The air outside had taken on the scent of the sea, and Veronica spotted a glimmer on the horizon. She swallowed against the anxiety that threatened to overtake her. On the other side of the ocean lay the newly re-United States of America. Her family. Her late husband's mother.
And all the expectations that Veronica would be the same girl that she'd been when she'd left. Everyone would be in for a surprise, but Veronica didn't know who would have the biggest challenge to overcome.
"What is it?" Cloutier asked. His biceps under her hand tensed.
"What is what?" she asked, looking up at him. She'd forgotten how tall he was, and he seemed to grow without the weight of ceilings overhead. The airship balloon blocked the sky, putting the deck in an almost perpetual shade depending on where one
