i know she wasn't relevant to his story at all, but i'm curious about what emotions ryland's ex felt if she ever found out that he was sent on the hail mary mission.
if she did find out, i wonder if she had any regrets. i wonder if she looked back on their time together fondly despite the chaos. i wonder if she looks up into the sky and questions what it could have been like if things were slightly different. i wonder if she whispers that she's sorry every time she sees the brightest star because it reminds her of his eyes shining whenever he rambled about something she never understood. she always said that his "head was in the clouds," but now he's past the clouds, past the stars visible from earth, past the solar system, and is now in an unreachable part of space.
maybe even down the line, when earth is a little bit warmer and is no longer on the brink of death, i wonder if she named her baby girl, grace. in honor of the man who saved her future, but will forever remain in her past.