Stargazing

“Do you think the stars ever get lonely?” I asked, suddenly. Machi’s head tilted slightly, her expression unreadable. “They’re stars,” she scoffed. “They don’t think. Or feel.” I smiled, turning back to the sky. “Maybe. But they’re all so far. Even if they can’t feel it, I think they’d like to be closer together..” I paused, deciding on whether to let the next words out of my mouth. “That’s how I feel.” She didn’t answer right away. For a moment, it was just the sound of the faint breeze whispering through the grass. Then, in a voice so quiet, I almost didn’t hear it, she said, “Maybe they do feel like that. Maybe they shine brighter together. ” I blinked at her, caught off guard by the words. They didn’t sound like something Machi would say, but with something deeper hiding underneath. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words stuck in my throat, so I just lay back down and stared at the stars.