Stargazing

The darkness is so heavy that I can’t see anything as I stumble outside. After the bustle inside, it is so quiet that my ears pound in surprise. Lights float in front of my eyes from the brightness I just left, and I close them, letting the sound of the trees guide me. I walk slowly, the dew on the grass soaking my bare feet, shivering as the cool night breeze hits my arms. I finally open my eyes, and immediately my gaze drifts upward. Millions upon millions of stars are visible in the moonless sky. I draw a deep breath and lie down slowly, mesmerized.

I don’t know how much time passes before I hear soft footsteps, and a gentle voice. “There’s so many of them.” I break into a small smile. I should have known he would find me.

“I know,” I whisper. “They’re so beautiful.” I turn to look at him, my eyes – now accustomed to the dark – finding his silhouette against the sky. He is standing several feet away, and he catches my gaze with a smile I just barely see in the darkness. I tilt my head to one side, and his look becomes questioning. I laugh quietly and pat the grass beside me, and he lies down almost shyly. I rest my head on his shoulder. He takes my hand. Both of our glances turn back to the stars.

“Look, there’s Orion,” he says, pointing above the trees to the north.

I nod before pointing more towards the west. “There’s the Centaur,” I whisper. “And there,” I point northeast, “is the Cassiopeia Crown.” I can sense his smile without looking. “I’ve always loved the stars.” For some reason, my voice breaks at this.

He nods, not noticing. “Me too,” he says quietly.

“I used to always dream I could fly into space and find a paradise where I could stay forever,” I say, just barely audible. “I know it’s silly. I wanted to spread my wings and fly for the biggest, brightest star out there, just to see where it would take me. I wanted to see for myself that there were other galaxies besides our own, to know if there was an end to the universe or not. And if there was, I wanted to find somewhere, as close to there as possible, where I could just be myself and be free.” My voice breaks again, and my eyes feel strangely hot and moist. He squeezes my hand wordlessly – a gesture that says more than words ever could. I squeeze back, then reach over and give him an awkward one-armed hug. He laughs quietly. “I love you,” I whisper.

He puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to him. “I love you, too.”

~*~

This little story is inspired by two different songs and a bit of real-life experience mixed in. Hope you like it... please leave a comment!