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"Hey, Annie?"
"Yes, Ben?"
"How many stars are there, do you think? Up in the sky right now, I mean."
Ben turned to look at his companion, seeing that Annie was giving him that bemused look he always did when he thought he said something particularly funny. "I don't know. How many do you think there are?"
"Hmm."
The two were seated outside on a grassy hill, overlooking the lake. The sky above them was dark, save for the tiny nodes of light speckling it all over. It was a moonless night, so there were even more than usual to see.
"I guess... one for everyone." "Everyone?" Annie didn't sound skeptical, simply curious. Ben liked that he always listened to him, even if what he was saying was kind of silly.
"Yeah. One for everyone out there. Everyone has their own special star. When those people die, their star burns even brighter, shining its light on everyone left behind. It guides them and watches over them until they're strong enough to be on their own. Then, it burns out and rejoins the Force, just like its person did."
Smiling, he tilted his head slightly at his friend, blue eyes bright and happy. "What do you think?"
He could always tell when he surprised Annie. He got this funny eyebrow tweak and he looked like he just ate a bug. That look faded shortly, and was replaced by a soft, fond smile. "I think that's really nice, Ben."
Relief washed over him; he always valued Annie's opinion more than anyone else's. Sometimes he was afraid he'd get laughed at when he spoke about things so candidly, but Annie never, ever did. Not meanly, anyway. He could say some pretty out-there stuff sometimes, so the few times he might have laughed a little tiny bit, he understood and kind of agreed with.
"I wonder which one is mine..." "Which star, you mean?" "Yeah! I wonder if mine is up there right now, looking at us. That'd be so wizard."
A moment of contemplative silence passed between them as they gazed up at the sky, eyes searching in wonder. After several minutes, Annie lifted a finger and pointed. "That one."
"Huh? Which one?"
The older cousin scooted closer to him and leaned in, pointing off into the distance. "That blueish one right there. It's small, a little faint... but I think it's still new. One day, it'll get bigger and brighter than all the other stars. But for now, it's just waiting at the edge of the world for the sun to come back up so it can fade and rest. It's a sleepy star."
At that, Ben smiled and gave him a little nudge in the side with his elbow, before going to take his hand. He poked at his sleepiness now and then. He couldn't help it! He was still growing and sometimes he just got really bored and needed a nap.
"... I don't see yours. But I know it's out there. I'll keep looking and I'll find it and I'll show you! Okay?"
A slow smile blossomed on Annie's face, a quieter version of the one Ben was sporting. He nodded. "Yeah."
Pleased, Ben turned his gaze to the sky again, and leaned ever so gently against Annie, still holding to his hand.
He would find Annie's star, for sure! He couldn't wait to show it to him.
There, on that hill, he fell asleep on his friend's shoulder, as he often did. Warm and happy and comforted by his presence and his kindness. That love that he could feel in the other boy, he shared, in its entirety.
He always would.
"Yes, Ben?"
"How many stars are there, do you think? Up in the sky right now, I mean."
Ben turned to look at his companion, seeing that Annie was giving him that bemused look he always did when he thought he said something particularly funny. "I don't know. How many do you think there are?"
"Hmm."
The two were seated outside on a grassy hill, overlooking the lake. The sky above them was dark, save for the tiny nodes of light speckling it all over. It was a moonless night, so there were even more than usual to see.
"I guess... one for everyone." "Everyone?" Annie didn't sound skeptical, simply curious. Ben liked that he always listened to him, even if what he was saying was kind of silly.
"Yeah. One for everyone out there. Everyone has their own special star. When those people die, their star burns even brighter, shining its light on everyone left behind. It guides them and watches over them until they're strong enough to be on their own. Then, it burns out and rejoins the Force, just like its person did."
Smiling, he tilted his head slightly at his friend, blue eyes bright and happy. "What do you think?"
He could always tell when he surprised Annie. He got this funny eyebrow tweak and he looked like he just ate a bug. That look faded shortly, and was replaced by a soft, fond smile. "I think that's really nice, Ben."
Relief washed over him; he always valued Annie's opinion more than anyone else's. Sometimes he was afraid he'd get laughed at when he spoke about things so candidly, but Annie never, ever did. Not meanly, anyway. He could say some pretty out-there stuff sometimes, so the few times he might have laughed a little tiny bit, he understood and kind of agreed with.
"I wonder which one is mine..." "Which star, you mean?" "Yeah! I wonder if mine is up there right now, looking at us. That'd be so wizard."
A moment of contemplative silence passed between them as they gazed up at the sky, eyes searching in wonder. After several minutes, Annie lifted a finger and pointed. "That one."
"Huh? Which one?"
The older cousin scooted closer to him and leaned in, pointing off into the distance. "That blueish one right there. It's small, a little faint... but I think it's still new. One day, it'll get bigger and brighter than all the other stars. But for now, it's just waiting at the edge of the world for the sun to come back up so it can fade and rest. It's a sleepy star."
At that, Ben smiled and gave him a little nudge in the side with his elbow, before going to take his hand. He poked at his sleepiness now and then. He couldn't help it! He was still growing and sometimes he just got really bored and needed a nap.
"... I don't see yours. But I know it's out there. I'll keep looking and I'll find it and I'll show you! Okay?"
A slow smile blossomed on Annie's face, a quieter version of the one Ben was sporting. He nodded. "Yeah."
Pleased, Ben turned his gaze to the sky again, and leaned ever so gently against Annie, still holding to his hand.
He would find Annie's star, for sure! He couldn't wait to show it to him.
There, on that hill, he fell asleep on his friend's shoulder, as he often did. Warm and happy and comforted by his presence and his kindness. That love that he could feel in the other boy, he shared, in its entirety.
He always would.
