“They think you’re my match,” he said and picked at a stray thread on the nubby sofa.
“Your what?”
He ran a hand through his hair, then wiped it over his mouth. He’d never wanted to tell her this in case it made her feel obligated to stay with him. She had dreams and he wouldn’t be responsible for quashing them. “My DNA match. Remember how every person has someone with whom they’d create a more perfect child? They think you would be that person for me.”
Her eyes widened then narrowed. “Do you…do you think that’s true?”
There was silence for a minute. “At first I didn’t know. It seemed too crazy that the first girl I’d meet would be my match, and also, I’d never met a girl before. I thought I was just…”
“Horny?” she suggested.
“Yeah.” They both laughed nervously.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Do you think I might be your match?”
“I don’t want to answer that.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“Not an answer, Peter.” But she smiled slightly as she chastised him.
“Yes. Okay? Yes, I think you might be my match.” He slapped a palm to his forehead. “Shit, I’m stupid. I thought I was being discreet, but they must’ve guessed something was up.”
“Did they know you were meeting me?”
“I thought I was being sneaky, but apparently, they’re sneakier. They must’ve followed me every time. I’m sorry, Allison. I led them right to you.”
She was quiet for a minute and stared at her fingernails. “What does it mean to be your match?” she asked.
“That we’re DNA—”
“Not that part,” she interrupted. “The logistics. Do we get married? Have babies?”
“Uh, I’m not really sure,” he said. “I’m the first of this generation to find his match. But I never planned on telling you.”
“Then what now?” she asked. “I think those people out there”—she pointed to the door—“will force me to stay and match you.”
Despite his words about never trapping her here, her words killed something inside him. It hurt to know she saw staying here with him as something she’d have to be forced into. But his heart filled at her next words.
“I’m in love with you, Peter, but—”
“I know you can’t be trapped here. You have a family and other dreams,” he said, feeling a piece of his heart crumble.
“Is there no way we can stay together but not here on campus? Could you come with me to New York?”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “No one’s ever done that before.”
“Why not?”
“Well, first of all, I was bred to be a soldier for the US government. If other countries ever discovered that our country was enhancing humans, it’d get ugly. The Soviet Union would retaliate. Or they’d try to copy the science.”
She shivered. “Enhanced Soviet spies. Scary stuff.”
“Exactly.”
“Also, my family is here. I don’t always love living here, but it is my home. And what about our kids? They’d have to grow up here,” he said. “They wouldn’t fit in at a normal school. They’d be smarter and stronger than the teachers.”