Using her mind as a tool, River gazed at the girl in the room a few meters away. Warm and sensual, her soul the deep, warm, and blessedly universal colors of maroon, brown, and orange. Her eyes, deep and brown like earth.

Those same eyes were locked into those of Simon Tam. Occasionally River would try to block Simon from Kaylee's mind, put herself in his place. To put herself on the pedestal already present.

It would never work for any decent length of time. Every few minutes, Kaylee’s mind would shift to the man she would love for the rest of her years.

River’s love went unnoticed, or perhaps, ignored. The pain would come and day by day, she would grow a bit older, a bit more mature. The Pain of rejection is like no other.

Every time her beloved engineer looked right through her and to Simon, River felt her heart beginning to break into a million miniscule pieces.

The only person aboard Serenity who did seem to notice was Inara. She told River that rejection was part of life, and that it was best to brave through it and then move on, because the experience was priceless.

Inara told her that perhaps she’d missed her chance. It could flash by in the blink of an eye and never show itself again.

River had become worried when her brother bought a gem ring on Persephone. She’d watched him after that, making no move, unsure of what could possibly make the situtation any easier to handle.

One night, just before dinner, as Simon fetched the ring from a drawer under his bunk, tears began falling from Rivers eyes.

They didn’t stop, and the crews worried faces and constant questions went unanswered. Right before everyone left, Simon had dropped to his knees and grabbed Kaylee’s left hand.

The moment the ring slipped onto Kaylee’s left index finger, River knew that she had most permanently lost her chance.