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Mary Robinette Kowal Wordcount:4000
http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com
Cerbo en Vitra ujo
by Mary Robinette Kowal
Originally published in Apex Digest Summer, 2006
Grete snipped a diseased branch off her Sunset-Glory rosebush like she was a body harvester looking for the perfect part. Behind the drone of the garden's humidifiers, she caught a woosh-snick as the airlock door opened. Her boyfriend barreled around Mom's prize Emperor artichoke. Something was wrong.
The whites showed around Kaj's remarkable eyes, a blue-green so iridescent they seemed to dull all the plants around them. "Mom and Dad got me a Pass to a down-planet school!"
The blood congealed in her veins. Kaj would leave her. Grete forced a smile. "That's the outer limit!"
"I didn't even know they'd applied. Fairview Academy--game design." His perfect teeth flashed like sunshine against the ink of space. "It's wacking crazed. Should've been you, you're a better hack than me."
"I'm already entitled to school." Grete winced as the words left her mouth. Like he didn't know that. He was the middle of five children, way past the Banwith Station family allowance. She picked up the pruning sheers to hide the shake in her hands. How would she live without Kaj? "So, I guess you got packing to do and stuff."
"They provide uniforms. All I'm taking is my pod with music and books. Zero else." Kaj slid his arm around her waist and laced his long, delicate fingers through hers. "And I want to spend every moment till launch with you."
She loved him so much, it hurt. Grete leaned her head against him, burning the feel of his body into her memory.