Learning to Dance

(Ann) #1

  • they were all his from the moment he stepped into the
    room.” He finally focused on her. “And if you hadn’t gone
    out, we would have never learned about the robots’
    vulnerability to water.” He let go of her hands and dropped
    onto her bed, the fight gone out of him. She had never seen
    him look so defeated.
    After a moment he said, “You saved my life today.”
    “Pedro helped,” she said, sinking to her knees in front of
    him. “Besides, you’ve saved mine a hundred times.”
    He snorted. “At least.” His face grew serious again. “Did
    you find what you were looking for?”
    She wasn’t sure. All she felt now when she thought of it,
    home and family and that awful night, was hollow.
    “You know,” he said. “I think we need a new reason to
    remember your birthday. Something not quite so terrible.”
    Taz frowned. “Ten years ago-”
    “Ten years ago,” he echoed, putting a finger to her lips.
    “I met you.”
    She was sufficiently silenced. They stared at each other,
    for a long moment. Two survivors in a world of destruction.
    “Come on,” she said finally, because if he said anything
    else like that she was either going to cry or kiss him, and
    she wasn’t sure how he’d react to either. “Let’s get you out
    of those wet clothes.”
    He raised his eyebrows, and she laughed, a half-laugh,
    and threw a pillow at him.

Free download pdf