If You’re Watching from the Stars
The tide came and went in quiet breaths, as if the ocean itself were afraid to speak too loudly.
She sat where the waves almost reached her — close enough to feel the cool mist, far enough to remain untouched. Her knees were drawn to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, like she was trying to hold together something fragile inside.
The moon painted the shoreline in silver.
Mallow lowered her gaze, watching the reflection of starlight tremble in the water. It looked so close. Close enough to reach.
Close enough to believe that maybe… just maybe… the distance between here and the sky wasn’t impossible.
A shooting star cut across the darkness.
Her breath caught.
“…Are you watching?”
The words barely left her lips. The wind almost stole them.
She pressed her forehead against her arms, fingers tightening slightly in the fabric of her dress. She had smiled all day. She always smiled. For her father. For the customers. For her friends.
But the night didn’t ask her to be strong.
Another star fell — slower this time, fading gently into the horizon.
“I’m trying,” she whispered. “I’m really trying.”
The waves answered with a soft hush.
There were so many things she still wanted to say. Recipes she had perfected. Flavors she had learned to balance. Moments she wished she could share — the small victories that felt too quiet to celebrate alone.
A tear slipped down her cheek, catching the moonlight before disappearing into the sand.
“They say the stars are light from long ago,” she murmured, voice trembling just slightly.
“If that’s true… then maybe you’re still shining somewhere.”
The ocean shimmered, and for a fleeting second, the silver path across the water looked almost like a bridge.
Not one she could walk.
But one she could see.
Mallow lifted her head just enough to look at the sky again. The sadness didn’t vanish — it never really did — but it softened, like a wound learning to close.
Another star streaked across the heavens.
This time, she made a wish.
And the sea kept it safe. 🌙✨