"Good morning ladies!"

"Good morning Jennie!"

"You three seems to be in a good mood today."

"Right we are!" A tall woman with fruity smile beams. "So, are you here to deliver some good news?"

"Of course..." The girl with huge headphones on continues to type."As expected, the exploration is successful and the chief has already decided that you three are able to go home as of today."

"Whoohoo!" Three women inside the spacecraft started high-fiving one another.

"Congratulations ladies. You truly deserve it."

"Thanks, unnie, we'll see you as soon as we land okay?"

"Sure. I'll see you in three days."

"Okay guys- let's go home!"

_______________________

"Ready?"

"Whenever you are Captain."

"Module pilot Kim? Is everything set?"

"Just doing last minute adjustments..." She taps the last computer button with such emphasis. "Okay! We're ready Captain!"

The woman in her jet black hair smiles as she finishes buckling herself in the front seat. "Let's go home girls."

Soon enough their spacecraft started blasting from their headquarters in space and started their long journey towards their home- Earth.

For Captain Park Chaeyoung, space was no foreign place for her and she even calls it her second home. After being in the stage of going back and forth from Earth to space, seeing billions of stars up close was nothing out of the ordinary. But between choosing billions of stars to billions of people, Chaeyoung would choose the latter in a heartbeat.

"Ohh, someone's excited to go home..." Kim Dahyun- her co-pilot in the spacecraft coos. "Eager to see someone do you?"

"Dahyun stop disturbing Chaeyoung you know she's not excited- she's ecstatic."

Chaeyoung rolls her eyes at her teammates. "Hardy har har you guys."

"Unnie, tell me once again why did you want to become a space person?"

"No."

"No fair! Sooyoung unnie and I entertained you with our stories as we flew out from Earth! We deserve to know at least something!"

"Yeah Chae, you're being too secretive." Sooyoung shakes her head.

"Shut up Park Sooyoung we've been buddies since college and I'm already getting tired of your annoying ass."

"But our baby wants to know a little bit about you..." She teases. "Come on entertain her for a while. It'll be a good time for a story ain't that right tofu?"

"Stop calling me that!" Dahyun whines. "Please cap, tell me a little bit about your life."

Chaeyoung sighs, knowing that Dahyun can get a little persuasive when she wants to. "Alright Tofu, what do you want to know?"

The youngest ignores the nickname and beams at her. "When was the first time you guys met?"

"Stupid, stupid! Argh, why did you have to choose him as my lifter you dumbass!"

"Because he was the only one able to lift your fat ass!"

"I'm not fat!"

"Of course you're not! Damn, take a joke will you?"

"What am I going to do now?!"

"Attend the therapy sessions duh?"

"But I don't need these stupid sessions! I am perfectly fine!"

"You obviously have a fractured leg Chae, you're far from perfectly fine."

"But I need to compete Soo! You know my scholarship fully depends on-"

"I'll talk to dad and he'll figure something out. For now, I want you to be treated, get yourself back in shape and hopefully, you can still make it before our competition because as much as I hate to admit it, you really need to compete babe. We'll be at lost without you."

After a few more talks and updates, Sooyoung ends the call with her best friend Park Chaeyoung, a senior studying Physical Science in hopes that it would help her to become a full-pledge astronaut someday... but with her having a fractured leg and being under the cheerleading scholarship program which would require her to be physically okay to compete made her worry.

Worry that without her competing would take her off the program which she couldn't afford right now, especially when the program is her only hope in helping her to reach her dream especially when her family doesn't approve of her choice to become an astronaut, let alone fly miles away from home to come to a foreign land and make something out of it.

She sighs to herself, trying to figure something out but when her phone flashes and her father's name was showed on the screen, her heart starts to panic and her eyes went wide seeing the notification from her phone. Out of panic, she throws it on the ground, causing for the phone to be completely broken.

"God! Why isn't everything going my way today!?"

"Wow, you sure can throw huh." Chaeyoung looks up and sees a brunette around her age as well in her hospital gown looking at her. "Things happen and not every day goes your way."

"Who are you?" She asks out of interest. "Why are you here? Are you eavesdropping on me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow down with the questions." She chuckles and Chaeyoung thought that it was adorable. "I'd like to say I've come here to kidnap you but as you can see, I'm a prisoner like you."

"Answer my question." She says a little more stern this time. "Why are you here?"

Instead of answering the latter smiles at her. "Do have somewhere else to be?"

"What?"

"I said, do you have somewhere else to be?"

"Do I look like I have somewhere else to be?"

"You have a good sense of sarcasm, I like that." The brunette says as she nods her head. "Come watch the stars with me?"

"Huh?

The girl smiles at her. "Come and watch the stars with me."

"You guys met like that?"

"Yeah, weird isn't it?"

"Totally. If I was in your position, I wouldn't come with her. Who knows right? Maybe she's a serial killer or something else dangerous."

"She's a killer alright." Sooyoung comments. "Because she took away Chaeyounggie's heart."

"Shut up you ass."

"Unnie, can you continue with your story?" She asks. "What happened after you guys watched the stars together?"

"After we watched the stars together..." She trails off as she looked at the distant road ahead of them. "Nothing was ever the same."

She told the youngest member how their friendship started from that very night. Since then, Chaeyoung would always find herself hanging out with the brunette who was named Lisa Manoban. She was good company and made the hospital halls a little less like a hospital. She was fun to be with too, all of her playfulness and lame attempts in making her laugh were making every day spent in rooms with white walls tolerable. Lisa was a good listener and a good talker too, Chaeyoung loved that about her.

They were even labeled as twins of the building as they were so inseparable since the night they spent in the garden. She had been a great support system especially when Chaeyoung is doing her therapy and she was a good aid too when the cheerleader was doing post-exercise routines and if Chaeyoung was being honest, she knew that she wouldn't be able to do this without Lisa by her side. Empty... that was the word.

But there was one problem though and it was Lisa not telling Chaeyoung her reason for staying here. She might've asked the nursing staffs or some patients whom she has met because they were friends with the brunette but all of them pledged loyalty towards the latter and didn't say a word.

Chaeyoung originally didn't want to pry all because she knew that her time spent in the facility was only temporary but the more she hung out with the latter, the more she was eager to know about her current situation. In hopes that she would be able to do something about it or even lend out a helping hand when she's out.

"And so how did you know about her situation? Did you met her parents?"

"I did, but they too were asked by Lisa to not tell me anything."

"So when did you found out about the truth?"

"When I had to leave."

"Oh, you're early today." Lisa greets her as soon as she enters the latter's room. "Hold on a second I'm just going to grab a blanket for the two of us. I heard from Nurse Lee it's freezing outside."

"I'm getting discharged today." Chaeyoung says making Lisa stop. "I just wanted to drop by to let you know."

It took a moment for the latter to turn around. "Great! That's great news Chaeng." She tries to make her smile believable. "I'm so happy to hear that."

"Lisa." She interrupts her congratulatory greeting. "You know this doesn't change anything right?"

The smile on her face was still there. "You know what, we should get something to eat. Why don't we head out to the snack bar and see what they have? Let's go! My treat!"

"Stop avoiding the topic."

"What topic?"

"Come on Lisa, don't act like you don't have a clue what's up. Tell me what kind of sickness you have."

"Why?"

"Because I am your friend!"

"I am not your friend Chaeyoung." She says, surprising Chaeyoung completely. "Let's be honest here for a second we both know that you only found comfort in me because you were in a foreign place and you had no one. I, happen to be on that garden that night and you only agreed to spend time with me because you've got nothing else to do."

"That's not true! I enjoy your company!"

"Well my company is no longer available so I guess this is goodbye."

"Stop!"

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong with you!"

"Fine!" She releases herself from Chaeyoung's firm grip. "You want to know what's wrong with me? I'm dying Chaeyoung. That is what's wrong with me..."

"W-w-what... Ho-how are you-"

"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." She hangs her head low. "I don't know how long I can keep up though."

"Whoa..." Dahyun trails off. "That some major bomb drop right there."

"Tell me about it."

"I'm sure it must've hurt you." She comforts. "But what does her sickness actually mean?"

"More than I could imagine really." Chaeyoung suddenly remembers the heaviness in her heart when she found out about the news. "I remember crying out of nowhere... it's a disease where her heart suddenly stops beating and she'll- she'll die."

"Just like that?" Chaeyoung nods. "Isn't there any treatment available?"

"None to cure her permanently."

"What happened after she told you the truth?"

Now she has a timid smile on her face. "I told her I'll stay."

"And?"

Lisa looks at her weirdly. "Chaeyoung did you not hear me?"

"I heard you perfectly. You're..." She swallows the lump on her throat. "You're dying right?"

"Yes."

"Okay... so?" She challenges. "So what?"

"You don't understand," Lisa tells her as she shakes her head.

"I think I do." She answers. "You're pushing me away now because you don't want another person to be hurt when the day comes. You don't want to see me cry when you can no longer touch me. You're pushing me away now- hoping that it will help me move on from you. That everything happened between us for the past weeks were nothing but temporary and replaceable. Well, guess what Lisa Manoban, everything is permanent."

"The laughs, the petty fights, the crazy ideas and the night spent underneath the skies were permanent. The sneaking out, the promises and the plans we've made were permanent too and me-" She walks a step closer to the dying girl. "I'm permanent Lisa."

The latter shakes her head. "I'm going to hurt you one day."

"Then hurt me." She says as she intertwines their hands together. "Until then, make me the happiest and I'll make sure that you will feel the same."

"Chaeyoung..." She trails off now with tears in her eyes.

"You can try and push me in every way you can think of but I'll stay." Chaeyoung leans in and rests her forehead against Lisa's. "I'll stay Lisa."

"See? They were still friends that time and you can already see who the more has whipped between the two." Sooyoung interrupts their talk and that earned a sidekick from her best friend. "What? I was just telling the truth!"

"Stop destroying the mood for storytelling unnie!" Dahyun gives her a rough side kick as well.

"Nice kick kid." She smirks as they did another high-five.

"How did you found out that you love her?"

Chaeyoung blushes as she remembers the memory perfectly. "It happened on our first date."

"What did you guys do?"

The captain smiles. "What we usually do." She looks at the latter. "We watch the stars."

"What is that?"

"That's Aquila."

"And what's the story behind it?"

"It's an eagle and he's the one carrying Zeus' thunderbolt."

"Hmm... how about that one?"

"Cassiopeia." Chaeyoung answers. "She boasted her beauty was greater than a sea nymph which was offensive, so she was banned to the heavenly realms."

"There must be a lot of constellations out there huh."

"88 to be exact. But I believe there's a lot more out there."

"And are there constellations about lovers?"

"There is one I know..." Chaeyoung tries to recall the memory. "It's about Perseus and Andromeda, Cassiopeia's daughter."

"Tell me about them."

"Perseus saved Andromeda when he was flying home with Pegasus. She was chained by the gods to feed to a sea whale named Cetus as a form of punishment for Cassiopeia for being so boastful. He then made an agreement with her parents that if he saves her, he would have the right to marry the girl."

"Did they get married?"

"Not the easy way though." She answers. "When Andromeda was successfully saved, she was already promised to another man and so Perseus challenged the guy into a duel and then, later on, he realizes that he was outnumbered... So he pulls out Medusa's head from his magical bag, the same trick he used to kill Cetus and won the right to marry Andromeda."

"Wow."

"They get to live happily ever after and die of ripe old age. The gods placed them under the sky, together with the Pegasus, Cetus and Andromeda's parents. To teach the latter generations a lesson." She points up at the sky and drew lines. "That's Cassiopeia, right? Down below is Andromeda and right beside her is Perseus."

Lisa smiles as Chaeyoung finishes her story. "It must be nice..."

"Nice being what?"

"Falling in love." Lisa says and she waits for her to continue with her story. "Only a few are chosen to experience it at its finest... Not everyone gets their happily ever after right?" She nods in agreement and then Lisa sighs. "I wonder what falling in love would feel like."

"I think it would feel like standing on the edge of a cliff." Chaeyoung answers. "You don't know if there's something or someone down there to catch you when you fall but you find yourself jumping anyways."

"Why?"

"Because that's what love is sometimes. To not know its meaning but still go for it anyways."

"Like a dog chasing cars." Lisa answers. "You know how stray dogs like to chase cars in the streets?"

"Yeah."

"I think falling in love is similar to that." She looks up and continues to admire the stars up above. "We chase people thinking that they're the one or we go around chasing kinds of stuff in hopes it'll help us understand what love really is. But when we're already presented with the facts or the realities of what falling in love may actually mean- we don't know what to do with it... some run away, some stay still and some just go for it." She turns her head to the side, meeting Chaeyoung's beautiful orbs. "They don't know what falling in love means but they still go for it anyways."

"What will you do if you find out what falling in love may mean?"

That made the girl chuckle. "I doubt I'll ever find out with the time I have left."

"Theoretically speaking, if you were born without aneurysm..." She trails off as she focused on Lisa's eyes. "What would you do?"

"Honestly?" She sighs. "I'd be like the dog... I don't know if I will still continue to chase after it, to find for another car to chase or to stop chasing anyone at all."

Suddenly, Chaeyoung was back at her feet. "Stand up." Lisa looks at her weirdly. "Come on just get up."

The latter complies and Chaeyoung types something in her phone and soon enough a piece of familiar music fills their atmosphere. "Chaeng what are we doing?"

"We're going to dance." She pulls Lisa close and slow dance with the latter. "You told me you've never been to prom so I'm thinking of just allowing you to experience it."

"All of a sudden?"

She casually shrugs. "We only live once anyway."

Lisa chuckles and enjoys the moment. "What would you do Chaeyoung?"

"What would I do?"

The brunette nods her head. "What would you do if you were presented with the realities of falling in love?"

"I also don't know to be honest." She says. "But that's just because maybe it happens you know?"

"Meaning?"

"When you fall in love you'll just know... whether it's laughing from their joke, looking through their eyes or-"

"Or just laying down watching the stars?" She cuts her explanation off.

Chaeyoung smiles. "That- and slow dancing underneath them."

Lisa chuckles and Chaeyoung was surprised to treat it as some kind of music for her. "I think you're right."

"About what?"

"About falling in love." Both of them looked at one another. "When you fall in love, you just know."

"That's so romantic!!!" Dahyun gushes. "Awe, it's so sweet unnie!"

"Back then I thought it was romantic too."

"You guys are the cutest couple!" She compliments.

"I'm curious about one thing though babe." Sooyoung turns to them as soon as she finished typing in the data in her computer. "How do you guys fight?"

"Ooh! Interesting question." The youngest claps their hand. "How do you guys fight?"

"We seldom fight."

"Is it because you don't want to spend days on petty arguments?"

"Or the fact that we just communicate so well." She shrugs. "I think I can count with my fingers the number of times we've fought."

"Can you share us one fight? Not the petty ones? I want shots fired."

"Well... I can think of one memory though but this one happened when we weren't even together." She blushes. "I think this fight lead us to being together in the first place."

"I haven't heard that story yet."

"You did! You were too drunk to remember."

Sooyoung shrugs. "Dahyun press autopilot for a while this is going to be a long one."

"Okay! Auto-Pilot it is!"

"What kind of Disney would you like to watch?"

"Anything but Frozen. I think I've memorized it too much, I need to forget the lyrics for a while."

"Moana?"

"Nah, it just makes me miss the beach back home." Lisa says and Chaeyoung knows she was referring to her home back in Thailand. "What about Tangled?"

"We watched it last week."

"I know but I still haven't memorized her songs yet."

Chaeyoung shrugs. "Okay let me- hold on its Ashley. Get the movie running will you?"

______________

"How's school?" Lisa says some part in the movie. "Are you sure you're not busy?"

"I'm done with the homework and already did the advanced class."

"Awesome." Chaeyoung doesn't respond and returns her focus to the movie. "You and Ashley seem to be hanging out a lot."

"Yup. Since Sooyoung is being a bitch and continuously ditching me for her girlfriend, Ashley has been accompanying me a lot these days."

"She seems nice."

"Pretty nice if you'll ask me."

"You guys would look great together."

"What?"

"I said, you guys would make a cute couple."

That made Chaeyoung pause the movie and turn to her. "Where did this come from?"

"Nothing I just thought of it recently."

"Lisa, I don't like Ashley that way."

"But you said so yourself, she's pretty nice." She looks at Chaeyoung and forces a smile out. "And base from the pictures and stories you've been telling me I can tell that she likes you so I think you should-"

"You're doing it again."

"I'm not-"

"Yes. You are." She says in a stern manner, scaring Lisa already. "You're pushing me away again."

"Look Chaeyoung I am just looking out for you. Instead of spending time here with me, you should go out and hang with people. People who can actually be there for you for a really long time."

"I don't want them, Lisa, how many times do I have to tell you that being here with you is better than being somewhere else."

"But you deserve a life out of these walls Chaeyoung."

"And you deserve one too which is why you're going to get better. Once you get better, we'll get a life out of these walls together." She says as she holds her hand. "I'm not going anywhere-"

"Stop hurting yourself more Chaeng, go to Ashley okay? She can-"

"Why are you pushing me again Lisa? Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not it's just that- when the time comes, you're going to be left with no one and I wouldn't want that to happen so while you can- go out and hang-"

"I ALREADY SAID NO DAMMIT LISA!" Her sudden outburst completely shocked the latter. "Why can't you see that I will still prefer you over everyone else at any day and at any given time!?"

"But why?! Why invest so much when we both know I'm dying!" Lisa raises her voice too.

"Because I love you!"

"Yah, yah, yah! Stop! Chaeyoung tries to cover herself from her team's constant hitting.

"I knew you were a cheesy slut but I didn't expect for you to be this cheesy!!!"

"Unnie I still have goosebumps!!!"

"Alright enough." Finally, they comply and went back to their seats.

"What happened afterward?"

"She was surprised, and even told me to not go through it."

"What changed her mind."

"The fact that she loves me too." That answer earned her series of hits once again. "Yahhhh!"

"That was so fucking cheesy you whore!"

"Stop asking cheesy questions then!"

"Now I'm curious to how you proposed to her..." Sooyoung asks and Chaeyoung gives her a knowing look. "Sorry, but it wasn't my fault when you tell me important things at my drunken state!"

"How did you proposed to her unnie?"

"I didn't propose to her..." She smiles. "She was the one who proposed to me."

"Wow... this is sooo beautiful Lisa!"

"Glad you like it." Lisa smiles.

"You know we didn't have to drive all the way out here. We could've just stayed in your home and-"

"Be bombarded with my parents' constant questions on how did I manage to bag a hot babe such as you despite my dying stage?"

"Lisa... You're not going to die." She reassures the latter. "The doctors said so earlier."

"Shhh, let's stop talking about sad things and talk about the good ones okay?" Lisa smiles. "First off, tell me how was flight school?"

It has been three years since that first fight while the Tangled movie was paused on the screen. From then on, Lisa and Chaeyoung officially became a couple and every witness to the progress of their love story was delighted to know that they finally noticed things and were finally able to come up with an agreement. Lisa's parents were just moved the fact that someone was willing to love their daughter despite the current situation and while it took some time for them to come around, Chaeyoung's family also welcomed Lisa into theirs which wasn't hard after all. Lisa is obviously a charmer.

Lisa's situation was getting better too since she was given a go signal to be out of the hospital after having another series of headaches which was a very heartbreaking sight for Chaeyoung to see and what's worse was that it's just one of those things Chaeyoung had to witness herself and there were more- a lot worse than she had seen.

She removes the bad thoughts and tells Lisa how she was fortunate to have been offered help by NASA and promised her full aid until she becomes a fully pledge pilot, one that would have to take shorter years due to her exemplary performance during her college years. It was a double celebration for them that night and Lisa just hopes that after her surprise, it would become a triple celebration.

"Babe look!" Chaeyoung gasps as one by one, falling stars flew above them. "I didn't know today's going to be a meteor shower!"

"I'm glad you liked it."

Lisa looks at Chaeyoung who continues to admire the stars. "I never thought I'd get a chance to see them up close."

"You think this is the closest you've come to watch the stars?" Her girlfriend nods her head. "Hmmm, I'm not sure Chaeng, I mean- I still beg to differ."

"I'm serious, this is the closest I've been to see the stars."

"What if I told you, there's a possibility where you can be even closer to them?"

"Are you joking?" Lisa shakes her head making the latter excited. "Okay, okay! Show me!"

Lisa chuckles. "First things first, you need to close your eyes." The future astronaut immediately complies. "And then you extend your hand as if you're ready to grab a star."

"And then what?"

"Spread your fingers." Chaeyoung complies again. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, now you can open them."

And when Chaeyoung opened her eyes, she saw a very beautiful diamond ring placed on her ring finger. She looked at Lisa with a smile on her face and without words, she finds herself nodding her head and when she did, both found themselves crying and then laughing from time to time. Lisa pulls her in for a quick kiss before hugging her tight.

The wedding invitations were sent to their friends and family and after a few weeks, the guests were on a beach in Koh Samui using Lisa's Genie wish together with the main stars Mrs. Lisa Manoban and Mrs. Roseanne Manoban who were having the best time of their lives.

After the wedding, the couple decided to move back to States where Chaeyoung continues her training and studying to become an astronaut while Lisa took online courses where she graduated major in Photography and sells her work online too. By the time Chaeyoung achieved her dream and became a member of NASA, Lisa had already surprised her with a house with an observatory, two cats, a family-friendly SUV, and a child on their way.

"Your love story is the best out there! Why isn't anyone noticing how beautiful this is?! Nicholas Sparks will be shaking when your story comes out!"

Chaeyoung smiles at the compliment. "Thanks, Tofu."

"I think I know now why you're so eager to go home, not only you have one person waiting for you but you now have a new family member waiting too!"

"You're right about that."

"Well hold on tight because we're about to land home in two days." Sooyoung supports her. "I can't believe that- Jennie? What's wrong?"

"Can I speak with Captain Manoban?"

"What's wrong?" Chaeyoung asks as Sooyoung hands her the phone. "Jennie it's Chaeyoung."

"Captain, I believe that there is something you should know."

"What is it?"

"Your wife was sent to the emergency room approximately forty-five minutes ago." She says. "She's about to go to labor and there's a slight chance that both of them will be able to survive."

________________________

"Jisoo." Chaeyoung calls out to her friend which happens to be her wife's doctor. "What happened?"

"Her water broke earlier than expected Chae I-"

"So? What does that have to do with my wife and child both surviving this labor?" Her voice was starting to quiver. "My wife's healthy, the baby's healthy-"

"Lisa's state." Jisoo declares. "She stopped taking the treatment."

"Non-sense! She was doing well before I left and... I called to check up and told me that she was feeling-"

"She just didn't want you to worry for her while you were working."

Chaeyoung could feel the insides of her system turning upside down. "No, that's not true... She- she was already getting better and-"

"I'm sorry Chae... I tried to tell her to say-"

"Jisoo please, I beg of you." Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. "Please do whatever it takes to save my daughter and my wife... I can't live knowing I'd have to continue on without them."

"I'm not going to promise anything Chaeyoung, I am your friend but I am also a doctor. It's one my job not to get your hopes up. Your chance of getting both of them alive is at seven percent."

Chaeyoung closes her eyes at the slim possibility. "I'll bet on it. Whether it's seven or ninety percent, do what you have to do for them to make it out alive."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Can I talk to her?" Chaeyoung bites her lower lip. "Please?"

She could hear murmurs from the other end until- "Hey Rosiepoop."

The astronaut closes her eyes as tears flow down. "H-hey."

"Don't cry..."

"I'm not." She tries to pull herself together. "I'm just excited that you're going to labor and I get to see our baby soon."

"Chaeng, I-"

"Shhh, I don't want you to waste your energy okay? Save all of it for later. I just want to tell you that you can do it and I will be waiting for you outside the operating room okay? You need to wait for me."

"Chaeyoung..."

"Promise me Lali... Promise me that you will wait for me." She swallows the lump on her throat. "I'm on my way back home so, please... please wait for me."

____________________________

"You know what I've always wondered about what a star would feel like."

"First of all, you would be very hot. Like the sun, it's the closest example you have." Chaeyoung explains. "Some stars go up one hundred thousand degrees."

"Wow."

The jet black hair lady nods her head. "Most of all, you can blind people if they look straight at you."

"And what happens when they die?"

"They burst." She simply states. "It's called the Rotten Egg Nebula."

"Rotten egg what?"

The latter giggles. "It got its nickname based on its concentration on sulfur when it doesn't have enough oxygen. They die when they've burned their hydrogen and they manage to expand into giant redness."

"I'd still like being a star." Lisa answers. "Though I might burn myself, the thought of brightening up someone's night makes me feel like I've done something huge for mankind."

"You always do something for someone."

"I just want to make someone's day a little better."

"I know, but I hope you don't forget Lisa." They looked at one another. "You're someone too... and someone will also be willing to be a star for you."

"I like talking to you Chaeyoung. How do you think you would be able to stay here?"

"I don't know until my fracture gets better I guess."

"Want to spend your days here with me?" The latter kept looking at her. "I know my way around, we can do a lot of things. Plus, we can watch the stars every night."

"Just like this?"

Lisa nods her head with a smile. "Just like this."

"Why are you here Lisa?"

The latter looks away and brought her eyes back to the sky. "I ask myself that too Chaeng... Why am I here?" Chaeyoung decides to be silent and waits for Lisa to continue. "But I think, I know now."

"And the reason is?"

"I'm here... To be your star." She smiles. "But I do have to apologize, I think I'm going to be a rotten egg nebula soon."

Chaeyoung furrows her eyebrows. "Wha-what are you talking about? Wait- this isn't part of our first night together..."

Lisa reaches out to touch Chaeyoung's hand. "I don't think I can wait for you to come home Chaeng."

"NO!" Chaeyoung wakes herself up with her heavy breathing. She looks around and sees both of her comrades busily typing and beeping while arguing at the same time as they were in their respective stations. "W-what's going on?"

"Captain..." Dahyun looks at Sooyoung who gives her a subtle nod. "You passed out earlier so we took charge."

"Why did I pass out?"

"You... You received a call from Earth." Sooyoung took charge in explaining things to her best friend. "Lisa's currently having labor and she has a high risk of triggering her heart-"

"How far are we from home?"

"If my calculations are correct, we're going home around 12 hours."

"Can you make it six?"

"Captain I-"

"Pilot Kim." She says in her authoritative tone. "I'll ask you again, can you get us back to Earth in six hours?"

Dahyun swallows the lump on her throat. "I can."

"Good." Chaeyoung straps herself back on her seat. "Captain Park call HQ, inform them our ETA has changed and I will not attend post space travel checkup."

"Copy that Captain."

Chaeyoung could feel her pulse quicken as she finally sees Earth at a close distance. This was it...just a few more hours and she'll finally see Lisa holding onto their beautiful baby girl. And even though the logical reasons starts to hit her imagination one by one, she shuts them down and focuses on her reality.

She was coming home to see the two women in her life. Not one, but two.

"Captain we're already entering the Earth's axis. ETA is 3 hours."

"Copy that Pilot Kim."

"HQ is already informed of our early arrival." Sooyoung informs. "We're already-"

"What is it?" Chaeyoung asks in her seat and focused on the road ahead of them. "Sooyoung-"

"It's a call from Earth."

"From Jennie?"

"From your wife captain."

The control room was dead silent and the boosting engine from the spacecraft was the only thing that could be heard. It took another series of rings for Chaeyoung to pull herself up together and grabs the call from her screen. As soon as she accepts the call, Lisa's weak voice echoed through the surrounding. Making Chaeyoung once again overwhelmed with emotions, especially when she dropped the news.

"She's so pretty Chaeng... Our baby girl is so beautiful."

Chaeyoung couldn't help but feel the thorn stuck in between her ribcage be removed. "Thank God... Thank God you're alive." She breathes out. "Oh God thank you."

"She has my eyes babe... Goodness, she has round eyes like mine." The astronaut chuckles, imagining her wife's wonder at the new found life in her arms. "She sleeps like you though."

"Well, then she sleeps adorably."

"No, she sleeps with a lot of saliva." They laughed and Chaeyoung waits for her wife to continue. "We did it... We gave birth to a beautiful baby girl."

"You gave life to a beautiful baby girl babe. You did great." She compliments. "I am so proud of you."

"I did, did I?" There was another pause and the taller woman could hear her wife asking for the nurse to take care of her child. "I asked for them to take her to the nursery room."

"That's okay, you need to rest anyway."

"Chaeyoung?" Her wife's voice suddenly sounded different. "How far are you?"

"About three hours."

"Tell me what's it like out there." She asks. "Do you like being out there?"

"Most of the times..." Chaeyoung could definitely tell that there was something different.

"Tell me about the stars... What kind of constellations do you see?"

She looks around at the variety of stars around them. "I see Centaurus, Crux... I can see Alpha and Proxima Centauri from a distance too."

"You really are close... You are in Alpha Centauri right?"

"Yeah, yeah I am." She could notice the shakiness in her voice for some unknown reason. "So wait for me alright? Wait for me, Lisa."

"Sorry Chaeng... I think I'm going to be a rotten egg nebula soon..."

Tears were slowly appearing on the edge of her eyelids. "No you're not going to be a rotten egg nebula soon do you hear me? Stars can live up to ten billion years and you're not even at the quarter of it yet so don't say bullshit."

"I'm running out of hydrogen-"

"NO!" She slams her fists on her armrests. "DAHYUN WHAT THE HELL ARE WE STILL DOING OUT HERE!?"

"Captain I'm doing everything I can-"

"Do something!"

"Chae please calm down-"

"SHUT UP SOOYOUNG!"

"Chaeyoung you need to listen to me okay?" Her wife tries to interject.

"No, I am not going to listen to you! You're going to live okay? You're going to see me when I land, you're going to see our daughter grow up. Together we'll inform her how did two amazing lesbians form a beautiful being like her. We already agreed on who's going to be the bad cop as she grows up remember?"

"Babe, I need you-"

"Lisa, you can't leave why can't you understand that? If you leave, who's going to talk to her while I'm in space? Who's going to say our love story to her? Sing to her as she falls asleep? Orient her about teenage hormones and sex? For Pete's sake what about the grocery? You can't leave that all to me!"

"Baby I thought we won't have arguments over the phone?" Lisa's voice echoed through again and she could feel her heart breaking bit by bit. "We both knew that this would happen eventually right? We agreed that if this day comes, we would make no objections, no restrictions or negativity. We agreed to welcome and accept it whole-heartedly remember?"

"How can I do that when I'm still here in space and you're there on Earth spending your last minutes that I am not around?! Lisa don't you think this is unfair on my side? I need to be there for you! It's not just to me, to yourself as well and to-"

"Halley." Lisa completes her sentence. "I've decided to name her Halley Lillian Rose."

"She can't even write and yet I believe she's going to have a hard time writing her full name."

"That's okay, at least people can have choices on what to call her." She says and she knows the latter was looking at her with a smile. "What age do you think should we dye her hair blonde?"

"Lisa... Don't okay?"

Her wife ignores her plead and immediately changes the topic. "I decided to call her that because it's a comet that appears in a short amount of time yet still visible to the human eye. It only gets to appear in twice in a lifetime so even though her name's that common, her meaning isn't because she's very special. She's your first Halley."

"No Lisa..." She trails off as tears finally escape from her eyes. "You're my first Halley."

The other line was silent and she knew she managed to make Lisa tear up too. "You think there's a space out there for me?" She sniffs out. "One that you could see from a distance? Like somewhere 5 light years away?"

"A light year is equivalent to 9.4607 trillion kilometers away Lisa, I need you to be closer to me than that." She bites her lower lip hard and tries to keep herself together.

"Can't believe your smart ass still sounds sexy to me."

"I'm on my way home. I'm so close so please-"

"You take care of Halley okay?" Lisa's shaky voice made everyone in the room tear up. "Make sure she grows up like you, make sure she grows up in a house that is warm, a house filled with love... I hope you make her remember me in little ways. I hope you'd help her remember that I love her with all of me. Every last of me Chaeng okay?"

"Remember to take your medicines too. I've already arranged them in the medicine cabinet and all you have to do is take them. Your meal plan is already arranged on the fridge so make sure to follow the diet plan if you want Commander Smith to take you out for a ride in space you understand?"

"Don't- don't leave me... Stay with me Lisa please."

"Remember that even if everything fades away, our love- will always be with you. My love will always be with you and now with Halley as well."

"No..." She was shaking her head like a child throwing a tantrum. "No..."

"I will always be thankful for your existence Roseanne Manoban. Thank you for making our own version of eternity. With your love surrounding me, I've managed to escape death and allow to be with you for seven years more... I was supposed to die at the age of 23 but you helped me to live longer than that and I hope that my love will be able to do the same thing for you." Her voice was getting thinner and weaker. "Thank you for watching the stars with me that night Chaeyoung, thank you for chasing cars with me..."

"Thank you for loving me Lisa." Chaeyoung whimpers. "Thank you for loving all of me."

"Thank you for everything..." She says through heavy breaths. "I... I..."

"Lisa no-"

"I love you Chaeng."

Followed by those three words were the sound of the machine that had the capacity to break Chaeyoung's existence at that exact moment.

________________________

"Where do I put these?"

"Over there honey."

"And these?"

"Just right beside mommy's name." A girl in her rich black locks places a small birthday cake with candle lighting. "Go on, greet her."

"Hi, mommy." She sheepishly says. "Happy birthday."

Chaeyoung smiles at her four-year-old daughter. "Do you want to tell mommy what happened in school today?"

"We did a show and tell at school today." Halley starts. "I told my classmates what mom does for a living and guess what? Everyone thought she was cool by the way, everyone was jealous because I have a mom who works in space..." She says. "But I told them that I wasn't going to show and tell mom, I told them about you. My mommy who works as my guardian angel."

"I told them how you sacrificed your life for me and how you always make sure you don't get to miss my birthday... Mom found a huge box placed on your bed when she got home and I was still a baby. You wrote the words- for Halley and inside that box were letters you already wrote for me until my eighteenth birthday."

"I told them how you would protect me all the time. Like the time where I forgot to tie my shoelace and I stop to tie them only to find out that some woman pulls me out and saves me or the teenage kid who pushed the grocery cart away from the falling stack of peanut butter jars. I also told them that you appear to me in my dreams and that usually happens when there's a falling star occurring. My classmates' parents were tearing up and I wondered why so when I asked mom later that day, she told me that they were just moved in your display of affection for me."

"I can't wait to read your next letter for me, which is next month. I think our family rocks, we have birthdays 3 months in a row." She smiles. "I wonder if they give you cake up there..." Halley looks up and noticed that the sun was almost setting down. "I love you mommy, happy birthday."

"Honey, can you play with Leo and Luca for a while? I'm sure they missed being on the outside."

"Okay, mom!"

Chaeyoung smiles as she looks at the kid grabbing the kitty bag from their car. "Hey, babe..." She breathes out. "Happy birthday."

________________________

"I won't tell you how have we been doing because I know for sure you're watching us every day. I know because you never fail to make me feel those little moments where I know you were just around us and as frightening as it can be, I am thankful that you do that at least I know, I'm not alone in raising Halley alone." She turns to her bag and pulls out a plaque. "I got you a birthday gift, by the way, I hope you like it."

It was a certificate that gives Chaeyoung the ownership of one of the stars in the skies.

"You finally got your wish Lisa, you're officially a star right now... sorry, it took a while, but I managed to pull some strings and save up. I hope I am not too late though." She smiles. "Watch the stars with me tonight okay?"

Chaeyoung lies down right beside the grave and looks up. The sky hues turned from orange to red to fading blue until it was pure black. Birds were no longer making sounds and clouds were nowhere to be found. The moon was slowly showing herself and bit by bit, the stars slowly showed up in the sky. She looks around the vast space, remembering the good times that she had with her wife.

"Mom, can I join?"

"Sure, come here." She offers her hand to use as Halley's pillow. "Buckled up?"

The kid nods and focuses her eyes on the sky. "What's it like being out there in space?"

"It's like going to work as normal people do. Except for the fact that I usually have to stay there and make you stay with Auntie Jennie and Jisoo for a while."

"I don't mind, Aunt Jennie subtly acts like you so I assume mommy acts like aunt Jisoo as well."

"You know I still cannot believe that they manage to work things out between them. Did you know they met at your mommy's wake?" Chaeyoung shakes her head. "Even after death, your mommy made sure everyone she loves is okay."

"Do you think mommy likes our gift for her?"

"I'd like to think it that way."

"She told me something on my fourth birthday card by the way." Halley shares and Chaeyoung waits for her daughter to open up because she had no absolute clue what were the letters' content because she didn't want to pry one someone else's belonging, even if it was for her daughter. "She told me the time she knew her feelings for you."

"She did?" Now Chaeyoung was even more intrigued. Lisa never told her about that. "Can you tell me what mommy said?"

"Well... I suppose she would like for you to know." She answers. "She found out her feelings for you when you told her what falling in love would feel like."

She remembered that memory perfectly. "When you fall in love, you just know." Both of them said in unison.

Halley nods her head. "I did say her that."

"And she knew that you were the one, because every time she looks at you, she felt like coming home." Her daughter continues. "Loving you made her feel the rush in her spine knowing that she was going to go home. At home where you can be yourself, be comfortable, vulnerable and show every bit of side you haven't shown to anyone else. "

"Loving you made her feel like coming home because you are her home mom." Halley looks at her. "You always have been her home because every time she's with you, she's not the dying Lisa- she was Lisa. Just Lisa."

Chaeyoung feels herself tearing up hearing those words. "You want to know a secret too honey?"

"What is it mom?"

Chaeyoung smiles and looks up at the stars- rather on that very specific star in between the constellations. "She is my home too."

And that's when Chaeyoung realizes that maybe she was so wrong to tell Lisa that she was on her way back home that day. Chaeyoung wasn't on her way back- because she never left home in the first place. Her home is Lisa Manoban-

The girl who wanted to see the stars with her in that garden on May 7th.

Fin