There is something special about grey days to him that he didn't know quite how to explain. A hope of rain? The silk white light? Either way, it calmed him. Today the rain was guaranteed as he heard it fall when he went to sleep and still as he sprang up for the morning.

“Ready to go kiddo?” Her voice rang down the hall as she spoke.

“Yeah! I'm coming, mama!” The words came as he tugged his overstuffed backpack and favorite zip-up sweater. He moved down the hall at a barely disguised run with the pack twice as thick as him, knowing that running was not allowed but he wasn't exactly running. His mama didn't seem to mind, as her soft smile grew as he thumped his pack on the floor. She double-checked that he had the boring things ( toothbrush, toothpaste, the type of things that keep you clean). Satisfied that he was properly prepared, she said “Let's go”. 

The drive was long for him, though it wouldn't be later. The rain was his main source of in-drive entertainment, His eyes following the droplets sliding across the glass, meeting and splitting before they were out of view. He didn't even know what type of music was playing, his mind lost in the rain, or itself. Then the car lost its smooth space-like feel and returned to the stops and turns of not highway streets. The ones with houses, residentials he thought. The car came to its last stop and he was unbuckled and ready for the lock to pop up, green means go. It did and he was out of the car and to the door before his mama could lock up the car. The doorbell rang and the door was knocked with a single rapid-fire fist. Mama was six steps from the front steps when the door opened. The first thing out was the wet black nose of a creature that knew only food love and sleep, and as the door continued to swing, her face. 

“Aunt Maggie!” he spouted as she reached down to hug him. She was always Aunt Maggie to him and as far as he knew, to everyone else as well. She wasn't his aunt in truth, but great aunt, but the great didn't need to be said. They all said their hellos, and he let the dog lick him more than the adults cared for but smiles never left their faces. They told him to settle in his room before they ate, and Mama would return home. 

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Later in the evening with dinner finished, goodbyes shared, and sweet treats shared he was back in his room. A book lay on his bedside table, its shiny paperback binding reflecting blues and purples onto the lamp beside it. He was waiting to ask the question and would wait as long as it took (forever). He could hear the floorboards creek under the carpet and grabbed the book from the table holding it facing forward in his lap. She opened the door, a smile already on her face.

“Oh, what's that you got there?” Her voice is slightly nasally and echos with age but still with the speed of youth. She could see the excitement all over him.

“ I had a question for you, Aunt Maggie,” he said her name drawn out and bouncy. She nodded her head to let him go on. “I was wondering if you could read this book to me?” both arms extended toward her face with the book in his hands.

“ What’s this? The Stars are Alight? I haven't read this before” 

“Yeah, it's new! I got it last week, I thought it looked pretty cool.” The book cover had a backdrop of space and what looked like a castle and a spaceship with the title in big purple and blue lettering. On the back, behind the description was a sun, and the silhouette of two people. 

“Is this something about Star Wars? I saw that when it came out and I'm not too sure I got it”

“No, no I promise! The cover was cool and I don't think they have ships like that in Star Wars, it's different I swear.” 

“ Ok Kiddo, either way.” She said as her eyes ran across the description. Her eyes then shot up above their glasses to him. “Is this… a love story?”

“No! Well, I don't know exactly, I know you're supposed to read the back thing but sometimes I just know you know? But I didn't think it was a love story.

“Oh well, I guess we can find out can't we?” Her Oh long and fanciful. He answered with excitement and bounced to the other side of the bed so his storyteller could have a place to sit. She did and adjusted her glasses. 

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah!”

“All right kiddo.” she opened to the first page of the story (he didn't know how, because of all the random starting pages they put in books) and she began to read. “ The Stars are Alight, Chapter One, The Watering Hole.