Journey to the Stars

Jade is an unfortunate man. Despite his name, he is very manly in every way you can imagine. 

Elizabeth is a dreamer. Despite her failures, she is very positive about things. 

Their worlds collided when they were but mere children. They played through the day, exchanged names and did phony pinkie promises. Growing up  together, the children believed they are meant to be with each other, but they soon found themselves apart. 

Many years later, Jade is a detective and Elizabeth is an artist. And that's when the story of love begins. 

It was late twelve o'clock when Elizabeth's bell rang. She looked up from her project, a painting of horses, and sighed. Standing up, she thought about who could be ringing her door at this hour. Not Auntie Milly, who only talks to her because of the milk cartons. Definitely not Arty since he was off to work. Thinking of Arty reminded her that their wedding is just a few weeks away. Smiling, she reached for the knob and opened the door. 

What greeted her, somehow, is a young man dressed in a black suit, complete with a tie, standing on her doorway. It was a peculiar endeavor, somehow this man needed something from her. She didn't know him, but he appears as if he did. He smiled. 

"Elizabeth?" he asked. 

She barely had time to acknowledge that he said something to her since she was busy running scans about who this guy might be. The man cleared his throat and she flinched. She held out her hand. 

"I am Elizabeth, yes." she said as the man shook her hand. "You are?" she prompted. 

The man gaped at her. "Why, I am Jade." he smiled and Elizabeth almost slapped him. 

Why, oh why of all times must he show up, why only now? Elizabeth's heart started to flutter against her will. Yes, she remembered how they played as children, how they literally grew up together until his family moved out for reasons she didn't know. He was gone for a long time until she decided that her love for him was all but a whim. She figured it was time to love another man and that's why she was getting married to Arty very soon. 

Jade looked curiously at her. "Is something wrong, Elizabeth?" he asked. "You are looking at me strangely."

She inclined her head to meet his eyes. "What did you promise me?" she said, pointedly. 

"Is this a trick question?" Jade didn't know whether to laugh or to get confused. 

Elizabeth pouted the very same one she did back then. "What did we promise each other?" she asked again. 

Jade scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Of course." he said as he locked eyes with her. "We promised not to leave each other."

Crossing her arms, Elizabeth harrumphed. "See? And what did you do?" she demanded, but Jade just smiled at her. 

"Do you want to see the stars, Elizabeth?" he asked, completely deviating from the topic.

Elizabeth frowned. "It's midday. There are no stars." she said. 

"Do you want to see them?" he asked again. 

"And why do you bother?" Elizabeth snapped, her patience wearing thin. 

Jade smiled at her sadly. "Walk with me."

Elizabeth didn't know what to do. She was really confused. "I am getting married soon and I cannot have neighbors seeing me with another man." she said, flatly. 

If Jade was somehow surprised, he didn't show it. He turned away from her front yard and began walking away. 

Elizabeth called after him, but he just continued walking. Cursing, she threw on her sneakers, not bothering to notice that all she wore were her stained flannel shirt and plaid pajamas. Jade was almost to the edge of the block and she had to catch up to him. Elizabeth tore open the front door and raced after him. 

Jade was waiting for her under the old mango tree where they had played rescue-the-princess oh a very long time ago. Elizabeth's heart ached a little. He was standing beneath the shade, just staring straight at her as she dragged her half-worn sneakers along the gravel. She huffed as she came to a stop beside him, bracing the dark trunk of the tree as she heaved her breath. She was an artist and not an athlete. Elizabeth gets tired easily. 

Jade didn't say anything for a long time. 

"Do you like the stars, Elizabeth?" he asked. 

She wiped the sweat from her brow. "I like them, though Arty never bothers to show them to me."

"What was he like?" he asked. 

"Oh," Elizabeth noticed that he had begun to walk again, she struggled to keep up with him and tie her shoelaces at the same time. "He wasn't that bad. He treats me like his princess and acts responsible." 

Jade laughed. It was the sort of thing that made Elizabeth's heart flutter, even after all these years. "Then, he must be a knight." he said.

She wrinkled her nose. "What do you care, anyway? It is not like you will marry me."

"Well, I suppose I am here to marry you." Jade said and Elizabeth choked. 

"What?!" she exclaimed, startling her neighbor's chickens. They squawked and flapped their wings, but Elizabeth was fixing her eyes on Jade. 

"Did I say something offending?" he said.

Elizabeth can't help it. She hit Jade on the chest. Jade looked at her curiously. It wasn't that he was hurt by the punch, but Elizabeth was starting to bawl like a scared cat. She burst into tears. 

Jade didn't know anything about consoling women, but he wrapped Elizabeth in his arms and she cried even harder. 

When she finally calmed down, she turned away from him. "Why now?" she said, her voice barely a whisper. 

Jade had the nerve to smile. "Then when do you want?" 

"This isn't a joke, Jade!" she screamed, and he only chuckled as he continued to walk again. 

"Do you long to see the stars, Elizabeth?" he asked again. 

"What is it with you and stars?" she snapped, her tears long dry. 

Jade craned his neck upward and watched the lazy sky. "Do you know that stars are what connects us?" he said.

"What?" Elizabeth said, falling into step with Jade as they made their way towards the orchard. The sun was beginning to set. She had no idea that they had walked that long. The wind began to blow softly. They continued to walk. 

"These stars, Elizabeth." Jade said, "Do you gaze at them and remember me?"

"No." Elizabeth said, thoughtfully. "No, I don't."

"Why? Do you think of Arty instead?" he asked.

"That's not--I mean, of course, I do." Elizabeth didn't even know why she was so ashamed. "He is my spouse, of course I must think of him."

"Not yet." Jade said

"What?" 

"He is not yet your spouse." Jade said. "It is still a few days away."

Elizabeth swallowed. This isn't going to be any better. "Why are you really here, Jade? Shouldn't you be at work?" she said. 

"I am here to marry you, Elizabeth." he said. "And I escaped from the office to see you."

Elizabeth threw her hands up. "In this rural part of the world? Jade, what are you even thinking?"

He nodded. "I am thinking of marrying you."

"Honestly!" Elizabeth began to walk away.

"Elizabeth," Jade called. 

She turned. 

"I love you." he said. 

Elizabeth's eyes were threatening to tear up again. "I sure hope I could say that, too. But you are just too late, Jade." 

"So you love me too?" he asked. 

"I do." she said, "But it's too late."

Jade smiled. "There is still time."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, Jade. There is no time."

"Do you want to see the stars, Elizabeth?" he asked the second time. 

"Yes," she sighed. "Yes, I do."

Then he kissed her. 

It was beyond her wildest dream. When he let her go, she was flushing. 

"What--How could you do that?" she demanded, her face as red as a tomato. 

He said nothing and they continued to walk, again. They came to stop at a graveyard not too far from town. Elizabeth realized why Jade brought her here. This is the place where you can see the sky clearly. 

Jade smiled. "There are the stars, Elizabeth." he said as he pointed upward and Elizabeth realized that it was already night. She had wasted her time talking and walking. Even so, she still couldn't shake the wonder she was seeing. The stars were indeed there, in their varying sparkle, their strange messages in shapes. They were trying to tell her something, but she couldn't understand. Stars. They are beautiful, but always far and impossible to reach. Maybe that's why Jade likes them, because they reminded him of Elizabeth. 

"Do you know that the stars connect us, Elizabeth?" he asked again. 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. How do they connect us?" she said. 

"I gaze into them every day and think of you. Somehow, they make it like you were next to me. That's what they do, they connect people." Jade said, his eyes soft and dark against the moonlight. 

"And does it feel like I am with you, every time?" she asked. 

Jade met her eyes and he smiled sadly. "Every time, Elizabeth." he said. "They do."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had to get back home, or Arty will come looking for her. 

"Would like to take that journey with me, Elizabeth?" Jade asked. 

"What do you mean?" she said. 

"We walk until we reach the stars. We take that journey to the stars, Elizabeth." he said. 

"I wish I could, but I have to go home." she replied. 

Jade's eyes twinkled. "Home." he said as Elizabeth began to walk away from him. 

Elizabeth's heart hammered against her ribs. If he called her name, if he told her he loves her again, she will have to do it. She will have to journey to the stars with him. She has to. 

"Elizabeth!" someone called to her. 

She turned and there was Jade. 

"I love you, Elizabeth."

She ran to him, threw her arms around him and promised herself one thing, that she would not regret this. 

The stars twinkled above them and as Jade kissed  Elizabeth, the stars finally smiled.