*Luna's POV*

The lampposts provide some light along the path that goes through the park. It's faint, but helps light up the area slightly.

The sound of chatter and smells of some food that people brought invade the air.

Little kids run around laughing, feeling a rush of excitement knowing that it's past their bed times and the stars are going to come out soon.

Today the sky is supposed to be full of stars, so many people from the town came to watch them tonight.

A few kids scream at each other in french, angry because one tagged the other even though they were playing freeze tag, which makes me chuckle to myself as I lay on our blanket, leaning back on my elbows.

I'm wearing a long flowy dress. The fabric has a lovely flower design. I got it at some French boutique yesterday that's near Owen's parent's apartment here which they're letting us stay in for a few weeks while they're in the states.

Owen has summer break from school and the internship and I took some time off from my job at the library.

I close my eyes and lean my head back, letting the night summer breeze wash over me in a freshreesing wave.

A second later I turn my head and fix my gaze on Owen laying on his side beside me, Dani hiding in the crook of his arm. She giggles as he covers her face in kisses.

Her hair is a frizzy mess from running around all day, her shorts and shirt are covered in a few grass stains.

I pull my bottom lip into my mouth as my lips go into a smile.

Owen catches my gaze and sends me a sly grin that makes me want to give Dani another sibling. But I won't do that because we are in a public park, full of other families. I don't want to traumatize anyone. Or go to jail.

She tries to get out words but can't as she struggles to contain her giggling. She squirms and her face stays a bright shade of red from laughing so hard. "I wanna- go- play!" Her laughs keep breaking up her sentence. The sound being music to my ears.

Why does my five year old daughter's laugh make me emotional? I have to swallow the lump in my throat.

Sometimes when I look at her I want to cry. It just amazes me that I made this beautiful little human. With the help of Owen of course.

He leans up on his elbow and peers down at her smiling, in French he tells her,"Fine. Go play with the other kids." Sighing, he plants another kiss on her forehead.

Her hazel eyes light up and she shoots up to her feet.

Before she could take off I quickly grab her arm and tug her towards me, pulling her in for a hug. I hide my face in crook of her neck. She smells like the outside.

"Te quiero," I pull back and plant a fat kiss on her chubby cheek. (Translation: I love you.)

"I love you too mama." Dani wraps her arms around me quickly and then runs off to catch up with the kids playing ring around the rosy right by us.

I stare at her until she's with them. Watching her grow up is such a bittersweet feeling.

Glancing back to Owen, he lays on his side, still propped on his forearm looking at me, a longing in his eyes and a small smile playing on his plump lips.

We look at each other, not saying anything. Suddenly he looks at Dani then back at me.

"You think she's gonna miss her new little friends when we go back to the states?"

"Yeah, but she'll probably barely remember them in a year anyways," I shrug.

He chuckles.

"So..." I begin. His eyebrows move up slightly, letting me know that he's listening as I scoot closer to him.

"Camilla called me yesterday..." His small grin grows a little as he lays down completely on his back while pressed up to my side as I lean on my elbow, peering down at him.

"Oh this is gonna be interesting." I grin and playfully slap his cheek. He chuckles.

"Anyway, as I was saying, she called me and she told me that she finally had her first kiss." My hand slides up his face and to his hair where I begin to twist the soft pieces between my fingers.

His face stays straight. "That's it? I was hoping for something funny." He looks genuinely bummed out.

I grin. "Oh no, there's more."

His eyes widen, waiting for me to continue.

I hold my words for dramatic effect.

"Mateo got into another fight at school and the other kid had to go to the hospital. Broken wrist, black eye, sprained foot, bruises, and probably would've dislocated his jaw if the teacher wouldn't have stopped it." I still remember when he was a scrawny little boy, always hiding behind me or Camila. Now he's thirteen, a tall kid for his age, and more interested in sports than he is spider-man.

Owen's mouth hangs open and his eyes stay wide. "Holy shit."

I nod.

"Camilla told me the dude wouldn't stop harassing her so Mateo decided to take it into his own hands I guess. Mom's so angry because now he's risking getting expelled. Except the other dude is gonna be fine apparently so I don't think he'll end up getting kicked out." Is it bad that I don't even feel bad for the other kid? I mean, I know you aren't supposed to go right to violence, but from what Camilla's told me, the little dipshit sounds like he deserved a good ass whipping.

Except of course, as Mateo's older sister, I'm not supposed to encourage fighting.

Fighting usually scares me, whether it's verbal or physical. It reminds me too much of my dad and I get really anxious and stressed, so I've always turned away from violence. Except trauma affects people in different ways.

Maybe Mateo being exposed to our violent father at a young age made him into the kind of kid who gets into fights a lot.

It makes me a little sad to think of. I can still see his saddened and fearful eyes.

"Well if that dumb fuck was harassing Camilla then he fucking deserved it," Owen stares up at me, an expression of annoyance written on his face.

"Exactly, that's what I'm saying!" I throw the hand that I'm not leaning on up in the air dramatically.

Before Owen could respond I continue, "He also called the guy a 'dick sucking brain dead ass bitch who needs to learn some respect and go have a...certain item...shoved up his-"

I'm interrupted my Owen's laughing.

He turns his body to face mine and hides his face in my side as his body shakes with laughter.

His laugh then makes me laugh.

And soon we're a cackling mess.

When he resurfaces and exposes his face again I can't help but chuckle again.

His skin is flush red and he breathes heavier, trying to catch his breath.

He rubs his forehead. "Your brother never fails to make me laugh."

Mateo sure has character alright.

When I look up I realize that it's almost fully dark outside now, meaning we'll be able to see the stars well soon.

Dani is still close by, speaking french with the other little kids. I told her that if any of them said something rude to her about her skin color being darker or about her not looking like them, to ignore them and walk away. Except what I really wanted to tell her was to lift the third finger on her tiny hand and shove it right in their face. But that wouldn't be good parenting, according to mom when I had asked her about the idea.

Whateves.

Owen lifts his head from the ground and calls Dani.

She immeditly turns around and comes running to us when Owen tells her to come here in french.

I'm actually surprised by how much french I've picked up. Except everytime I try to speak it I have a hard time getting rid of my spanish accent and doing a french one.

Still out of breath from running, she falls on top of Owen's chest and catches her breath.

"My little baby," I say quietly as I smooth down some of her hair and kiss the top of her head.

Owen wraps his arms around her protectively.

Something about seeing men with kids, specifically my husband, is extremely attractive.

Okay, well technically Owen isn't my husband.

We still aren't married. I've never really cared to get married, but we both decided that we would in the future when we aren't so busy with school, work and Dani.

Except we still call eachother husband and wife jokingly. We've been together since we were about eighteen. We had Dani when we were nineteen about to turn twenty. We're twenty-three now. Meaning we've been dating for about five years.

God, that was too much mental math and numbers for me.

I still hate math. Some things never change.

It's officially fully night time now. All the kids have settled down next to their families, scattered across the grass field and laying on old blankets or just on the plain green grass itself. The soft baldes engulf them like a natural blanket made from the earth itself.

Dani rolls off of Owen and lays on the blanket, cuddling up to his side as he wraps an arm around her to keep her warm.

He pulls me closer to him and tucks me under the other arm, his body heat making me melt into his touch. He's always so warm, I love it.

I rest my head on his shoulder and wrap my arm across his torso to reach Dani. We hold hands now.

Her much smaller and softer palm rests in mine, her fingers keep hold on my much longer ones.

Turning my head to face the sky, I become at a loss of words.

Stars. So, so many stars.

They're littered across the sky, as if the universe just sprinkled them along like a trail of glitter.

Everyone admires the stars, not saying much.

Some little kids exclaim to their parents how beautiful they think it is, thrilled to see this many.

"I wish Levina and Olive could've come to see this," I tell Owen.

"Maybe next summer when they're less busy with work." He rubs my shoulder calmingly.

Levina, Olive, and I...in France? Sounds amazing.

Silence encases us again.

I've never seen a sky this heavenly.

"Remember that one day at the park in New York?" Owen says into my ear.

I meet his grey eyes. "You're gonna need to be more specific." I laugh.

The corner of his lips lift up. "Remember? We went to New york and we got bagels. You said that you believed when people die they turn into stars." Oh! Now I remember.

He sees my realization and turns back his gaze to the stars.

"Do you still believe that?" His voice is delicate, emotion flowing through.

I look back up as well. Some are bright and larger. Some are super tiny, like an artist took his thinnest brush and painted the faintest dot. Small and seeming insignificant at first, but ends up coming together to make the most beautiful picture.

Tears prick my eyes as I stare at one of the largest stars.

"Yeah." I swallow the lump in my throat. "I do." I whisper.

When I glance to his eyes after saying that, I smile when I see the corners of his lips move up slightly as he stares up at the sky.

There's something calming about the idea of people going over to the other side and their energy mustering up into a light so far away yet looking so close. Them watching over the world from lightyears away.

I know what Owen's thinking right now. He's wondering about maybe Danny being a star.

Maybe him being the biggest brightest one. Or being one of the small little specks.

Maybe my dad's up there. Amongst them. Finally at peace with himself. His energy turning into something so small from afar yet so beautiful that people wish upon it from their windows late at night.

Stars are known to represent protection. It's nice to think that maybe he's up there now protecting me even, from people like himself.

Or that Danny is up there, watching over Owen, guiding him through life right by his side. Every night shining once again, so that Owen could see him too.

Pushing myself upwards slightly, I look down at Owen. He has the same mixed expression of bitter sweetness, love, and longing in his eyes.

I smile at him first, using my free hand to caress his cheek.

He smiles up at me. His free hand rubbing my arm gently as he still lays completely flat on the ground. Dani tucked under his arm.

Leaning down an inch, I push my lips against his.

Everything we want to say to each other pours into the small yet meaningful action.

When I break away first he is hesitant to disconnect our lips.

"I love you," he whispers to me as his hand pushes some of my hair out of my face.

I lean down and go to kiss him again. Except before our lips fully connect I respond lowly back, "I love you more."

I do like to believe that we all become stars one day.

Is it true? Who knows.

If it is, well, then I guess we'll become stars.

Each one being as important as the next. No matter which one stands out most, which ones being so small that you need a microscope to see them. They all combine together to muster up a collection of stories, each one connecting to blanket the night sky.

One day we will all become stars.

Except right now, I gaze in awe at them from here on Earth. Spread on the grass with my soulmate and our own little star.

Even in the dark, there is bright.

The stars are proof of that.
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A/N

...hey...

So I've been a little MIA for the past few months but i'm still here!! Just busy with school and life lol.

Also I did remove my "Thank you" chapter so that when I posted this one the number of chapters would stay at 40 and not go to 41 lmao.

Thank you so much to everyone whose supported this story!! I love and appreciate you more than you know.

And hopefully you enjoyed this bonus chapter!

There is a story in my drafts and I plan on posting it in the summer, so stick around if you're interested in that lol.

Once again, thank you :)