The Statue

"The Statue" by Mari Wolf is a science fiction story set on Mars, that pulls at your heartstrings as it explores growing old, figuring out where you truly belong, and missing the place where you came from. It follows Lewis and Martha Farwell, two old farmers who have spent most of their lives on Mars; they dream of going back to Earth, remembering their old life as they watch it rise in the Martian sky. But getting back isn't simple since they are old, don't have much money, and space travel has many rules. Their Martian neighbors throw them a surprise party for their anniversary, and unveil a statue called "The First Martians," which is meant to symbolize how they connected to the planet; the statue makes Martha and Lewis rethink what home really is, and try to decide if they should return to Earth or not.