Two days on the colony and it was almost like she never had left. Almost, but not quite. She wasn’t staying in her sister’s beautiful villa on that hill overlooking the colony. No, she’d gotten herself a one-bedroom apartment and had plotted out a handful of shops and eating establishments that might be hiring. She was prepared to go out later today or tomorrow and start pounding the pavement. After all, she was determined to make it on her own out here. She had plans.

The weather was pleasant, which Oed almost always was- the perk of the dome. But she had been hearing about people experimenting living outside the dome and the thought made her shudder. She just wasn’t that adventurous. Now her sister on the other hand would have been first in line, but then again she had done the initial work that allowed that all to happen and was the adventures in space former scientist. Halai was just so much braver than herself. Hands down.

Her mother’s comments still rang in her head as she tossed on a light jacket and slung a bag over her shoulder. All about how it made no sense why Kristina wanted to move back to the colony and why couldn’t she just be happy on Earth and how disappointed she was that Kristina wasn’t wanting to come out from her sister’s shadow. But Kristina simply smiled and kissed her mom on the cheek and packed her bags.

See, Janine had missed all the interesting parts about having two daughters. Pretending Kristina and Adam were her only children had bene her mother’s loss and it had taken a good long time for herself to see that, to see the hurt that had been needlessly caused. No, she was no longer satisfied with being the shield her mother used against Halai. Same went with her father. She was done being put in the middle.

Besides, Halai was living her best life on Tyrellia, and why shouldn’t she? She had just been named Tyrellia’s Cultural Ambassador. Kristina wasn’t living in Halai’s shadow by returning to Oed. No, she was taking a cue from her older sis and letting Oed mold and shape her into someone she wanted to be.

Half an hour later, Cosgrove arrived at a large building that had clearly gone through some renovations. It was nice! The new sign read OED UNIVERSITY and it made her smile.

Moving inside, she approached the main help desk. “Hi, I have an appointment with an admissions officer? Where do I go for that?”

~Kristina Cosgrove