Starlight and Family

The stars drifted quietly beneath them as the ship hovered just above Earth’s atmosphere, cloaked in silence.

Starman stood at the viewing window, arms folded, the celestial glow of his new form dimmed only slightly in the soft blue light of the planet below.

Jace approached behind him. “There’s someone you should meet.”

Starman didn’t move. “Who?”

Jace tapped a few controls, and the ship descended, through clouds, through the quiet of a Sunday morning, until it hovered above a quiet neighborhood tucked into a peaceful suburb. Trees swayed gently. Children laughed in yards. Peace.

They floated above a small, warm house with a blue-painted porch and solar panels on the roof. Flowers bloomed in the front garden. A bubble-shaped lawn ornament glowed faintly in the grass.

Troy’s house.

Starman’s breath caught. “He lives here?”

Jace nodded. “With Annie. And Zoe.”

The name hit harder than any blow. “Zoe,” Starman whispered.

“Your granddaughter.”