Jane too thought on their location as she looked around again, this time paying closer attention to each detail and wishing she had a camera so she could take photos instead of trying to commit it all to memory. It occurred to her that had they tried to build a life on one of their home planets, they would have met many obstacles. But here, together in a strange land, the setting was perfect. Neither had duties or obligations weighing them down or preventing them from being completely open with one another. And when the stars came out, they would be new ones for the two of them to explore together. All this passed through her mind as she munched on her bread and cheese, and took another sip of water.

"Did you spend a lot of time with your mom when you were growing up?"