Chapter 449

• Every morning she sat quietly in the firing range and focused herself, the same way she had seen John do from time to time. Once she had cleared her thoughts and centred herself, she tried to reach out to find him once again, her mind yearning for the contact.
• The first couple of days had been frustrating and had not borne fruit, but by the third day she was able to reconnect with him when he was in the gym. It was on the same deck, but still a good 50 metres away which was a huge improvement and she was overjoyed as his inner voice resonated in her mind once again. She kept at the routine every morning, trying to connect with him across decks and on the other side of the ship and by the fifth day she had managed to extend her connection to him to such an extent that she could hear him wherever he was on the ship.
• As Alyssa relaxing in the soothing water, revelling in the close proximity to her man and her loving friend Calara, she was startled when she felt another budding presence suddenly appear in her mind. This new presence was tiny and embryonic and consisted purely of heartfelt emotions: Love, happiness, contentment, acceptance. Alyssa examined it closely and recognising it for what it was, decided to reserve it a tiny little spot of its own in her mind, for her to nurture it and watch it grow.