Eva and Graceβs dynamic is so important to me. Theyβre in love platonically. Like, thatβs not a common dynamic. She put the way he likes his coffee into the shipβs computer. He follows her around like a puppy. In the book, she cracks jokes with him and him only. She cares about his opinion. He was the only one she asked about the coma gene, wondering if it was worth it.
Heβs her best friend, and she doesnβt even know it. Theyβre so close, that in the book, people think theyβre sleeping together, and poor Grace is so confused because he thought that was his platonic work wife, wdym people think weβre sleeping together, thatβs my person that I crack jokes with and then she glares at me because theyβre not funny.
Sheβs softer with him than anybody else and is only ever vulnerable around him. We see in the movie, heβs the only one who ever gets her to smile, and sometimes even laugh, and then she serenades all of them, but mainly him, and he stares at her with those big, shiny eyes so lovingly, and she points at him when she sings, βeverythingβs gonna be alrightβ, and then she gives him those eyes, so loving.
And then sheβs trying to stop herself from crying when sheβs sending him away because, against her will, heβs become her person, and somewhere along the way, sheβs become his, and they will have forever ended this relationship on bad terms, and nothing can fix that.
Itβs a platonic tragedy. Itβs a platonic love story. This is something we donβt get often, or, like, ever, and itβs deep and itβs tragic and itβs sad.
But even after, Evaβs still taking care of him. Packing clothes she knew would bring him comfort. Programming the ship to know how he likes his coffee. And Grace is still watching out for her, speaking to her directly in his video logs, with that same lopsided smile he used to throw her way.
He uses Rockyβs sign for goodbye, and she uses it back, and how did this book and movie give us such a deep platonic friendship because, guys, this NEVER HAPPENS.
Eva and Grace, the platonic male/female friendship of all time.