The message I’d put in Blondie’s pocket didn’t just contain the name of my Superboy, it was a hardcopy
of his DNA.

Blondie would find him. Superboys pay debts. They hate to owe anyone, especially a normal.
To owe puts them a rung beneath.

The message contained all my contact numbers, addresses. I gave it two months, no, six months for Nal to
get the message and contact me.

I had to give it time. Time for Blondie to find Nal, time for Nal to think about me and Pete, time.
I’m sure once he recalled his life on Morale with us, he’d contact me.

I sat in my perch on the Spuck and dreamed of Nal. Every day I’d had with him, all the nights…it had to
mean something to him.

I thought about that Doug guy, he knew an awful lot about Gennies. I wish he hadn’t run off with
Blondie, but given me some time to communicate.

Maybe Ahmet knew him, and the next time I was on Smudge I could draw the data and make the link.

The Spuck I was on neared my homeworld and I decided to off at the Space Port and drop in on
my life. I half expected a message, but there wasn’t any and I’d give it time.

I tried to fit into my family, renew my bond with my son. But my son was only interested in; ‘Where’s Dad?’

It’s easy to hate kids. I never knew how easy until I had one.

I alone had Pete on Morale. I raised him, alone until he was five years old. Sure, after two months he went into creche and I went back to work, but I had him when I came home, and all through the night. I had him every day, every weekend, me and Pete. Me and Pete on Morale, for nearly five years…
And out of nowhere comes Nal, and they bond.
They bond so tight there’s no room for me.

And then Nal leaves. And doesn’t come back. And you’d think the kid would grab onto me, want to be with me, would refuse to go to boarding school because he was ‘insecure.’

Nahhhhh.

I don’t think Pete would care if I went out and never came back.

“Where’s Dad?“

Where is Dad.
I don’t know where he is.
I wish I knew.
But I can’t tell that to Pete.
So I have to lie.
Have to lie to him, and lie to myself. Have to believe Nal’ll get the message I put into Blondie’s pocket and contact me. Contact me to link with his son. At the least.