Estelle felt a pang of sadness as she looked at Cristofer. It was like countless tiny splinters in her heart, not excruciating but definitely painful. There was a time when she had experienced the same feelings, desperately trying to make him stay and explain everything to him. But Cristofer had ignored her emails and wouldn’t even see her when she waited at his home. Eventually, she had given up.
So, Estelle had expected to feel satisfaction when she saw Cristofer filled with regret, a chance to release her pent-up anger. However, she didn’t feel that way. Instead, she was deeply moved, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She felt regret for the past and uncertainty for the future. At that moment, as she raised her head, Estelle witnessed a breathtaking sight.
“Look, Cristofer! The meteor shower is here!”
Cristofer quickly gazed up at the sky. A genuine smile graced his face as he observed the dark blue satin-like sky. “It’s so beautiful.”
His eyes shifted from the sky to Estelle’s face as she beamed brightly. Cristofer couldn’t help but notice that her eyes were even more captivating and radiant than the stars themselves.
Estelle exclaimed, “This is my first time witnessing a meteor shower! I wonder if I’ll ever get to see it again.” She instinctively reached for her phone to capture the moment but hesitated. It dawned on her that even a video couldn’t truly capture the emotions she felt. With widened eyes, she decided to etch the scene into her heart.
Cristofer offered a timely reminder, “The telescope is over there. The meteor shower will last for a while, so there’s no need to rush.”
He had done some research before coming to the rooftop, knowing that this was the Aurigid Meteor Shower and that it was predicted to have as many as 100 meteors per hour during its peak.
‘At least one of those meteors can hear my wish,” Cristofer silently whispered. “I wish for Estelle to be endlessly happy, just like she is today. I never believed in prayers, never prayed to any god. But now, I wish for her eternal happiness. I hope I can endure any hardships for her sake.’
****
In their room downstairs, Yohan, Yvonne, and Christina sat by the window with Mrs. Moorsum and Luke, smiling in surprise and happiness.
“Wow, there are so many stars!” Yvonne exclaimed, with her eyes lit up, “Where are mom and dad? Did they see those beautiful stars? It will be such a pity if they miss the stars.”
Christina recalled, looking out the window, “They disappeared after dinner. Should we go find them?”
At that moment, Christina yearned for Cristofer and Estelle to watch the stars together. She hesitated, not wanting to miss the chance to find them. But then, Yohan sat between them and comforted them, saying, “They must be watching the stars now. Remember what Mom told us? She said that our great-grandpa became one of those stars! I’m sure he’s coming to see us, too.”
Hearing this, Luke happily patted Yohan on the shoulder and agreed, “Yes, he’ll be relieved to see your mom and dad so happy together.” He thought to himself, ‘Even though Cristofer and Estelle haven’t officially reconciled, Mrs. Moorsum, the kids, and I all believe they will eventually patch things up. I sincerely hope they get back together. It’s a shame if they don’t. They love each other deeply and have been through so much together.’
The meteor shower began with a few shooting stars, gradually increasing in intensity. Estelle gazed at the stars through the telescope and found each one fascinating. Eventually, she returned to her seat on the bench.
“I find it more comfortable to watch the stars like this.” She leaned back, adopting a relaxed posture. She said softly to herself, “The telescope is great, but I prefer seeing the stars without any barriers.”
As she talked, more shooting stars streaked across the sky and disappeared on the horizon in a brilliant display. While the telescope provided a closer look at each star, it limited the overall view. After witnessing the shooting stars in the vast sky, Estelle found it hard to enjoy the restricted perspective offered by the telescope. She yearned to see and experience the boundless universe.
Cristofer sat and listened to Estelle with a smile on his face. He was relieved and said, “It’s okay if you’re happy.”
‘You can follow your heart and do what makes you happy. Whether you want to be with me or not, I’ll be happy for you,’ he thought to himself.
Later, late at night, Cristofer asked with concern, “Are you feeling cold, Estelle?”
Estelle nodded and leaned closer when Cristofer put his arm around her waist. It was warm and cozy in his arms, and she eventually fell asleep after watching shooting stars.
When Estelle woke up, it was the next morning. She stretched in bed and noticed something was different. She recognized the room and the bed, but they seemed slightly different from yesterday morning.
‘Wait. Is this Cristofer’s room? How did I end up here?’ Estelle thought for a moment and guessed that Cristofer had carried her back from the rooftop after she fell asleep. But what bothered her was, ‘Cristofer used to tease me about falling asleep like a piggy whenever we stargazed. How could I fall asleep again? It’s so embarrassing.’
With that in mind, Estelle tried to cover herself with the blanket. When she looked around the bedroom and saw that Cristofer wasn’t there, she got up and put on her clothes as quickly as she could.
After that, she took a careful look at the king-sized bed with a Simmons mattress, which was as soft as the clouds. And she was a bit surprised to find that there was no trace of another person lying on the other side of the bed. Then Estelle was lost in thought, ‘Well, that makes sense. Cristofer isn’t the kind of person who will take advantage of me when I’m asleep. So, did he sleep in the guest room? Or didn’t he sleep at all last night?’
At that moment, sunlight streamed into the bedroom through a gap in the curtain. It wasn’t too early, but not too late either.
Once she gathered her thoughts, Estelle opened the door quietly and headed for the hallway. She had plans to visit the guest room and the study, but she bumped into Mrs. Moorsum on the staircase.
“Estelle, good morning! You woke up just in time. I’ve prepared a hot breakfast,” Mrs. Moorsum said cheerfully.
Realizing that changing her plans would upset Mrs. Moorsum, Estelle abandoned her intentions and descended the stairs in her slippers. When she reached the dining room, she awkwardly asked Mrs. Moorsum, “Mrs. Moorsum, I accidentally fell asleep on the rooftop bench last night, but I woke up in the bedroom this morning. Do you know what happened?”
‘What puzzled me was that Cristofer had trouble going to the rooftop alone and still needed his walking stick. There’s no way he could have carried me down! I weigh at least 100 pounds! So, was Uncle Luke bringing me to the bedroom last night?’ Estelle wondered.