xxxCrisp, night air filled La Verne's lungs. The faint glow from the street lights lit the sidewalk; leading them to their destination, quietly. Rosetta strolled beside her, engrossed in the wondrous, starry sky above. "You know, I never understood why you wanted to take a photo of the stars so much," Rose looked back at La Verne, a warm smile on her face. "But now I do. They're breathtaking. You'd want to keep something like this forever." La Verne gazed upward, the stars shining back at her. "I wanted to see a meteor shower. I've never seen one before." Rose chuckled.
xxxThe park around them was empty; the only signs of life being the two young women side by side. Most were out and about in the city, minding their own business. Earlier, Rosetta had insisted that they go out somewhere for La Verne's early birthday present. La Verne refused and told her she wanted to walk to the park so she could take pictures of the stars. Hesitantly, Rose had agreed. "Oh, fine. It's for you, anyways." She remembered Rose say. She fiddled with the black straps around her neck, which held her camera close to her body. She had been itching for this for the entire day, longing to capture a star falling in the sky, like a raindrop. The idea itself was exciting, to say the least. The image plagued her mind, making her impatient.
xxx"Slow down, would ya?" La Verne whipped her head back to Rosetta, not realizing her increase in speed. She stopped for a moment, letting her catch up. Rose huffed and smirked. "You sure seem anxious for something as small as this. Eh, Blaise?" La Verne 'hmmed' in response, resuming their walk. It was quiet, a comforting silence that settled around them. She thought back to a time when her mother took her stargazing, and they surveyed the sky wordlessly. She remembered asking, "Do stars disappear when they die?" Her mother stroked her head and smiled. "Well, I'm not sure. But I like to believe that when one star dies, it is reborn. It comes back bigger and brighter than before." Back then, La Verne didn't believe her, but she did now. A sudden familiar ringtone shattered the reticence, interrupting her thoughts.
xxxShe looked down at her hoodie pocket, taking her phone out. She felt it buzz in the palm of her hand, ringing a continuous tune. The caller ID stated, "Maman". La Verne glanced at Rosetta. Rose waved her off. "Go ahead. It must be important. I'll be waiting where we originally were going." La Verne stood, unmoving. "Shoo! Shoo!" Rose lightly shoved her in the opposite direction. She smiled as she walked off, leaving the quiet girl alone. La Verne hurriedly accepted the call before the last ring. Putting the device up to her ear, she put her free hand in her pocket. "Bonjour?Maman?" The language nearly felt foreign to her. Having not spoken French for awhile, her accent was slowly wearing off. It was still there, though. It would take a long time for it to disappear. A soft, feminine voice spoke on the other line. "La Verne! My angel. I had been trying to call you! I wanted to tell you something very important." Important? La Verne thought.
xxxThe park around them was empty; the only signs of life being the two young women side by side. Most were out and about in the city, minding their own business. Earlier, Rosetta had insisted that they go out somewhere for La Verne's early birthday present. La Verne refused and told her she wanted to walk to the park so she could take pictures of the stars. Hesitantly, Rose had agreed. "Oh, fine. It's for you, anyways." She remembered Rose say. She fiddled with the black straps around her neck, which held her camera close to her body. She had been itching for this for the entire day, longing to capture a star falling in the sky, like a raindrop. The idea itself was exciting, to say the least. The image plagued her mind, making her impatient.
xxx"Slow down, would ya?" La Verne whipped her head back to Rosetta, not realizing her increase in speed. She stopped for a moment, letting her catch up. Rose huffed and smirked. "You sure seem anxious for something as small as this. Eh, Blaise?" La Verne 'hmmed' in response, resuming their walk. It was quiet, a comforting silence that settled around them. She thought back to a time when her mother took her stargazing, and they surveyed the sky wordlessly. She remembered asking, "Do stars disappear when they die?" Her mother stroked her head and smiled. "Well, I'm not sure. But I like to believe that when one star dies, it is reborn. It comes back bigger and brighter than before." Back then, La Verne didn't believe her, but she did now. A sudden familiar ringtone shattered the reticence, interrupting her thoughts.
xxxShe looked down at her hoodie pocket, taking her phone out. She felt it buzz in the palm of her hand, ringing a continuous tune. The caller ID stated, "Maman". La Verne glanced at Rosetta. Rose waved her off. "Go ahead. It must be important. I'll be waiting where we originally were going." La Verne stood, unmoving. "Shoo! Shoo!" Rose lightly shoved her in the opposite direction. She smiled as she walked off, leaving the quiet girl alone. La Verne hurriedly accepted the call before the last ring. Putting the device up to her ear, she put her free hand in her pocket. "Bonjour?Maman?" The language nearly felt foreign to her. Having not spoken French for awhile, her accent was slowly wearing off. It was still there, though. It would take a long time for it to disappear. A soft, feminine voice spoke on the other line. "La Verne! My angel. I had been trying to call you! I wanted to tell you something very important." Important? La Verne thought.