Chapter 28
They stood watching until Aurora was no longer visible, then were escorted inside to a private secure room within mission control, where they watched the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) jettison approximately four hours after launch, sending Aurora and her crew toward the moon.
Finally, Bella gathered the girls, and they were driven back to the beach house, where the rest of the family, along with Carrie and Madison, were joining them.
Dinner was jovial yet somber at the same time.
They would be leaving the next morning - back to Houston, where they would stay until Jack came home, while Angela and Madeline were each going back to their schools, for final exams before the end of the semester.
Both sets of parents, along with Jason, would also be going home, with the plan to come to Houston a few days after splashdown.
Bella stood on the deck, watching the sunset. He’s well and truly on his way, she thought.
“You holding up okay, Bella?” Jason, Jack’s brother asked, coming out on the deck to join her.
“I’m okay Jason, thank you for asking. How are Sloane and Piper doing, really?” Bella replied, turning to look at him.
“They are fine, scared, and anxious like you, but proud of their dad. You’re doing a fantastic job of keeping us all together.”
“It doesn’t feel that way but thank you for saying that.”
He placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Bella, Jack loves you and the girls - there’s nothing that will stop him from getting back to you.”
Let’s hope you’re right, she thought.
Leaving early the next morning they flew back to Houston — Bella, anxious to see the dogs and get back to Jack's house. She had this overwhelming feeling that she needed to be in his space until his return.
She knew Aurora was in constant contact with NASA from the moment of liftoff, and that NASA would be broadcasting daily updates from on board — and of course the lunar landing itself — but Bella and the girls wouldn't be able to communicate directly with Jack for several days.
NASA had scheduled Private Family Conferences (PFCs) — secure video links so they could see and speak to family members on Earth.
Bella had already undergone training for these — what to expect, what to say, what not to say — as well as instruction on IP phones and email.
They would all feel better once they could hear his voice directly.
Back in Houston, car service collected them from the airport.
Arriving at Jack's, Bella went next door for Primrose and Daisy, who launched themselves at the girls with the kind of joy only Corgis can manufacture.
She thanked the neighbors and handed over the small mementos they'd brought back for them, then brought both dogs inside and turned on the television to the NASA YouTube channel.
While in space, the Aurora crew would mainly follow Mission Elapsed Time (MET) — measuring time from the moment of liftoff.
For scheduling, planning and communication with Earth they used Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Spacecraft Greenwich Mean Time (SGMT), often coordinated with Houston's time zone.
This meant they kept the same schedule as Houston — Bella could watch throughout the day and sleep when they slept.
The girls would be going back to school tomorrow — they'd all agreed it would be best to get back to normal as soon as possible — and Bella had several video call meetings scheduled.
She asked the girls if they wanted Chinese from Jack's favorite place, and after taking their orders she placed it on the app, then took her case to unpack.
She unzipped her case and began putting things away. Walking into the closet to hang up her clothes, her hand stilled on the rail. The basket of laundry sat exactly where she'd left it — she'd meant to do it before they left.
Without deciding to, she reached in and pulled out one of his shirts, bringing it to her face.
It smells like him.
She inhaled the scent of Tobacco Vanille — and broke. Bella dissolved into tears, her whole body shaking with the force of them, finally letting the emotions of the last few days take over. She shoved the shirt into her mouth to muffle the sounds — she didn't want the girls to hear.
After a few minutes she forced herself to calm down, shaking her hands at her sides.
Stop it, Bella. Stop it. It's going to be okay. Wipe your face, paste on a smile and get out there and take care of those girls.
She checked her face in the mirror. Not too bad. She picked up the basket and took it to the laundry room, leaving his shirt on the bed.
She'd be sleeping in that every night until he was home.
The next day passed both quickly and slowly, with Bella keeping the NASA channel on - it was wonderful to hear Jack’s voice, as the crew settled in and prepared to arrive at the moon in a few days.
Watching Jack, Mike, Elena, and Margie work while still being able to joke around did much to calm Bella’s nerves.
They had a very detailed schedule they had to follow, down to the minute and there would be no deviating from that for them.
Keeping one eye on the television, Bella muted the sound and hit the button to join the video call with Carrie and Jerome, back in Dallas.
Jerome was at the office, while Carrie was also working from home, following the same routine as Bella.
“Bella, Carrie! It’s a great day, how are you both doing?” asked Jerome.
After both women assured him they were fine, they got down to business, and towards the end of the meeting, Jerome said he had a surprise for them. Sending each a link through the chat function, told them to click it, then sat back with a Cheshire Cat grin.
“Jerome - is this for real?” Carrie asked.
“It is - I wouldn’t make this up.”
Bella sat stunned. Jerome had sent them a link that accessed their online shop.
It opened their online shop's pre-order page for Astra Seta and Stelle di Mare.
The entire first production run of both products — every unit — had sold out on pre-order before a single jar had shipped.
Including every limited edition of Lalique jar.
Carrie was crunching numbers, “Do we have enough extra components to get another production going today or tomorrow?” she asked.
“Oh practical one, of course we do. I double-checked before the call. And I instructed purchasing to get more on order now. Can you believe it? I knew it would do well — I always know — but even I'm blown away."
“Well done, please tell everyone I’m so proud of them.
Let’s get things going so we can set up for another run, without disrupting our existing production schedule.
I know our team can handle it. Oh, and you know what?
Friday we are closed - let them all know it’s a paid day off.
They deserve it. What do you think?” Bella asked.
With both Carrie and Jerome in agreement, Bella moved to wrap things up. The girls would be home soon — and then, finally, the first call with Jack. Bella wanted to double-check everything to make sure it was in working order, and freshen up before the call.
“Oh, Bella?”
“Yes, Jerome?”
“While you’re talking to Jack, can you have him remind Margie not to forget my moon rock?”
Later, Bella and the girls sat at the computer ready for Jack’s call, Bella jumping when the tone rang. Hitting the connect button she waited - NASA had advised there would be a slight delay - and then there was Jack’s face - smiling at them.
“Dad!" "Jack!" They cried out in unison
“My girls, my beautiful girls” he said, giving Bella flashbacks of Big G.
While the call was secure and private — meaning NASA wouldn't be listening — that didn't mean they could talk freely. Jack was on a ship in space with three other people - it wasn't like they could just step outside to give him privacy.
Not wanting to waste time on idle chit-chat — they only had about fifteen minutes — he told them about the launch itself, how it felt, and that while the capsule was comfortable it was a bit cold, and that sleeping in a floating sleeping bag was taking some getting used to.
Piper and Sloane told him about school, how tennis and dance lessons were going, and how Primmy and Daisy had chased a squirrel up a tree — the squirrel, they reported, was not happy.
Bella told Jack about the pre-orders, and he said he was so happy for her.
She remembered to pass on Jerome's moon rock request — and when Jack relayed it to Margie, her laughter carried clearly over the call.
Bella held up her feet so he could see her shoes — Tory Burch flats in satin blue with little stars and moons embroidered on them. She heard him laugh.
When it was time to wrap up, Jack told the girls he loved them and would check his emails in the morning so they could write to him with anything, then asked for a moment of privacy with Bella.
"What's your state?" he asked, using the pilot shorthand they'd agreed on — a status check, arranged in advance as a way to communicate without the girls knowing if something was wrong.
"I'm Five by Five and as fragged," Bella replied.
Five by Five — the gold standard for radio clarity. As fragged — doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing and doing it well.
"Roger. Bravo Zulu," Jack said, that slow smile crossing his face.
"I love you, Isabella Marie Genovese."
“I love you too, Jack Patrick Calloway.”
Bella sat there for a few minutes after the call ended, letting it settle, then asked the girls if they wanted to join her and the dogs for a walk before dinner. Gathering the leashes, they went outside — all three of them pausing instinctively to look up at the sky before moving on.