Zoe closed her old diary and held it close to her as Mal climbed down into her room.

‘We’re one hour from docking,’ he said. ‘An ETA of 10:00 local time. Sent your grandpa a wave, let him know we’re near. We got time to stop this time round the quadrant but I had the notion you weren’t much in for family time,’ Mal pointed out, but he looked preoccupied as he picked up one of several shirts spread along the end of the bed.

‘Guess I ain’t the same person now,’ said Zoe quietly.

Mal nodded thoughtfully and glanced round the room, taking in the mess, clothes and possessions scattered everywhere. He looked puzzled. ‘You having a yard sale?’ he joked.

‘Just sorting out our things,’ Zoe replied.

‘Oh --, yeah --, guess I ain’t gonna be winning any prizes for tact and diplomacy any time soon,’ he said.

‘Don’t think that’s likely sir,’ Zoe agreed with a small smile as she took the Hawaiian shirt from him and folded it carefully into a box.

Their eyes met for a moment and Zoe was comforted by the understanding she saw in his face.

Mal pressed his hand on her shoulder, then left to check out the bridge.

Zoe put her diary carefully back in the drawer by her bed, remembering clearly the last time she’d written in it. Life had changed in the last week of school when she’d gone into the Principal’s office expecting a lecture, but she was told that there’d been an accident, a fire. Neither of her parents had survived and she’d been offered a home now with her grandpa and aunt Lucy. She locked those memories down in her brain with other emotions too raw to examine, so that she was ready to face the day.

----------------------------------------

Serenity landed on a piece of wasteland not far from the house, avoiding the vineyards this area of the planet was famous for. The crew left Serenity and walked down a dirt road towards the gate.

‘Are you sure your grandpa will want to welcome all of us?’ asked Inara.

‘Yes. There’s always so many people, seven more won’t – make – any – difference,’ Zoe’s voice trai