that it was over.
"Aaron. The police are useless. What the hell should I do?"
---
Twelve hundred miles away, a
landline
phone began to ring. It rang three times before a sleepy hand gripped it. The woman wiped boogers out of her eyes.
"Yeah."
"Code Blue now has a lead."
The woman listened and nodded. Started writing down notes. A voice mumbled from the other side. After about three minutes she hung up the phone.
"You two. I forgot your names. get over here. I'm going to call you Logan and Dale from now on. Because I don't know what your names were. Jesus christ I need some sleep."
dale and Logan walked over. Coffee mugs in hand.
"We're going to California."
"How cliche," Logan thought.
"That's where everyone ends up." Dale grinned.
---
At the coast line Keith kept one hand in his right pocket. Gliding his finger across a gemstone. It was a crystal stone he had taken from
Spacecity
. He had never stolen in his entire life until this stone. He had stolen it without a thought. And after returning to earth he never paid attention to it for years. It was only once he had heard the Spacecity program had closed down that he scoured his entire belongings looking for it.
The stone. The stone. The stone, his mind thought on repeat as he tore his apartment inside out. When he had finally found it, he knew that he would never part with it again. This was years ago. Sometime between his job at the research lab at a large university and today. Today he was standing at the beach with a stranger he had met at McDonalds twice. They had gone to donate plasma together. And now they were at the ocean. Watching the water come in. It was cloudy. Very un California like.
He still didn't know her name. She didn't know his. It was an unspoken game. Neither was willing to ask. He looked over at her. She looked like she was about to fall asleep. But she looked happy.
"You must be tired," he said. His words a whisper under the sound of waves.
"No. I'm okay. I just need a little--" she yawned.
"The first time you give
plasma
. It can tire you out. I remember passing out after my first time."
She looked at him with eyes three quarters shut. Head tilted. "Come on. Let's get you somewhere comfortable."