Mik lay awake, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on their ceiling. It had been three days since they'd come out to their family, and while the initial response had been supportive, there was a tension in the house that Mik couldn't quite shake.

A muffled sound from downstairs caught their attention. Voices, raised and angry. Mik's stomach clenched. Were their parents arguing about them? Had their revelation caused more stress than they'd realized?

Quietly, Mik crept to the top of the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky floorboard. Their parents' voices became clearer.

"...can't keep going like this, Michael!" Jenn's voice was strained. "The bills are piling up, and Alex needs that new treatment."

"Don't you think I know that?" Michael's voice was tight with frustration. "I'm doing everything I can. If this next contract comes through—"

"We can't keep banking on 'ifs'!" Jenn interrupted. "Our son's life is at stake here."

There was a pause, then Jenn spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been looking into it, and... if we were a single-parent household, we might qualify for more assistance."

The silence that followed was deafening. When Michael spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. "What are you saying, Jenn? You want a divorce?"

"Of course not!" Jenn's voice broke. "I love you. But I need my baby boy to be okay. I need both our children to be okay."

Mik's heart raced. They'd known things were tight, but they hadn't realized how desperate the situation had become. Guilt washed over them. Here they were, worried about pronouns and identity, while Alex's life hung in the balance.

A sob from downstairs snapped Mik back to the present. They retreated to their room, mind whirling. As they sat on their bed, their gaze fell on their laptop. Without thinking, they opened it and logged onto the Cosmic Connections forum.

StarGazer101: Anyone awake? Could really use a friend right now.

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The response was almost immediate, but not from who Mik expected.

CelestialObserver: Hey there, StarGazer. We haven't talked much, but I'm here if you need someone to listen.

Mik hesitated. They didn't know CelestialObserver well, but something about their previous interaction had left an impression. After a moment's consideration, Mik began typing. They poured out everything - their coming out, their parents' argument, their fears for Alex, their guilt about adding to the family's stress. As they typed, tears blurred their vision.

Despite their brief acquaintance, CelestialObserver's responses were thoughtful and supportive. They asked insightful questions, offered words of comfort, and most importantly, listened without judgment.

CelestialObserver: StarGazer, I know we've just met, but if I may... Your identity is not a burden. It's not something you can put aside or change to make things easier for others. It's who you are, and that's valuable and important.

StarGazer101: But with everything else going on... maybe I should have waited.

CelestialObserver: There's never a perfect time for big truths. By being honest about who you are, you're giving your family the chance to truly know and support you. That's a gift, not a burden.

As their conversation continued, Mik felt some of the tension leave their body. CelestialObserver, or Cayde as they'd introduced themselves, had a way of putting things into perspective, of making even the most chaotic situations seem manageable.

CelestialObserver: And StarGazer? Remember this - the vastness of the cosmos doesn't make our individual lives insignificant. It makes them miraculous. Every moment of joy, every struggle, every act of love - it's all part of the grand tapestry of existence. Your journey matters.

Mik smiled through their tears. Though they'd only just met, Cayde seemed to understand exactly what they needed to hear.

StarGazer101: Thanks, Cayde. I can't believe how easy it is to talk to you.

CelestialObserver: I'm glad I could help. Sometimes it's easier to open up to someone a bit removed from the situation. If you ever need to talk again, I'm here.

As Mik signed off and crawled into bed, they felt a strange mix of emotions. Worry for their family, guilt about their own struggles, but also a warmth in their chest. In Cayde, they felt that they'd found a friend who truly understood them, who saw the vastness of their inner universe and celebrated it.

Staring up at the plastic stars on their ceiling, Mik made a silent wish. Not for themselves, but for Alex, for their parents, for a solution to appear like a comet streaking across the sky. As they drifted off to sleep, their last thought was of Cayde's words: "We're still connected." Somehow, that made the vast, uncaring universe seem a little less lonely.