The Lemon That Floated

"What is that smell?" Gus asked. Sunny sniffed the air. The station hummed. The round window showed Earth turning. Something bright and small floated down the hall. It bumped Gus's knee. A lemon. Gus held it. It was cool and bumpy. "Follow the smell, Sunny. This way."

Gus pushed off the wall. He floated slow. Sunny floated after him. The lemon smelled bright and sharp. It smelled like morning. Past the round windows they went. Past the soft humming lights. Gus held the lemon with both hands. Earth turned below, blue and slow.

"Where do lemons live?" Gus said. "In the garden." Sunny nodded. The garden was down the long hall. Gus kicked the wall. He floated. Sunny floated too, slow as a balloon. The lemon smell came with them. Gus laughed a little laugh. "Follow the smell, Sunny. This way."

The garden door was round. Gus pushed it open. Warm air came out. It smelled green. It smelled like wet leaves and dirt. Little plants nodded in their pots. A lamp glowed soft and yellow. Sunny breathed in. Gus breathed in too. The station hummed its quiet hum.

There was the little lemon tree. Three lemons on it. One branch had none. A soft basket hung beside it. Gus held his lemon up. It was the same yellow. It smelled the same. Sunny gave a happy little hum. Gus knew where it belonged.

Gus put the lemon in the basket. He tucked it in gently. It stayed. It did not float away. The whole garden smelled like lemons now. Sunny patted the basket. The lamp glowed yellow. Gus yawned a big yawn. "Follow the smell, Sunny," he whispered. "This way."

They floated back to the soft bunk. Gus climbed in. Sunny curled beside him. Earth turned blue in the round window. The lemon smell stayed on Gus's hands. His eyes closed. He held Sunny's paw. Sunny held on too. The station hummed them to sleep.