With calm, steady breathing, she lay in my arms, the warmth of her body a gentle flicker against my cool skin. Outside, it had long since become night, the gentle rocking of the ship the only sound, besides her breathing, breaking the silence.

After retreating to our small room, we played for a while—a silly human game she called "City, Country, River." I had won in the classic categories, but Leora was also really bad at geography. But to my surprise, it turned out that my geographical knowledge was no longer as flawless as I had thought. Too many years had passed, too many boundaries had shifted.

But in her...