Beyond Those Stars

"Ivy loved the night sky. For her it wasn't just a dark expanse of nothingness like most people, but a portal to endless mysteries and fascination. She liked to sit under the moonlight for hours, speculating questions like 'Miles, do you know how stars die?' or 'Have you ever thought what might be at the end of the universe?'. Her favorite one that she always came back to was 'Do you think there is a world beyond those stars? What do you think that world is like?' I used to just nod and laugh at her questions and then attempted reasonings, telling her that she was thinking too much. But the truth was, the sky didn't intrigue me like it did her, I just loved listening to her talk. It was like she took you to a different world with herself, one brighter and better than this one."

My vision blurred a little and I knew I won't be able to stand much longer. "Ivy wasn't just my best friend, she was a beacon of hope for every time I found myself in darkness. She was like a lens that made the world seem more beautiful, she found good in the bleakest places. She was stronger than anyone I've ever known, caring for others - for me - even when she was suffering herself." I couldn't see anything now and my voice was breaking, but I had to finish. "If there is one thing I'm sure about, it's that wherever Ivy is right now, I'm sure she's still full of curiosity as always - looking way farther than anyone else could."

The funeral ended soon after and as the guests were leaving Ivy’s dad approached me, "Miles, would you like to come have dinner with us?" "I'm sorry Mr. Brookes, but I have to go somewhere." Ivy's dad smiled faintly, but there was no sign of the usual warmth in it. It was all he could do to mask his grief. "Very well, take care kid." I left the Brookes after saying good night. There was somewhere I had to go.

Death never scared Ivy, not even when she got terminally ill. She saw it as something thrilling, always wondering what came after it. "Miles, what do you think happens after we die?" She used to say, "Do you think we live even after death? Well, I do. I think after we die, we go to someplace beautiful. What do you think?"

The ground crunched beneath my sneakers as the climbed the hilltop - our shared spot for countless nights - alone for the first time. "That's Orion." I whispered into the night. Lying down on the soft grass, I recounted the constellations that Ivy had taught me. A faint breeze and the familiar scent of earth brought back memories of her telling me about the myth of each constellation as she named and pointed them out.

I used to visit her in the hospital before she passed away. We looked out of her room's window, at a smaller version of her precious sky. "I have no idea, Ivy. Never thought about it." I replied without giving the question much thought. A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked outside the window again, "I think we do. Maybe we go to a place that is beyond the grasp of humans, maybe we go beyond the stars." Her eyes lit up at the very thought of it, as if she was carrying a star of her own in her eyes. "Well, I don't know too, Miles. Maybe when I'm gone, I will."

Tears fell down the sides of my face as I remembered her smile even during the last of her days, a laugh that I'll never hear again. I pointed at the sky and took in a shaky breath, "You better be right Ivy-" my throat felt parched and my voice cracked. I tried again, "You better be right Ivy Grace Brookes! And you better be out there exploring the world BEYOND THOSE STARS!" I yelled into the silent night.

I stayed there for a little more. By the time I got up to leave, the crickets had started singing. I looked up at the sky once more, trying to find something, a sign of her in her vast mystery.

"Ivy, you always wondered,” I thought to myself, “now you know.” and climbed down the hill one last time.