"I'm sure she is," I said quietly. I didn't like the idea that everything in our home worlds carried on without us there. I preferred, now, to think that everything stopped, paused, held its breath until we came back. Whenever that was.

I started slightly and quickly answered Jake's request with a shake of my head. "Of course not," I said. "I would never. I'm a reporter, not a blabbermouth." I wasn't offended by what he said, but I wanted him to know that his secrets, whatever he chose to tell me, were safe with me.