The children were like flowers in their care, blossoming under the men's instruction. Kira stayed in the background, her smile dying as loneliness surged up to grab hold. As much fun as flirting with Graydon was or watching the kids come into their own, this was temporary, she reminded herself. Soon she'd return to her ship and its isolation. Once she might have welcomed the reprieve it offered; now she found herself hesitating as Graydon, Finn, and the Curs made her crave things she hadn't allowed herself to think about in many years.
