A Stars End

I’m standing in front of our massive L-shaped island counter with my mom hovering over my shoulder, trying to figure out what I need to do next without actually having to ask for help.

“Mom can you pass the cutting board”

“Here you go honey, be careful when cutting that”

“I know Mom I will”

I turn back around to face the counter and begin cutting the potatoes, I and my mom are preparing to make dinner while my dad is sitting across from us cheering us on as I’m cutting the potatoes, my dad chimes in and says

“It looks like you're cutting off too much of the actual potato rather than just the skin,” he says with a sly smug.

I roll my eyes knowing he’s just trying to annoy me “Well why don’t you come here and cut them for me then.”

“Oh you know I'm not allowed in the kitchen, not after the last time I tried to cook.”

“You don’t have to remind me that you nearly trashed the whole kitchen,” I say snickering at my dad.

“Oh yeah we all remember that day, thought for sure we wouldn’t be able to salvage the kitchen” my mom chimes in laughing.

After dinner, I sit in my room thinking about when mom sat me down to talk it was the first time I got into a fight at school I remember the conversation almost word for word even now after she talked to the school on the way back home in the car she took the chance to talk to me without me being able to just walk away.

“Nova, are you okay did-”

“I’m fine” I mutter cutting her off

“Honey why did you start a fight with him”

I was silent for a while before I finally confessed to her why

“ He was picking on one of my classmates and tried to fight them and I didn’t want my classmate to get hurt so I tried to intervene but when I did he just got angry at me yelling at me and then I kinda snapped and punched him in the face”

“As much as I love your admiration for helping your classmates I do not like the idea of you picking fights with people”

“I know Mom” I quietly mutter out

There was a moment of silence between us before my mother broke it

“Did you at least get him good?” she said smiling at me

“ Yeah, I got him right in the eye!” I yell excited

“ Glad to hear it, listen honey in this city you gonna need to have a heart of stone, you can’t let anyone get to you like that again if you can rise above them and be better” “to an extent if they won’t stop then you make them stop you hear me” mom smirks out as she taps her chest over her heart

“I hear you, I’ll be sure to have a heart of stone” I giggled as I rolled my eyes

“Nova you are 15 this is the prime of your life where you learn everything you need in life and I don’t want to end up like some of those people in this city, those people fight like cats and dogs,” she says rolling her eyes. “This city is so big it could just swallow you whole, it’s so tall that it reaches the heavens, and it’s up to you to rise with it or to be swallowed by it”

Coming back to myself I get up from my bed to go join my mother and father in whatever they are doing, walking into the living room I see my mom and dad talking… or arguing I creep closer to hear what they are talking about, my dad is telling her something.

“No no, why, why do you have to go, let Nelson deal with it this time Vela please just once” my dad pleads with my mother as he stands gripping her hand as if trying to hold her in place just a little longer to keep her from going for a just a moment longer.

“Caelum I'm sorry I just can’t leave Nelson to do this alone we’ve been trying to catch this guy for months and I know Nelson will just take credit for this, it’s our first real lead since I don't know when I have to do this I need to nap him by any means necessary I-” she barks out, stopping herself for a moment as she closes her eyes rubbing her face with her free hand as she tries composing herself breathing a heavy sigh opens her eyes again looking Caelum in his eyes, “I have to do this you know what he’s done I’ve let him get away for far too long I need this, to close this case myself,” she stated in a composed manner. pulling her hand away from him and heading for the door. “Watch Nova well I’m gone I’ll be back before midnight”

“Mom, please don't leave” I blurt out from the entrance of the living room and watch as Mom turns around and walks toward me and cups my face her hands staring me in my eyes.“I’m going to be right back honey I just need to take care of some trash, I love you, Nova,” she says lovingly as she kisses my forehead and drops her hands from my face while turning for the door. My dad tries to protest once more but stops defeated. knowing once she sets her mind to something it's impossible to convince her otherwise.

Dad and I watch as she walks out the door saying one last goodbye as she leaves racing to her car, driving off.

“She’ll be back later for now you need to go to sleep young lady,” Dad says smiling warmly at me and leading me back to my room. “Okay goodnight Dad, but can you wake me up when Mom comes home”

“mhm okay I will, but only if you go to sleep right now”

“Already on it,” I say sheepishly as I close the door and get ready to go to sleep

I awake to knock on the door I hear shuffling and a door open, thinking it is Mom finally coming home I get out of bed and open the door to my room to walk into the living room and see Dad holding the door open standing in the doorway blocking my view of mom

“Is mom home already Dad” I whisper out to him still tired from just waking up, I see my dad cringe at the sound of my voice I watch as he slowly turns around to face me tears swelling in his eyes confused I ask him “what’s wrong where's mom” as he moves closer to me and away from the doorway I see Nelson my mom’s partner at the department with his hat in hand and head held low. “ why’s Nelson her where’s mom”

“Oh, honey…umm…your mom’s…uhh-” Dad says between sobs before Nelson cuts him off and puts a hand on Dad's shoulder as he says

“I’m sorry Nova but your mom has been killed in active duty while trying to catch a very dangerous killer, we believe he was the one to do it to your mother we’re doing everything we can to find him….”

Nelson kept talking but I couldn’t hear anything I just went numb my senses seemed to disappear altogether unable to comprehend what’s been told to me “Moms-moms de-dead” I stutter out in utter despair and confusion looking up at him with a blank stare

“Yes I’m so sorry little one” Nelson weirdly states before he turns to my father “So sorry for your loss Jones was a damn good detective, I know it’s hard to accept but you’ll have to push through for Nova” he then turns to take his leave closing the door behind him

Dad dropped to his knees and hugged me as we cried into each other’s arms. That night we cried for what felt like forever till I must’ve passed out from the stress.

"Vela I knew I should have made you stay how am I going to raise Nova without you" Caelum quietly cries out holding his daughter tightly refusing to let go of his last connection to the person he loved so dearly.