Planetbound
Copyright© 2026 by D M Arnold
Chapter 18: The Dreaded Day
Nyk lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as Suki drowsed beside him. He glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 12:01 — 12:01 AM, 1 September, 2001. The day he dreaded was upon him. How would it happen? When would it happen? It was a Saturday — Labor Day weekend. Whatever it was, it would claim George, too. An auto accident? He glanced at the clock — 12:20. It wouldn’t be an illness — both George and Suki appeared in perfect health. A crime? The house was in a quiet and safe part of Queens. He looked again — 12:51 ... and, again...
Dawn’s twilight seeped through the windows. He lay quietly in bed, pretending to sleep. Suki roused, kissed his cheek and went to get Nicky. Nyk slipped out of bed and sat at the dinette in the apartment’s kitchen. “Do we have any plans today?” he asked.
“I don’t have any — except maybe to tag along with my folks. You?”
“No — nothing.”
“I’ll take him downstairs and then take my shower.”
“I’ll take him — don’t start your shower without me.”
“Why not?”
“I’d like to take one with you.”
“Nick!” She smiled. “Well — okay — it’s cramped in there, but I think we’ll both fit.”
Nyk carried Nicky downstairs to let him crawl on the living room floor. “Suki and I are going to take our showers,” he called to his mother-in-law. “Then, we’ll be down.”
“Okay, Nick. I’ll watch Nicky.”
He climbed the stairs and joined Suki in the bathroom. She adjusted the water temperature, slipped off her robe and stepped into the shower stall. Nyk stepped beside her. He picked up a bar of soap and it slipped from his fingers. “I’ll get that...” He stooped to pick it up.
“Ooof,” she said. “You poked me in the stomach.”
“Sorry ... let me lather you...” He rubbed the bar on her skin and spread the suds with his hands.
“I’ll take that,” she said, grabbed the soap and began lathering him. “This is kind of fun.” She ran her hands along his legs.
“I’m sorry we didn’t do this more often,” he replied.
She looked at him. “What’s stopping us? I must do my hair — I’ll have to bend over. There isn’t enough room...”
“Okay...” He stepped out and sat on the toilet seat lid.
“Do Florans shower together?” she shouted over the sound of the water.
“You saw the showers on my world — they’re for a single occupant, only.”
Suki shut off the water and Nyk rushed toward her with a towel. He helped her out of the stall and began patting her body.
“Nick ... such attention ... not that I’m complaining, mind you. It’s just ... you never had much interest in showering together, before.”
“It just came into my head.”
She stepped into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of cutoff jeans and a tee shirt. Nyk slipped into a polo shirt and shorts. He took her hand and headed for the stairs.
“Careful on the steps.”
“I’ve only lived here my entire life,” she replied. “I’m not an invalid.” He escorted her to the kitchen and poured coffee for her.
“How are you this morning?” her mother asked.
“I feel like I won Queen-For-a-Day,” she replied. “Nick’s been super-attentive, and he won’t tell me why.”
“Whenever George gets super-attentive, it usually means he’s about to spring some sort of disappointment — like a business trip to Honolulu, and I can’t come along. Isn’t that right, George?”
Suki’s father looked up from his newspaper. “I don’t recall any business trips to Honolulu.”
“No upcoming business trips,” Nyk replied. “George, were we planning on going anywhere in the car today?”
“I hadn’t planned anything.” George folded his paper. “I’ve just come off a difficult day of a difficult week. I can think of no better way to spend a three day weekend than sitting and doing ... nothing at all.”
“Maybe Nick would like you to drive him somewhere,” Yasuko suggested.
“Did you want to go to that summer property you bought on the Island?”
Nyk pondered. “It’s a holiday weekend — the traffic would be dangerous. No — we don’t have to do that.”
“Maybe next weekend, then,” George replied. “You have that nice property, now — it would be a shame not to put it to use.”
“Next weekend...” Nyk cradled his head in his hand. “Yes, let’s plan for next weekend.”
Yasuko cleared the breakfast dishes. “Let’s take a walk in the park,” she suggested.
“Yes,” Suki replied. “I’ll get the stroller.”
“Are you coming?” Suki’s mother asked her father.
“No — I’m going to spend this weekend sitting in my easy chair and doing nothing — and, savoring every second of it. You go ahead.”
Nyk held Suki’s hand as they walked toward the park. “He likes the fresh air,” Suki said to Nyk and gestured toward the stroller.
“Huh? Oh, yes — fresh air.”
“Nick — why are you so distracted today?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m okay now, aren’t I?”
“I guess — you don’t seem too cranked at the moment.”
“It’s because your dad isn’t with us.”
“Daddy? Nick — I thought you and Daddy got along fine.”
“We do ... it’s just ... that ... he’s home ... sitting in his chair.”
“Yes? Go on.”
“That’s it.”
Suki shrugged and pushed the stroller through the intersection. Nyk saw a yellow taxi heading down the street. He grabbed Suki’s arm and hustled her along the crosswalk. The cab made an abrupt right turn and headed down the other street.
“Ow!” Suki exclaimed. “You pinched me — I’ll be black-and-blue. What was that about?”
“Didn’t you see that taxi?”
“Of course I did — didn’t YOU see? He had his blinker on and was making a turn.”
“It didn’t look like it to me...”
“Nick — I’ve been crossing the streets of this city for twenty-eight years. I think I know how it’s done.”
“You’re right — I’m sorry, korlyta.”
They arrived at the park. Yasuko pointed toward a swing set. “They have a kiddie swing. I’m going to push Nicky over there.”
Nyk sat on a park bench. Suki lay on the bench with her head in his lap. He watched Yasuko take Nicky from the stroller and put him into the swing; then, he looked down at Suki’s face. A shaft of sunlight fell across her eyes. He contemplated her yellow-brown complexion and her shiny, black hair. Her full lips turned up in a smile. She hooked her arm around his neck, hoisted her face to his and kissed his lips.
He stroked her cheek and gazed into her eyes. In the sunlight he could see the structure and color of her irises. “You have such beautiful eyes,” he said.
“Yes — we’ve gone over that,” she replied.
“No — what I mean is — normally, your eyes just look dark. In this light — I can see the subtlety of the color. They’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
She smiled, looked up into his face and touched his cheek. “Now what?”
“What — now what?”
“Nick — you look as if you’re about to bust out crying.”
“No — it’s just ... I was thinking ... if something were to happen ... to either of us ... well, to you ... I was taking inventory of all the things about you that are special. I think we should live each day as if it may be the last.” He brushed a tear from his cheek.
“Nick — now you’re maudlin.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry — you’re right. We should cherish the moment because in the next — one of us might be dead.” She kissed his cheek. “But, let’s not start mourning until it actually happens — okay?”
“Okay.”
Yasuko pushed the stroller toward the bench. “Shall we look at the flower beds?” she asked.
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