Chapter 10 - Under the Same Stars
A year after the birthday party that changed everything, the garden behind the Hawthorne estate was once again decorated for a celebration.
This time, there were no tape measures. There were no rigid white runners or sterile rows of identical chairs.
Picnic blankets of every color were spread across the emerald grass. Dozens of children—some running on foot, some navigating in motorized chairs, others wearing braces—chased each other through the lawn, laughing as bubbles floated through the afternoon breeze. A long wooden table in the center was crowded with homemade pies, barbecue sliders, and plates of fresh fruit brought by families from all over the city.
Grant sat on a wooden bench beneath the shade of an old maple tree, watching the chaotic, beautiful scene unfold. He was dressed simply in jeans and a sweater, a mug of black coffee in his hand.
"A far cry from last year, sir," Miss Doway remarked, stepping up beside him with a genuine, relaxed smile.
"It’s a thousand times better," Grant said softly. "Last year was an exhibit. This is a family."
Across the yard, Nova and Sky were perched near the stone fountain. They were deep in discussion over a brand-new notebook filled with hand-drawn rocket designs. On Nova’s lap rested a sleek, lightweight mobility unit designed by Hawthorne Biotech’s newest pediatric grant—a chair she had helped test and refine herself.
Sky stood up, extending a hand to Nova. "Race you to the telescope pavilion?"
Nova grinned, checking her wheel locks and setting her posture. "You're going to lose, Sky. I’ve upgraded my thrusters."
"Three, two, one—go!" Sky dashed across the lawn, her laugh echoing in the warm air, while Nova’s hands moved in rapid, powerful arcs, her wheels flying over the stone pathway, keeping pace stride for stride.
Grant watched them cross the finish line together, collapsing in a heap of breathless laughter near the pavilion steps.
May you like
He looked up into the fading evening sky, where the first faint constellations were beginning to reveal themselves through the twilight. For so long, he had feared the darkness would swallow his daughter's joy. But as he looked at the vibrant life filling his home, he knew that the dark was never something to fear.
Without the dark, after all, no one would ever see the stars.
