Death, Life, and Stars

          I pack up my telescope into my bag. Looking around for anything else I could've missed. My room, full of posters of different nebulas from across the Milky Way. My ceiling decorated to be a replica of the night sky. Polaris in the center, The Big Dipper just to the right, along with different constellations I change as the year goes by. 

          Suddenly I hear a voice coming from downstairs "Hurry Haku, we'll be late." 

          "Coming Mom" I replied back, grabbing my backpack. Backpack was designed with different colors and stars I had bought just for the occasion. 

           My mom and I are going stargazing tonight. My mom is an astrophysicist. Because of how well I've done in school, she promised me to take me stargazing during the summer break, and she knows the best places to look at the stars. 

           We got in the car and started to drive off. I looked out the window as the scenery changes from a city to the country after about an hour and a half of driving. 

           My mom spoke "I'm taking us to where me and your father met. It's the best place I know to see the stars."

           I looked over towards her as I realized I wasn't fully paying attention to what she said. "Do you still miss him?". She replied "Of course I do. He was the love of my life." 

           I thought to myself that maybe asking her those questions wasn't a good idea as I saw my mom's face sadden. "He died doing what he loved the most." She added. I sat there nodding in agreement as the sky became golden and the sun behind the trees. 

            We arrived at the campsite where we would be staying at for the next few days. I got out of the car and looked up into the sky. The sky was darkening from the sun setting and the stars were already beginning to show up. "It's so beautiful and the stars aren't even out yet." I said excitedly. 

             My mom laughs "yeah but before we stargaze we need to setup our tents so we aren't doing it in complete darkness."

            "I know mom." I walked to the trunk of the car as I grabbed my tent bag and brought it to where a pile of rocks were. The rocks were in a circular pattern around some ash to create a firepit. I slowly began setting up the tent 10 feet from the firepit. My mom did the same next to mine. 

              I went back to the trunk of the car to grab my sleeping bag, the telescope, and the food we had brought for ourselves. After a while we were finished setting up our tents. My mom and I smile at each other triumphantly.