October 2039

Keeley lay on the couch, boredly scrolling through her phone, her head resting in Aaron's lap. They'd both just gotten home from work. It was far too quiet now that the kids were grown.

Violet and Nathan still lived at home, technically, since their jobs were based in New York, but they rarely visited. Violet was a ballerina with the New York City Ballet, working roughly 30 hours a week, mostly evenings. She was usually home while her parents were at work.

Nathan had recently started culinary school, but between classes and socializing with new friends, he was always out. Oliver was pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at MIT. Kaleb had been drafted by the Detroit Tigers and was finishing his first season.

Keeley sometimes marveled at her children's accomplishments. She simply wanted them to pursue their dreams, but their success surpassed even her wildest expectations.

Who else could boast a child in Major League Baseball and another in a renowned ballet company? Her father would have been immensely proud.

"Life's gotten really boring, Aaron," Keeley complained.

He raised an eyebrow. "You actually miss the days we were running around like crazy, trying to manage four kids?"

She sighed. "Sometimes. I wish something interesting would happen."

"Speak for yourself. Jeremy's driving me crazy, constantly pushing to exceed his personal assistant duties. His ideas are brilliant, but implementing them will be incredibly time-consuming."

Keeley wanted to roll her eyes. Boo-hoo, he had new challenges courtesy of his mini-me. She would kill for such stimulating work.

She'd heard about Jeremy constantly, despite only meeting him once. Initially, he seemed less intelligent than he actually was—probably because of his baby face. Aiden had a baby face too, yet he was a computer genius. Looks could be deceiving.

Aaron had faced professional slumps over the years, but collaborating with Aiden and Jeremy at different times had helped him overcome them. That was the problem with living a long life; you needed to shake things up to stay engaged.

Keeley didn't have that problem, but she felt deflated now that her research had received FDA approval back in January. Other researchers were already using her method to develop therapies for other genetic diseases like hemophilia, since she'd eliminated major side effects.

She was thrilled to have developed a near-cure for cystic fibrosis, her lifelong goal. But now what? She'd achieved her objective and lacked a new one.

Curing cystic fibrosis had been her ambition for decades. Now, she felt empty, especially with her children mostly grown and out of the house.

None of her kids planned on giving her grandchildren anytime soon; they were too busy. Kaleb was the only one with a girlfriend.

"If you're so bored, why don't you check every app on your phone for the millionth time?" Aaron suggested dryly.

Keeley stuck her tongue out. He knew exactly what she'd been doing.

She refreshed her email app, expecting nothing, when she saw a new message from an unknown sender. After reading the first line, she shot upright, nearly hitting Aaron's head.

"No way!" she shrieked.

"What is it?" he asked, alarmed. His tone was apprehensive.

"I got nominated for the freaking Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine!"

Keeley shoved her phone in his face. He took it, reading the entire email instead of just the first line.

Aaron looked up, laughing. "I think you got your 'something interesting' after all. Look at all the work involved in becoming a serious contender."

Reclaiming her phone, Keeley read the whole email. He was right. Numerous forms needed completion.

They'd nominated her for pioneering safe and accessible gene therapy, opening doors to countless possibilities. Genetic diseases would become far less problematic once her method was widely adopted.

The selection process lasted about a year; the winner wouldn't be announced until the following October. The paperwork deadline was January 31st, with expert evaluations following.

The whole thing felt like a surreal dream. She expected to wake up back in her graduate school bedroom, surrounded by genetics textbooks.

Suddenly, she remembered joking with Erica about being genetics rock stars. Even a Nobel Prize nomination qualified as rock-star status.

"I have so much to do," she said faintly, lying back down in his lap, still in shock.

Aaron hummed in agreement, lovingly brushing her hair from her forehead. "You can do it. You're the most amazing person I know. I'm proud of you, Keeley. You worked so hard for this."

She'd poured her heart and soul into her research over two decades. But a Nobel Prize nomination? She never imagined it.

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