One Twinkling Star
A Short Story About Loss, Love, and Life
A Short Story About Loss, Love, and Life
Where a thriving young couple once made miracles, now an old man sat staring out a window on a dark starry night.
A bright and faint white dot his wife had stared at many years ago twinkled in the sky. “Look at that one!” she used to say. “If I die first, that’s where I’m going.”
“Oh, is that so?” he said. “Well, I guess I’ll have to remember that one.” He thought she was being silly and that he would never have to think about that star again. But 50 years later, at 90 years old, it was all he had left of her. One twinkling star.
Tired and uncomfortable in the chair, he slowly rose to his feet, kissed his favorite star, and shuffled to bed with his cane.
Knock-Knock!
The front door was only a few steps from his bedroom, and he wasn’t expecting anyone. So, he walked towards the front door and called out,
“Hello? Who’s there?” he said in a raspy, tired voice.
“Excuse me,” a young boy called back. “But I’m lost. I don’t know where I am or where I’m going.” Curious, the old man opened the door. The teenage boy had brown hair and stood shorter than him. Then, wearing a yellow shirt and looking scared, the boy placed his hands in his pockets. “My name is Alex, and I live around here, I think, but I can’t remember exactly where. I was out for a walk with my parents, and I stopped to tie my shoes and pick up a rock I saw, and when I looked up, they were gone!”
“Oh,” said the old man. “Well, sit here on my porch swing. I’m sure they are worried sick and running around the neighborhood looking for you. Come, sit.” He motioned to an old, brown swing a few steps behind the boy. The swing creaked when they sat down.
“What’s your name?” Alex asked the old man as they sat, but he didn’t answer. He thought the man might not have heard the question over the swing creaking. So, he asked again. “Sir, what’s your na-” the old man interrupted.
“While we wait to see if your parents arrive, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Maybe the old man likes his privacy, Alex thought. So, he decided to drop the question.
“Well, sir,” said Alex, “I’m thirteen years old, and we just moved here from Dallas, and I like baseball.”
“Thirteen was a great age for me. I met a girl with red hair when I was that age and married her too.” said the old man.
“Really? You married her at thirteen?”
“No! I met her at thirteen, and we married years later!” The old man exhaled, and the conversation paused.
“And then what?” asked Alex.
“And then you knocked on my door,” the old man chuckled.
“Is your wife inside asleep?”
“No. She’s up there. Do you see that twinkling star in the sky?” He pointed at the sky.
“I think so.” Alex couldn’t tell precisely what star the old man was pointing to, but one star seemed to get brighter the harder he looked. After a few more seconds, it seemed to be the most beautiful, twinkling star in the dark sky. Alex couldn’t remember ever seeing a star that pretty before, but it appeared vaguely familiar somehow. Had it always been there? How could he not have noticed it before?
There was something about that twinkle that he couldn’t describe, but he knew he had seen something like it before. Alex felt the warm fall air blow through his hair and the hardness of the swing below him. Slowly his mind connected the dots of the past. Red hair, twinkling stars, eyes. The girl at the game with the stars in her eyes and red hair! Dana. That’s where he had seen it before.
Last week, Alex was playing second base and noticed a girl with firey red hair smiling at him from the bleachers. Alex couldn’t remember ever seeing a girl that pretty. Had she always gone to the same school? How could he not have noticed her before?
After the game, he ran to meet her. It didn’t matter his team lost; he just wanted to talk. Luckily, her hair stood out in the thinning crowd, and Alex found her sitting on the curb outside the park, waiting for her ride. “Hey. I’m Alex,” he said, approaching her nervously.
“I know,” she laughed. “I’m Dana. Sorry ya’ll lost, but you played well.” She smiled at him. It was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Her curly hair covered her neck and touched her shoulders in a blue, short-sleeved sun dress. Her nails had been painted in school colors, blue and red, alternating between the fingers with a little baseball on them.
“Hey, nice nails!” he said excitedly.
“Oh, thanks! I thought you might like them.” They sat there forever in the warm evening breeze, discussing school, classes, and baseball. Soon her mom’s car drove around the parking lot and towards them. Dana stood to leave. “Meet me by the flagpole before school, and we can hang out before the bell.”
“Sure!” He said. Dana ruffled her fingers through his messy hair, blinked her star-filled eyes at him, and drove away. His mind returned to the old man.
“Lost in thought, are we?” said the man.
“Sorry, sir. That star in the sky reminded me of someone I met last week at a game. A girl, actually. Her name is Dana.”
“Oh, I see. Well, let me tell you something about Dana.” The old man straightened his back and pointed at Alex. He lowered his chin to peer over the rim of his glasses and spoke softly. “Remember, take care of her. You have an entire lifetime ahead of you, but it’s never as long as you want.”
Alex’s eyes turned down to ponder what the old man had said. Suddenly, he heard a voice call his name from afar.
“Oh, that’s my Mom! I gotta go, sir. Thank you for sitting with me, and I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“No problem at all, Alex,” said the old man. They both stood to move. Alex’s name was called again, but louder this time. Alex left the porch and ran down the sidewalk towards his mother’s voice.
“Alex! ALEX!” his mother shouted.
He remembered the old man never said his name, so he quickly turned back around to ask. “Sir, you never told me your name!” The old man stood to reply.
“Alex.”
I hoped you enjoyed reading! A special thank you to Robin Wilding 💎 who offered some key advice with writing and editing. If you want to read more stories like this, please help support me by clicking the banner below.
