“None of them men been gettin’ too friendly, have they?”

“No, Daddy,” I answered, tryin’ not to giggle at the thought. Wash was pretty clear gone on Zoë, the Cap’n treated me like I was his little sis, and he would have murdered Jayne if he tried anything. Course, that didn’t stop Jayne from tryin’ to try.

“You keepin’ warm enough?” Mama asked. “You gettin’ enough to eat?”

“Yep, plenty warm,” I told her, puttin’ my arm round her shoulders. She felt smaller somehow, and I told myself to ask Daddy later ‘bout her health. “We don’t have nothin’ fancy to eat, but I ain’t goin’ hungry.” I sure wasn’t gonna tell them ‘bout the real meat we got last week after relievin’ some backwater politician of the money he stole from the townfolk.

Mama patted my hand and kissed my cheek. “Well, you look real good,” she allowed, but I could see that she was a little bit sad. “We’re real pleased every time we get a letter or a wav from you.”

I reminded myself to send letters more often. It didn’t take nothin’ to make Mama smile – she just wanted to know I was alive and doin’ well. And I didn’t really have nothin’ to buy with the money I got, anyways. Not that it was much, but I knew it helped them out.

Daddy leaned forward, lookin’ real serious. “Now you tell me true, little Kaylee. You happy, roamin’ around out there in the black? Cause that’s all we want –you to be happy.”

I thought of our meals round the kitchen table, like we was a family; my hammock in the engine room, where I could just lay there and listen to Serenity’s engines hummin’ away. I remember the time Jayne had brought me them lights to put up on my door; how Zoë always made sure that there was enough hot water left for me to wash my hair, even though she never said nothin’ ; how Wash could always make me laugh, and how the Cap’n looked after me – and all of us, cept maybe Jayne – like we was his blood-kin.

“Yep, “ I nodded, smilin’ big and wide. “Yep, Daddy. I’m real happy.”