Ellie Frye settled down in the big armchair by the old fireplace and tucked her feet up under her. Pulling the family comforter, made and added to by generations of Fryes, about her shoulders, she took a sip of tea and picked up the capture that had arrived that morning. She knew it was from Kaylee the moment she saw the rounded handwriting, and had put it to one side to watch later. Now, with the boys and Eddie gone to town for a drink and a game of Tall Card, this was her time. She’d show it to them later, of course, when they got home, but right now she wanted to see her daughter by herself.

“Hey Momma!”

Kaylee grinned into the capture and her mother smiled. Still the bright and breezy little girl she’d always been. ‘Cept she wasn’t so little no more. Not now she was married, and a mother herself.

“I know it’s been a while since we talked, but we’ve been doing pretty good these last few weeks, for jobs and the like, and I’ve been saving, and we finally got somewhere I could buy a high memory capture tab. Those titchy things are all very well and good, but they don’t last no time at all, and soon as I’ve said hi it’s time to be saying farewells, and that ain’t worth it. I mean, it is if I only wanted to say I love you, but what I gotta say right now … well, it’s more than just a minute’s worth.”

Kaylee motioned to whoever was behind the image to come over, and Simon slipped into view, a baby in his arms. Ellie sat up.

“See, Momma, I’ve been waiting, hoping that a job’d bring us close enough to Phoros so I … so we could come and tell you ourselves, in person, but that ain’t happened. Seems all the work’s the other side of the system at the moment, so the Cap’s been …” She stopped, aware her mouth was running away again. “Anyway, we figured this was the next best thing.” She moved a little so Simon could sit next to her. “Go on,” she said to him.

“I thought you wanted to -”

“Simon.”

He shook his head slightly and grinned at her, then turned back towards the screen.

“Hi