Kalani said they would talk the next day, as it was getting late and she needed to get some rest. With Kalani going offline, Maja was left to contemplate. There was no way this was happening.

Henry saw the look in her eyes, studying her closely.

"You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. In disbelief, honestly."

"What did she say?"

"Not much yet, she's 11 hours ahead, so there's more to discuss, but I think she wants to hire me onto this project in her home country." Henry quirked an eyebrow, now curious.

"Oh!" Maja explained the details she had, and Henry's eyes were wide.

"Maja, this could be it." He said. She chewed her bottom lip and eyed him uncertainly.

"You think so?" He nodded.

"Maybe! Keep your mind open, I know the interview disappointment still hurts, but hey, maybe that's what you needed."

She apprehensively nodded. She wanted to be hopeful but remained wary. She recalled her experience in trying to find jobs only a few years ago right before the global pandemic hit and ruined everything. She got very lucky to secure a basic job as a cashier at a local drugstore for a couple of years while she was in school. But the pandemic hit her hard, mental health-wise.

"Hey, look at me. It's going to work out. You wanna call it a day for now?" She nodded silently, and the two packed up and Maja went home.

She later texted the groupchat she had with Britt and Alessia, telling them about the email and potential job opportunity, immediately receiving the "!" reaction from Alessia.

A: She's from where?

M: An island nation in the South Pacific called Motunui. South of Samoa.

B: Interesting. What further info did you get?

M: Not a whole lot from today, but she wants to talk more tomorrow, so I'll learn more then. Actually, hold on, lemme send you guys the link to the website I found.

She forwarded them the link, and also contemplated sharing it with her parents, but was apprehensive, knowing her father would ask her a torrent of questions, and she was not in the mood to deal with that.

B: It looks pretty legit to me. I'm curious as to what else you learn tomorrow.

M: You and me both.

When Maja woke up to a new email from Kalani, reading it as she made her morning coffee alongside her parents.

Kalani repeated the same information from the previous day and further explained the purpose of building an interactive observatory/planetarium on Motunui. It was meant to be educational and bring ancient knowledge of the stars to the next generation, teaching them their ancestor's ways.

Maja asked what made her stand out compared to all the other astronomers out there, she only had so much experience and one degree so far, though she did hope to shoot for a second one in a few years.

If this was the opportunity it was presenting itself to be, then this would be perfect for her resume. But she needed a bit more to work with before pursuing this.

Kalani later told her that she wasn't sure exactly what made her stand out, but she had a feeling that Maja was the perfect candidate for this project. Utterly inexplicable, but Kalani said she was told growing up to always trust her instincts, and her instinct was telling her Maja was exactly who she was looking for.

Kalani also asked if there was a more efficient way to talk, as emailing was a bit of a drag. Maja asked how else they should talk, and Kalani said that texting would work just fine, as she had an iPhone and would not have an issue. Which worked, as Maja also had an iPhone. After agreeing, Kalani sent Maja her phone number, to which Maja sent her a text to confirm, and received the confirmation.

K: Hi there! It's Kalani!

M: Maja!

K: It's so nice to be able to chat this way. I know it seems pretty soon to be texting, but I feel pretty confident about this. And about you.

M: I'm flattered! It does feel pretty sudden, but things have been a little wild for me in the past few days.

After they overcame the initial awkwardness of texting someone new, they immediately got into discussing Kalani's project more, and Kalani also gave Maja more information about Motunui.

M: I'm ngl, it looks pretty remote out there.

K: Lol, it kinda is. We have so much to offer the world, that said, it is not easy to get here.

M: How so?

K: We take pride in our environmental conservation efforts, and we respect the ocean, as it is culturally important. Part of that includes protecting the native wildlife that inhabit the sacred reefs that surround the island. And part of our efforts includes not having a local airport. The only way onto the island is by boat.

M: Huh, interesting. Makes sense tho, not wanting to pollute the water with airport runoff and stuff.

K: Exactly! The ocean means everything to us, and we still practice much of our polytheistic culture, so we honor the god of the ocean.

M: I see.

K: So, if you are interested in coming to Motunui to explore this opportunity I'm presenting, rest assured, your trip will be entirely covered by us, and I will organize housing for you as well. We can discuss further details if you plan to commit.

M: Thank you! That's very kind of you. I do need a couple of days or more to process and consider if that's all right?

K: Of course! Take your time, I would like a response at least within a week.

M: I can work with that. I would like to learn more about Motunui, tho. I did find some pictures online, it looks gorgeous.

K: Oh thank you! Well, our island has been settled for at least several thousand years, give or take. We still practice polytheism as I mentioned, but we do have a small Christian population, couple Catholic Churches if I'm not mistaken.

M: Ah, interesting. I am Catholic but don't practice much anymore, so not a huge deal for me.

K: Understood! We also have a huge cultural center that I help run, we do a lot of educational stuff, as we believe in the importance of the next generation valuing the culture, and honoring the land and the people that came before them. Storytelling is another important custom here.

The two girls talked for at least another hour or so, and Maja felt more eager every minute as Kalani told her about Motunui. It sounded wonderful, and if she did decide to commit, it would be the second international trip she'd taken, the first trip being to the United States as a child to visit her father's family just outside of D.C in 2011, which had coincided with the Space Shuttle being officially retired. Her uncle and aunt had taken the whole family to the Air and Space Museum located there, and Maja was immediately drawn to the space section of the museum, and she begged for one of the astronomy books in the gift shop.

That was the day Maja knew what she wanted to be.