Dining ends, and everyone disperses to the next item on their schedule.

  I attend my classes, then decide against habit to visit home. Boring? Maybe. But when everything else fails, only family is useful. Can't ignore them forever.

  I used to live in the Inner Zone. Now I stay in the dorms.

  The Inner Zone is reserved for elites and high-ranking officials. Four concentric circles, each tighter, more restricted than the last. At the center, a node i.e. an airport for interplanetary transit. The outer ring houses people like us. The inner rings belong to the government.

  You don’t just live there. You’re separated from the outer zones.

  Different air. Different world.

  My residence sits on the outer ring. Large, like every other house here, space mistaken for importance.

  A central structure, surrounded by manicured lawns and empty green. Recreational sections, unused more often than not. A perimeter lined with aesthetic trees and a field of silent security. Sensors, scans, systems that see everything.

  I consult with the guards at the gate, undergo some scans.

  Then I’m in. I take a small cycle ride to go to my house from the gate.

  The lawn smells faintly of wet grass. The sun is setting, casting everything in a soft orange that makes the place feel warmer than it is.

  The house stands ahead—white, cut with glass. Sleek and open. It reflects the light without ever seeming to absorb it.

  The doors slide open.

  Silence greets me.

  She’s in the living room.

  Tea in hand, facing the glass, watching the horizon burn in the sky.

  She turns.

  “Long time, son.”

  “Of course, mother.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “It’s curious,” she says, “how distance grows between places so close.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “Have you?”

  “That’s a shame.”

  A pause.

  “Come here.”

  I step forward.

  Her arms wrap around me—gentle, certain. She presses a kiss to my cheek.

  Warm.

  Real.

  There is nothing more comfortable in the world.

  I hate it.

  She pulls back, studying me.

  I look at her, she is adorned with the same auburn hair and brown eyes. Fair skin and a beautiful face. She is resistant to age.

  She looks at me with an expression filled with so much emotion it makes me regret that I am unable to reciprocate the same.

  She’s dressed simply. An Indian kurti: cream, threaded with gold. Nothing excessive.

  “You changed your colors again, An?”

  “Trying something different.”

  “You look sharper. It doesn’t suit you.”

  “Dangerous?”

  She considers that.

  “Yes. Change them.”

  “Alright.”

  “Where are the others?”

  “Your father is on Mars. Some exhibition.” A faint pause. “Your sister is out.”

  “Of course. Busy.” I say with a hint of humor.

  “You cancelled first.” She quips.

  "I hope you're hungry, we'll eat in 10. I have to make some calls."

  She dismisses herself. I look out of the window as she was. It's easy on the eyes.

  I sit down on the couch and look around me. High ceilings and cream colors. Art pieces are hung up at places, methodically. They were made by my father. At other places, family pictures are present. Plants are spoiled across for decoration.

  I delve inwards for the next minutes.

  I find myself across my mother on the dinner table soon enough. Food had already been prepared and arranged on the dinner table in the short 10 minutes. Attending to the call was planned, she is precise.

  Two servants are present, one beside me and one beside my mother.

  They are then dismissed for privacy.

  Spice hangs heavy in the air, sharp and alive. Oil carries it, rich and warm, with a hint of sweetness beneath. My mouth waters as I see the Indian food before me. I do not hold myself back anymore.

  The food is fabulous, I hold back a tear as I remember how deadly food at Uni is.

  My mother catches my expressions, " Is it good ? "

  "It's amazing."

  She smiles. She watches me for a second more after which she continues eating.

  "How was your weekend mom ?"

  "Oh it was easy. Not much work, I spent some time with my friends. How about you ?"

  "More or less the same."

  "We were discussing about how unreachable our children have become. You and Maya especially."

  "I hope you will forgive me for my sins."

  "I will forgive every sin of yours son."

  "Too theatrical."

  "Thought so."

  We continue eating. By the time we end with our main course, desert comes around.

  "Listen An, I have to go to Mars as well for a while. Something has come up."

  "Oh, can you tell me ?"

  "Confidential."

  "Alright."

  "Tell me if you need anything during that time. Stay in contact. If I don't come by the end of your semester, make sure to visit me."

  "Sure."

  Then we finish our desert in silence.

  After we are done, my mother watches me with curiosity.

  "Hmm, I know I look very dashing mother."

  "Oh, of course. But it's not that."

  She keeps studying me.

  For a moment, I see the warmth leave her eyes. She looks at me as if I am something foreign.

  The world goes quiet.

  She tilts her head ever so slightly.

  " You're not my son. "