Sure enough, I'm signed up for surgery the following day.
Andrew took the news very well, but Fletcher's still too young to really understand what it means to be a Biotic.
"Cassie can make stuff float!"
That's all he said for hours until he passed out after dinner, I'm not even joking. Speaking of dinner, we invited Kam and Jona to join us, and Tali even showed up as well to help with the cooking. After Kam and Jona calmed down, at least. They did just meet the most famous Quarian in the galaxy.
Turns out, Jonas mother was killed on the same ship in the Migrant Fleet that Talis father was. Not just that, but Jane, Garrus and Tali were all there when his father died on Rannoch. Needless to say it was a very somber half hour after that news came out. But the mood eventually got better and happy once more when the pups started running around and causing a general ruckus.
The time flies by fast, and now it's time for my new friends to head home.
"Call me when you're out of surgery, okay?" Kam says as she taps on her omni-tool, and we transfer our contact info so we can video chat.
"Don't worry, I get the feeling you'd never forgive me if I didn't." I say with a smile, and she hugs me while giggling.
"Well, you're not wrong." She says as the cab lands behind her. She waves as she climbs in, but Jona stands in front of me with an... odd look on his face.
"I just... wanted to thank you again. For earlier. Even though you didn't mean to do it quite the way you did, you still stood up for me." He says while rubbing his neck. I smile and hug him.
"And I'd do it again," I say, and I can almost swear I feel his cheek getting warm against mine. He steps back, clears his throat and looks away, seemingly embarrassed.
"W-well, anyway. I should go, I'll see you later."
And with that, he jumps into the cab and takes off, leaving me standing by the door, just questioning...
"What the heck just happened?"
"I think he likes you," Tali says from behind me, and I practically jump out of my skin.
"Geez! D-don't scare me like that!" I say breathily, and she laughs.
"I am kind of light on my feet. But really, I think he does like you." She says as she leans against the wall.
"Why?" I ask as I turn around, and she shrugs a little.
"Why not? You're very pretty, and you did stand up for him today, even despite the fact you had only just met."
"How, then? How can you tell?"
"I saw the look on his face when you hugged him. I've never seen anyone blush like that before." She giggles and stands upright as I walk over to her.
"What should I do? I mean... he is cute, but like you said. We just met..."
"Give it time, Cassie. You've got all the time in the galaxy, so there's no need to worry about it." Tali hugs me before walking towards her own cab. "Keep me updated, okay? And let me know how surgery goes."
"I will," I call out, and she waves as the cab takes off with her inside it. I walk back inside with a sigh, pulling my hair up into a ponytail.
"I think he likes you," Garrus says with a smile, and I grumble a little.
"Tali literally just said the same thing..." I mutter as I flop down on the couch.
"Well, she's right." He continues as he sits next to me. "I saw the way he looked at you during dinner."
"Reminded me of the look on your face when we first met, Garrus." Jane says as she walks over and sits down as well, and he awkwardly rubs his neck.
"Really? I don't think I was that obvious..." He chuckles, and I smile softly.
"I don't know..." I whisper, my chin resting on my hands. "I mean, like I told Tali, he's cute, but..."
"Give it time," Garrus says, his hand on my shoulder.
"Did you talk to Tali already or something? You're saying the exact same thing." I sigh and stand up, rubbing my temples.
"Are you okay, Cassie?" Jane asks, concerned.
"Yeah, it's just... I'm starting to get a headache... I think I'm just nervous about tomorrow."
"I would be, too." Garrus says as they both stand up. "Try and get some rest, okay?"
I nod and sigh again, and they walk over and hug me. It helps me calm down a little, and I didn't even realize I was that anxious in the first place. I lean into them, feeling a lot of weight disappear from my shoulders.
"Alright," I say as I stand upright, taking a breath. "Good night, guys. I'll see you in the morning."
"Sweet dreams, Cassie." I hear Garrus say as I walk into my room.
I sit down on my bed, take a deep breath... then flop back with my head on my pillow.
The day keeps running through my mind, from my first encounter with Alero, to meeting Kam, to meeting Jona... The first Biotic Quarian, at least that we know of. There might be a few on Rannoch by now, but...
His story reminds me of my own. He lost his parents, and we lost ours. But despite that, he's happy. I mean, I guess I'm happy, too, but it's different. He's so full of joy, and I can't get that smile of his out of my head...
Okay, it's official. I've got a "crush".
So... tomorrow's the day. The real start of the rest of my life.
There's no going back once I get the implant myself. Once I come out of surgery, the entire world will change for me. I'll still be taking my engineering class as well, but considering I already know the majority of that already, I'll be focusing most of my time on my newfound skill.
I can make stuff float...
Awesome!