THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE

PROLOGUE

"Dad, where is Mom?" Joanna asked.

"I don't know sweetie, I haven't seen her since this morning. She is probably still in the basement," I replied.

The morning of April 5th, 4024 was as uneventful as any other Saturday. Grace had started cleaning up the basement, which had been piling up with stuff we weren't using anymore. Ever since the birth of Joanna we just kept throwing things down there, and now you can barely open the basement door. I offered to help her with the cleaning action, but Grace said I would only be in the way. I even suggested to get her a cleaning bot, but she still preferred to do things the old-fashioned way. Fine by me – no complaints here. I needed more time to work on my latest book "Space Traveler", anyway. Writing and reading have always been hobbies of mine I hold dearly.

I met Grace Maria Matters quite early in life, seventeen years ago, in a local bookstore. We both happened to be in the same fantasy section, searching for a new literarily and mind-bending adventure. She was wearing a yellow skirt, a white blouse with a blue flower print, and white tennis shoes. Her blondish-brown hair was tied back tightly in a ponytail. I noticed someone secretly watching me as I browsed through the books, and when I turned around, she quickly looked away.

At the time, I was 25 years old and the thought of settling down, marrying, or even having children had never crossed my mind. From her profile, I could tell she had a cute face and a nice physique, but when I approached her and saw her big green eyes staring at me, I knew this was something more—something different. It felt like a sign from the universe.

We dated for quite some time, went on great holidays and to parties together, just enjoying life. Two souls that had found each other. From the very beginning, I knew that Grace was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, so I proposed to her. She happily said yes. A few years later, Joanna came along - the cutest little baby with the greenest, emerald eyes, just like her mother.

At the start of parenthood, I found myself feeling a bit lost in my new role as a father. Since Grace had taken on most of the infant responsibilities, which is normal for a new mother, I became a silent observer, trying to help around the household as much as I could. But as soon as Joanna had gotten a bit older and less fixated and dependent on her mother, I began to build a father-daughter relationship. I created countless games, bedtime stories and adventures revolving around space travel, the moon, the stars, just the mystique of the universe. Joanna adored the precious hours we spent together, and we gathered many joyful memories that we will cherish forever. She was an adventurous spirit just like me – undoubtedly my daughter. When she was five years old, she once crafted a space shuttle out of clay and came running to me.

"Daddy, Daddy, look what I made! With this, one day we'll travel across space together"! My heart melted. I loved her so much.

Three years passed since that day. Around noon, Grace came upstairs with small beads of sweat on her forehead and upper lip.

"Marc, I need a little break, there's more stuff down there than I thought. I'm gonna run to the store with Jo. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks, babe. I'm good," I replied, giving her a quick kiss. Little did I know, it would be the last time I saw either of them.