The room glowed gently, the light from the panels carefully enveloping everything it touched. There were the colorful hangings on all four walls, the bed covered in bright, cheery blankets, and the pink cake layered dress hanging at the foot of the bed. There was also Kaylee, sitting cross-legged on her coverlet and tinkering with what could conceivably have been part of Serenity. The expression on her face was a strange note of discord in the otherwise peaceful room, with the muted sounds of living drifting down and the tinkling of music emitting from the music player. Slowly, though, she seemed to relax into the comforting environment.

This was how Simon found her a moment later. He seemed hesitant, for a moment, to descend the ladder into her warm little world. She heard him, though, and as she caught his eye he climbed down the rest of the steps.

Kaylee turned her back to him as he reached the floor, seeming to put all of her attention into the mechanism in her hands. Simon said nothing, instead drawing closer to her quietly and watching her work.

Kaylee was, in the end, the one to break the silence. She turned to him quickly, abandoning all pretense.

“You shoulda told me,” she said, accusing.

Simon barely responded, merely nodding slightly and saying quietly, “I know.”

“I mean,” Kaylee continued as she rose and began pacing about the small bit of floor space in her room. Simon remained still and watched her move. “This is kind of big.”

“I know,” Simon repeated.

“You were engaged! There was a whole nother woman--,”

Simon stopped her here, stepping forward and gently taking her by the arms.

“No, no!” he said quickly. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what’s it like, Simon?” Though Kaylee was not standing still, she didn’t seem much more calm.

Simon released Kaylee and sank down onto her bed. After a moment, she followed his lead.

“Honestly,” he said with a sigh. “I haven’t thought about it much since I’ve been on the ship. There was River, at first. But then, there was you. It never even occurred