Sand and Sparrow

Epilogue

Los Angeles, California.

The evening had become brighter in the modern world. The tall buildings remained as if nothing had changed over the years. Time continued to move in the future, scientific discoveries brought life to the century, but the world still reflects the culture of the past.

"Gyeoul, you should go to sleep." Robert Kim told his ten-year-old daughter.

Robert Kim, a fifty-year-old man, had a gentle face and a warm smile. He had a streaked of blonde hair, a prominent nose, and pale blue eyes. "Here...I'll fix your bed." He spoke softly while he brushed the creases of her blanket. He turned on the lamp that flooded a colorful dimmer light, shadowy shapes of stars filled the room. The walls seemed like a milky way that enchants the child's eyes.

Gyeoul yawned, but her eyes remained shining from the night. "One story? Dad?" Her hair was the same as her father. Blonde but more radiant like a ray of sunshine. Most of her features came from her mother. Her eyes had a deep shade of blue that sparkled like sapphire. Unlike her father's brown skin, Gyeoul was endowed with fair skin and beige undertone.

"Do you like to see the stars?"

"Yes, dad..."

Robert smiled at her, softly tapped her head that made her giggle. "It's late...sweetheart, you should go to sleep."

He went to the wall, pushed a button to open the blinds covering the window. The stars glittered in magnificent sight from the window. A huge telescope was placed near her bed.

"The Passer can be seen. You need to adjust the lever for a perfect view." Robert peered at the telescope.

"What's Passer?" Gyeoul asked curiously.

He rotated the small circle around the device to look closely at the star. "Decades ago, someone discovered a star and named it 'Passer'; it's a Latin name for Sparrow."

"A sparrow? Why can a star be a bird?" She yawned, rubbed her eyes to fight off the sleepiness.

Robert stopped watching the star and sat on the bed. He briefly looked at the ceiling as if remembering the story, then he removed his glasses and wiped the lens from the sleeves of his white shirt. "Maybe a sparrow is a special name for someone who discovered the star." He smiled warmly at her.

In her sleepy eyes, her eyelashes began to flutter, "Dad, do you still love mom?" she asked with a sleepy voice.

He gently brushed her hair. "There is always love that is left when a person leaves. Sometimes we can't lose what we never had, we can't keep it, and we can't hold on to something that doesn't want to stay."

"Is there a soulmate ... dad?" Gyeoul continued to ask then raised the blanket to her neck.

Robert's pale blue eyes were amused, "Now...you ask a lot of questions before going to sleep."

She simpered with dimpled cheek.

He took a deep breath and looked above, searching again for an answer. He glanced at her. "Maybe a soulmate is someone who can come to your life peacefully, it can make you question things, it can change your reality, and it can even transform your world for a second ..."

"I still love the story of Altair and Vega...I wish it's true." Gyeoul embraced the teddy bear.

He lightly caressed the bridge of her nose. "You can have your fairytale... go to sleep it's already late."

"Goodnight...Daddy."

Robert kissed Gyeoul's forehead, "Goodnight...my princess." He left the room.

She was staring at the window, watching the brightest star.