Astronomically Imposterble

Pink

Three year old Gwenyth Bale lays on her back, her arms underneath her head to prop it up, a plush plaid blanket underneath her. Her eyes are glued on the stars above as they glisten in the darkness. She lets out a soft sigh and closes her eyes, letting the moonlight wash over her. Beside her, her father works on putting the dishes away in their picnic basket. Luther Bale decided to surprise his only daughter with a picnic for dinner while her mother was working overtime at the office. While she was napping, he made finger sandwiches for them to eat and made a pitcher's worth of the blueberry tea Gwenyth adores. With the extra spare time he had, he made chocolate chip cookies for dessert. He packed tea cups for them to drink out of and Gwenyth's favorite sparkly pink tiara she always wears at tea parties (along with a few of her favorite stuffed animals once she'd woken up). So not only did he surprise her with a picnic but he also surprised her with a real tea party in their own backyard. 

"Daddy, what's up there?" Gwenyth asks, pointing a chubby little finger in the general direction of the stars. Luther glances up and over at her, a soft small making its way onto his face. Gwenyth wiggles a little as she turn to face her father.

Luther chuckles and says, "I don't know. Most people don't."

Gwenyth scrunches her nose and falls back onto the ground, looking around at the stars and constellations. She's only three but she knows there's more out there. There has to be. These can't be the only stars in existence. Especially if aliens do exist; they need stars in order to call themselves a civilization. She shudders at the thought of anyone living without stars. That's like living without peanut butter!

Her father finishes packing the dishes away before he lays down beside her, holding his arm up so she can curl into his side. Smiling brightly, Gwenyth wiggles over and presses herself into his side, a small fist grabbing at the fabric of his shirt. Luther chuckles as he wraps his arm around his daughter, protecting her from the evils of this world. Gwenyth nuzzles her head into his chest, taking in a deep breath before sighing it out. Luther begins to rub calming circles into Gwenyth's back.

"Someday, I'm gonna find out what's up there," she tells him softly. Luther starts laughing as he scoops her up and places her on his chest. She giggles and grabs onto his shirt with both hands so she doesn't fall off. Luther holds her legs, securing her in place. "I will!" she squeals. "I'll go up into space and explore it all!" Luther continues laughing.

"Will you now?" Gwenyth nods eagerly. Luther ruffles her hair. "I'd like to be there to see you off, then." She giggles. He begins to tickle her tummy causing her to giggle more. "And I can tell your crewmates all about the time you puked on the cat." Gwenyth pulls a face and rolls her eyes. Luther smiles for a moment before he attacks her again with tickles. She kicks her legs around--nearly kicking him in the face a few times. "Or the time you ran around the house without a diaper on."

"Daddy!" she yells. Luther laughs.

"What about the time you almost set the house on fire when we tried making breakfast for Mommy on Mother's day?"

Gwenyth shoves a finger against Luther's lips as she shakes her head. He chuckles around her finger. She narrows her eyes at him and gets super close to his face. He raises an eyebrow, wrapping both arms around her to make sure she doesn't fall.

"Keep it up, Mister, and you won't be invited!" He gasps. She giggles and leans back a little. "Only Mommy, Grammy, and Grampy will be invited to see me off!" Luther gasps again. Gwenyth smiles victoriously. "And Mommy, Grammy, and Grampy will have to sign a contract saying they can't tell anyone embarrassing stories of me before I go into space." She sets her hands on her hips with a firm nod. He laughs and raises an interest. "They will drop me off, say they love me and wish me luck, and then go home." She smiles, knowing she's won. Luther shakes his head.