Stillness, Mountains, and the Nearness of Change.

It’s been a quieter day than usual. For a change of pace, I worked in our ground‑based office on the upper levels of the central complex.

From the messhall windows, the view is incredible. You can see the entire southern stretch of the colony, all the way to the distant mountains nearly 300 kilometres beyond our southern border. It’s the kind of sight that makes you pause, even on an ordinary workday.

Our parents, both Ranih’s and mine, will be arriving at the end of the week. They’ll stay through the wedding next month and head back to Trill once we’ve left for our honeymoon.

Wedding preparations are more or less complete. You’d think that after nine lifetimes, seven marriages, five as the bride and two as the groom, I’d be immune to pre‑wedding jitters. But no. It turns out even centuries of experience don’t grant immunity.

I know, fully and deeply, that marrying Ranih is right. Our life together is already wonderful, and it will only continue to grow. The jitters are just background noise. Everything is going to be fine.

Image from unsplash by Sandy Millar.