Flying Towards the Unknown You (4)

Act Two: Dinner in Weightlessness The first night in space was spent in laughter. Weightlessness, like a mischievous magician, turned dinner into a game. Dried strawberries escaped their sealed bag, floating leisurely around the cabin; Zhou Zhou chased a pea for three full circles before finally opening his mouth wide and 'catching' it in mid-air. “Mom, look! I can fly!” An An kicked his feet, only to be scooped into Lu Jiashu’s arms. “Little astronaut, please fasten your seatbelt,” his doctor father said with mock seriousness. “The only law in this cabin is not to bump into Mom.” Bai Xiaofeng, in zero gravity, was combing the children’s hair. Strands floated up like seaweed, so she casually styled Le Le’s ponytail into a blooming flower. “In space,” she said with a smile, “even your hair wants to be free.” Xia Yuchen floated to the porthole and suddenly grew quiet. Outside, Earth was slowly turning, like a blue eye gazing at them. The edge of the atmosphere had a thin line of light, as if someone had traced it lightly on black velvet with a fluorescent pen. “Yiheng, come here,” she said softly. He floated over, standing beside her. Their four hands overlapped, reflected on the window glass, merging with the blue planet behind them. “Ten years of marriage,” he said, “I’ve taken you to the seaside, to snow-capped mountains.” “Neither compares to here,” she replied. “Here, we’re just one step away from the stars.” (To be continued)