A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2)

by Becky Chambers

There was an Aandrisk gesture that captured this feeling perfectly: tresha. Someone seeing a truth in you without being told.

she taught Jane about something called music, which was a weird bunch of sounds that had no point but made things feel a little better.

it was in her design to be accommodating, to put others first, to make everyone else comfortable, no matter what.

Are we going for an anchor or a compass? A memory to ground you, or a spark to guide you forward?’

‘Life is terrifying. None of us have a rule book. None of us know what we’re doing here. So, the easiest way to stare reality in the face and not utterly lose your shit is to believe that you have control over it.

‘All the things made better for some people. Nobody has ever figured out how to make things better for everybody.’