The beginning

Baggage flot firmly in hand, she suddenly felt the weight of his absence leaden her chest as she turned to face the welcoming smiles on the other side of the glass.

She thought it strange that she felt it only then, and not when they had pecked chastely goodbye just before she entered the core-tubes, or when she had settled into her seat, or when she had her irises scanned for immigration. Not even once during the 47 Rio-Tokyo journey did she fell anything amiss. Putting the unease tempoarily out of her mind, she swiveled her head as she walked past the glass partition, until she saw the tell-tale purple puff of yarn weaving through the crowds.

"Ethel!" she crowed, even though she needn't have said a word as the butler-bot had already registered her arrival.

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