✔️ Midnight Sparks『 T.H. 』✧･ﾟ:*

Chapter 32: Stardust

After your picture fades and darkness has turned to gray

Watching through windows, I'm wondering if you're okay

- Eva Cassidy

- - -

Three weeks later, I was awakened from sleep by my phone next to my pillow.

It was only a single beep, signaling an incoming text message, but somehow I caught it.

Reaching for my phone, I cracked open one eye to read the screen.

A message from Tom. At 3.30AM.

[Tom:] He's gone

I immediately sat up in bed and hit 'Call' on the phone.

Tom picked up on the first ring. "Ali?" His husky tone was low and quiet.

"Hey.. Are you okay?" I asked in my best soothing voice.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Isn't it middle of the night for you? Were you sleeping? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I sent you the text..."

"Yeah, no. It's fine," I assured him.

"And I'm not sure if you even wanted to hear from me."

"When it came to Uncle Ollie? Absolutely."

"We were lucky to get to say long and proper goodbyes to him. To be by his side in those last few moments. And knowing that he's in a better place now – no more pain, no more suffering – it's.. It's a relief."

"He left knowing that he was loved so much by all of you. It's good."

"There was this sense of peace from him. And you definitely played a part in that, Ali."

"I'm glad I took that flight to London."

"Me too."

"It's weird. I don't know what to do with myself now. Now that it's all over."

"Well, you could try sleeping."

"It's 8AM here."

"Breakfast then?"

"Uncle Ollie used to like having raw eggs dunked in a pint of stout for breakfast. I've never tried because it sounds disgusting, but maybe I could today..."

"Yeah, it's a fitting time to try. Go for it."

"You just want to see me throw up, don't you?"

"No, no. I would never."

"Uh huh."

"But say it does happen. And someone could be there to capture it all in a video that is later shared on YouTube, well..."

"Cruel. Absolutely cruel."

I had to chuckle. "But hey, make sure you rest up at some point, okay?"

"I will." He released a soft sigh. "Thanks, Ali. For entertaining a call like this at this hour."

"No problem at all," I told him.

The entire exchange was hushed and comfortable.

It also felt final – like we both knew that it would be our last conversation for a long time to come.

As I eased my body back into a sleeping position and said good night to Tom, I thought about how someone once said that we were all made of stardust. It was nice to think that Uncle Ollie had returned to the stars – joining my parents and sister – and they were all twinkling in the darkness, smiling gently down at us.

I supposed the same could be said about Tom and I – things may have ended between us, but it helped to imagine that our memories had become stardust too, floating up to be with the stars, where it would all be held securely forever.

// Author's note: A few more chapters to go before this story ends! Any guesses on what's next for Ali and Tom? There's more to come for Jayna and Harrison too. Stay tuned. ;)