Witness [A First Contact Romance]

11. Alien Streamer

Earth

2018

9 Months Later

The knock on Rory's front door sounded so much like it had when she'd lived for seven weeks in that room at the base. The only difference was that it echoed slightly in the hallway of her house. Before opening the door, Rory hesitated for a moment, and pretended that they were back in those days before the interview had happened. Because as awful as that time seemed, everything was so much harder now.

Rory opened the door to see Theo grinning with a bright blue sky wide open over the Nevada desert behind him.

"I have something new for you to try," Theo said with no introduction. "My buddy and his wife make their own kimchi."

"Kimchi." Rory thought for a moment as she welcomed him in. "Never heard of it."

"It's a staple in Korean cuisine. Of course, I couldn't just bring Kimchi so..." He lugged a big bag into the kitchen, opened it, and started to pull out at least a dozen containers of various sizes. "These little ones are the sides. Mostly vegetable dishes. They call it banchan, and every meal is served with a variety of them."

Rory wasn't sure what she enjoyed the most, trying the new food Theo brought her, getting his free history lesson on the cuisine–though she didn't think he realized he did this–or just having time with him when things felt normal. Actually, that wasn't something she needed to think about. After the year she'd had, having a friend who she could be herself with was more precious than anything, even her security. Strangely, she'd learned that danger wasn't the worst thing a person could face. It was losing themselves entirely.

Carefully, he arranged the food on the table with the utensils, rice bowls, and plates his friend had sent.

"They really set us up." Rory poured water for Theo and herself before sitting down. "I'll have to find a way to thank them."

"I already know what you can do. Mention how much you love home-cooked Korean food on one of your streams. They'll get a kick out of that. They know you can't leave the house and wanted you to be able to experience a piece of their culture. So they were very happy to do it and represent their heritage."

She smiled and looked up at him after picking up the chopsticks that he'd taught her to use several months ago. "That's really touching. Please tell them how much I love it. Or can I find them online? Are they okay with that?"

"You're a celebrity now, Rory. Most people want to talk to you."

"Most. Not all."

A distinct kind of tension momentarily weighed down their conversation, one that came from sorrow, unfairness, and also fear and guilt. It was the kind of deep pressure of the ocean, far beneath the surface, with the weight of it pressing in every inch of her surface. The pressure of countless emergencies over the past year, horrible decisions that had to be made, an impossible burden that no one could bear. All that pressed down upon her, the dinner table, her world, and because of that, her dear friend.