Shooting Stars

"Hey grab a blanket. There's shooting stars!"

I was half naked and just getting ready for sleep when Nick poked his head through the bedroom door. We'd heard there was going to be shooting stars from his dad the day before, but I honestly didn't think we'd go out and watch them.

I wrapped the blue Lovesac blanket we, very affectionately, call Bluie around my shoulders while Nick grabbed a comforter (conveniently placed on the couch) and we went outside.

The air wasn't cold, but it was chilly enough to coax a shiver out of me. I quickly sought out Nick's hand. We quietly padded our way, barefoot, to the patio chairs by the pool.

We pushed the two chairs together and crawled under the covers. We had the most perfect view of the night's expanse of stars above us. Even though I knew they were far away, the stars looked close enough to reach in minutes. I suddenly had the feeling that Nick and I were so insignificantly small compared to the rest of the universe.

We laid there in silence as we soaked up the starlight and each other's company. The rhythmic chirp of crickets was the perfect soundtrack to the night.

In the stillness of the night, I felt relaxed and calm. A far cry from hustle and bustle of everyday life. I could tell that this was something that Nick really needed.

I suddenly remembered a night like this, a year ago, when Nick and I were going through a particularly tough time in our relationship. We weren't physically together then, but I remembered walking outside at night and looking up at the stars. Even though I missed him terribly, I felt a stranger comfort knowing that I could walk in any direction, for miles and miles, and he and I would still be under the same night sky, standing under the same moon, the same stars. That was when I knew that nothing could ever take me away from him.

Then, just for a split second, there was a flash of light. Our first shooting star! It left just as quickly as it appeared, but not before leaving a streak of light painted in the dark sky. A few seconds after, there was another, and another! Nick and I sat in awe, and asked each other over and over if we had seen that, just so we could both say that we did.

After those few, the night sky returned to it's familiar stillness for a while. Nick and I began to talk about books, tv shows, movies, and just about anything from our childhoods that played a big part in our lives. We decided that we would take the biggest things and share them - actually share them - with each other soon.

Just when we thought that the shooting stars had retired themselves for the night, just to our left, there was the brightest, biggest flash of light we've ever seen! It looked so close that it was almost like we could reach up and pluck it out of the sky if we wanted to. It's tail also  left a bright streak in the sky that lasted for just a few seconds longer than the initial shooting star.

It lasted for no more than a few seconds, but it would forever be the brightest shooting star in mine and Nick's memory.

After that, the shooting stars did actually take a rest for the night, so Nick and I decided it was time to sleep for us too.  We quietly slipped back into the house, and under the covers, and into each other's arms.

Right before drifting off to sleep, I remember thinking that no matter how shitty life gets, at least the stars - and Nick - would always be there.