The Chen household had taken on an air of quiet desperation. Jenn and Michael moved through their daily routines with forced normalcy, their smiles not quite reaching their eyes. They had made their decision, but the weight of it hung heavy in the air.

One evening, after Alex had gone to bed, Mik overheard their parents talking in hushed tones.

"We can't tell Alex," Jenn was saying, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of chamomile tea she hadn't touched. "His heart... he doesn't need the stress."

Michael nodded, his face etched with worry. "We'll keep everything as normal as possible. He never needs to know this was anything but a formality."

Mik's stomach twisted. They were keeping this enormous secret from Alex, and now Mik had to as well. As if sensing their distress, Nebula appeared, winding between their legs with a soft chirp. The cat had an uncanny ability to show up exactly when needed.

"At least you're not keeping any secrets," Mik whispered to Nebula, scratching behind her ears. The cat responded by sneezing directly in their face, causing Mik to sputter and laugh despite everything. "Okay, maybe you are keeping secrets. Like where you've been hiding my missing socks."

The next day, Mik watched as their parents filled out paperwork at the kitchen table. There was no lawyer present; this was as amicable as a divorce could be. The morning light streaming through the window seemed too cheerful for such a moment.

"I need to put a different address," Jenn murmured, pen hovering over the form. After a moment's hesitation, she wrote down Shae's address.

Mik felt a wave of nausea. This was really happening. Their family was fracturing, all to save Alex.

At school, Mik moved through the day in a daze. Jasmine noticed their distraction during lunch.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, offering half of her peanut butter sandwich. It was a long-standing joke between them - Jasmine always packed extra because Mik inevitably forgot their lunch when stressed.

Mik opened their mouth, the truth on the tip of their tongue. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, they accepted the sandwich with a forced smile. "Yeah, just tired. Alex had a rough night."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but the weight of the unspoken truth sat heavy in their stomach, making even Jasmine's excellent peanut butter sandwich taste like cardboard.

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That night, unable to sleep, Mik logged onto their computer. A wave of relief washed over them when they saw Cayde was online.

StarGazer101: Cayde, I need to talk. Everything's falling apart.

CelestialObserver: I'm here, Mik. What's going on?

Mik poured out everything - the impending divorce, Shae's offer, the secrecy surrounding Alex. As they typed, tears blurred their vision, occasionally interrupted by Nebula attempting to chase the cursor across the screen.

CelestialObserver: Oh, Mik. I'm so sorry you're carrying all this. It must be incredibly difficult.

StarGazer101: I don't know what to do, Cayde. How can I pretend everything's normal when it's all falling apart?

Nebula chose that moment to flop dramatically across the keyboard, sending a string of random characters: "kjasdhf98q4thkjahsd"

StarGazer101: Sorry, that was Nebula's contribution to the conversation.

CelestialObserver: Well, she makes some interesting points! 😊 But seriously, Mik, listen to me. I know things seem hopeless right now, but I want you to hold onto hope. You might not have to pretend for long.

StarGazer101: What do you mean?

CelestialObserver: I have a strong feeling that things are about to change. Your parents might not have to go through with the divorce. Miracles are possible, Mik.

Mik stared at the screen, a mix of confusion and hope stirring in their chest. Nebula purred loudly, headbutting their hand as if in agreement.

StarGazer101: Cayde, you sound so certain. How can you know this?

CelestialObserver: Let's just say I have a good intuition about these things. Trust me, Mik. Keep your eyes on the sky. Something extraordinary is about to happen.

StarGazer101: What do you mean? Another one of those shimmering circles?

CelestialObserver: Something even more incredible. Mik, I want you to do something for me. Tomorrow night, at exactly 9:47 PM, go outside and look up at the sky. Make sure Alex is with you if he's feeling up to it.

Mik felt their heart race with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Nebula's ears perked up, her golden eyes fixed on the screen as if she too could read Cayde's messages.

StarGazer101: Cayde, you're being mysterious again. What's going to happen?

CelestialObserver: I can't say more, but trust me. It's something you won't want to miss. And Mik? After tomorrow night, I have a feeling things will start to change for the better.

As Mik signed off, their mind whirled with possibilities. What could Cayde know about? And how could they be so sure it would help?

Nebula jumped onto their lap, purring like a small motor. She kneaded Mik's legs, her claws catching slightly in their pajama pants.

"You know something too, don't you?" Mik whispered to the cat. Nebula just blinked slowly, her golden eyes holding secrets of their own. Then she proceeded to knock Mik's pencil cup off the desk with deliberate precision.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Mik muttered, but they couldn't help smiling as they picked up the scattered pencils. Sometimes a little chaos was exactly what you needed to break the tension.