Among the stars, YOU MY MOON

Stargazing

The salty breeze sweeps across the beach farmhouse, rustling the leaves of the palm trees. Ava and I lie on the grass our knees bent,our heads touching, as if we can absorb the universe's secrets through our skin. 

"Ethen," she whispers "it looks amazing up there" 

"I know" I saying grinning.

"There's Sirius," Ethen says. "The Dog Star. It's the brightest one in the sky."

Ava laughs "You know, Ethen, I've always wondered why they call it the Dog Star. Does it bark at the moon?"

I chuckle. "No mahn!"

"Woof woof!

"You should get the award for making the most realistic animals sounds"

"I know right!"

"No"

"No?! Oh com'on"

"Just kiddding..okay so back to the stars...ermm so yeah Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major—the Great Dog. Ancient astronomers associated it with the faithful hound of Orion."

She nudges me playfully. "Well, I prefer to think of it as a cosmic puppy. Maybe it fetches shooting stars."

We fall into a comfortable silence, our gazes still skyward. The Milky Way stretches across the horizon, a river of stardust flowing through the darkness. I point out Cassiopeia, the Queen, and Ava shares the legend of her vanity and punishment.

"Imagine," she says, "being turned upside down in the sky because you boasted too much."

"Maybe she just needs a change of perspective," I muse. "Sometimes we all do."

A shooting star streaks across the canvas above us, and Ava taps leg. "Quick, make a wish!"

I close my eyes, my heart racing. What do I want? Happiness? Adventure? Love? I wish for all of it—the universe is generous, after all.

When I open my eyes, Ava is grinning in the dim light of the lantern. "What did you wish for?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true," I tease.

She leans closer, her body against close to mine. "Fine. My wish is that we'll always have nights like this. And that you never leave my side"

 Ava recites constellations, and I spin tales of interstellar travelers. We make up our own constellations—a coffee cup, a dancing cat, and the elusive "Pizza Slice Nebula."

"Look," Ava says, pointing at a faint cluster. "That's the Pleiades. The Seven Sisters."

"Seven?" I raise an eyebrow. "I count six."

"Well,E-boy dot you know that one of them is on vacation?!" she replies. "Or maybe she's attending a cosmic party."

"A star? On vacation?!"
"Hell yeah!"

We laugh until tears blur our vision. The night wraps around us like a cozy blanket, and for a moment, time ceases to exist. We are stardust, boundless and eternal.

Ava rests her head on my shoulder. "Ethen," she whispers, "thank you for sharing this with me."

I turn to her an. "Thank you for being my cosmic companion."

Ava's suddenly goes quiet and I sense the weight of her worry. "Ethen," she begins hesitantly, "I've noticed something about my father lately. Ever since he met his new wife, he's changed."

I listen, my fingers tracing patterns on the porch railing. Ava's voice is soft, carrying the sadness of unspoken words. "He used to be so present, so attentive. We'd spend hours talking about everything—the stars, life, dreams. But now..." She trails off, her eyes distant.

"Why haven't I seen him much today?" she finally asks, her voice barely audible.

I take a deep breath, searching for the right words. "Ava," I say gently, "sometimes people change when they find new paths. Maybe your father is navigating uncharted constellations of his own."

 I feel her head nod next to mine."I just miss the way things used to be."

"Me too"

I understand. Change can be both beautiful and painful.

"Look!" she exclaims all of a suddenly. "That one's definitely a cosmic nacho."

Ava is  known to change how she feels  in just seconds just to run away from reality.

"Yeah?" I say still staring at her in the dark. 

"Imagine," she says, "if we could sail that river. Explore distant planets, meet alien civilizations.Ohh! that would be mind blowing booaw!" she puts her arms up in the air reaching towards the stars.

Ava sits up looking down at me "And what if they have intergalactic nachos?" she says her eyes sparkling like the stars

"Only if they're extra cheesy. What ya say? We can find a way to make it happen?"

"Yes way!"

"Lets go! I'm starving!"

"You know Ava Among the stars,you my moon" I say as I  we look up at the sky one last time.Rare,bright and one in a million I want to say but she is already giving me those puppy eyes!

"Awwe! Thank you!" She says throwing her arms around me jumping up and down.

With my heart pounding and my head floating I tell her stop and her smiles melts away.

"Fine" she snaps

"I'm kidding" I say raising my eyebrows.

"Lets go!" she says pulling at me hand