Her hair was cut short, a concession to the hardships of space, and her face showed the fluid swelling typical of long stints in low gravity. She was my height, slender, strong, and independent. She was different from her mother, all right. But she wasn't what I had wanted her to be.

"Dad?"

Her tone worried me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I wanted to pile on some more good news."

Something was wrong. Rachel was never hesitant.

"André and I are going to be married."

I pressed my lips together. She knew my opinion of astronauts and marriage. That's why she chose that moment to tell me.

"What happened to 'single forever'?"

"Changed my mind."

I glanced around the control room and spotted André at his terminal, watching us.

"What do you want, my blessing or something?"

"I just want you to be happy for us."

"I probably won't make it to the wedding."

"Sure you will. We'll have it as soon as we get home."

"I might have to stay here longer than you, make sure everything keeps running."

"Then we'll wait. You have to come back to Earth eventually."

I shook my head. Against all odds, she'd beaten her mother's influence and made a career for herself. Now she wanted to throw it away for domestic life?

But she knew what I thought; I didn't have to say it. Back to work. Big
Betsy had to be redirected to drill into the side of the tunnel, where she would be left forever – it wasn't worth the energy to pull her back to the surface. The other boring machine was already snug in its own little grave, 10 m into the rock.

André must have snuck up behind me, because I heard him say, "I'll take good care of her, Frank."

I wanted to hit him, but I kept my voice soft. "You're on the short list for Mars, André. She's not. What are you going to do, leave her in a Florida apartment with a baby in her belly while you go away for seven years?"

André looked angry, but he didn't snap back.

Rachel said, "Dad..."

"Forget it. It's your life. I have work and so do you."

I sat down and ignored them. Eventually they left.