What are we?
We are so many things. We're the the whole universe, bottled up right here into a lifetime. We're imperfect and warm and soft like dirt. We're shimmering and bright and eternal like the moon.
What are we? What are we?
Humans.
Messy...
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Stars sprinkle in the pond behind the mansion. I sit at the edge and feel the grass between my fingers, watching the leaves of a willow dip down into the water. It smells like dirt and summer when dozens of fireflies meander out into the open, flickering and watching the stars like they're peering into a mirror.
My stomach begins to glow.
"A rare Firefly in her natural habitat." I turn around and smile at Peter. "How long have you been out here?" he adds.
I laugh, "Three hours. I can't get up by myself."
He chuckles, the melody bouncing off the trees as he holds my hand and places the other on the small of my back, helping me back to my feet. I move his hand to the roundness of my stomach and it lights up even more, responding to his touch.
"How's he doing?" Peter asks.
"He's good. We were listening to Zeppelin earlier."
"Wow, educating him already? Our kid's gonna be a genius."
"Yeah. He liked Zeppelin better than Pink Floyd."
"Alright...well maybe not that smart." I playfully shove him and he fakes a dramatic fall to the ground, scrambling back up and mocking a limp arm. "Jesus, your pregnant lady super-strength is coming in strong."
My head tilts back as I laugh out into the night, "Shut up, Quicksilver."
He put its palms up and smirks, "It's true!"
I roll my eyes, "Come here, you dork." Peter steps closer and I brush a silver strand out of his face, brushing the tips of our noses before our lips meet and I feel the kiss in my cheeks, fluttery and mixing with the sound of crickets and cicadas in the trees. I could stay this way for so long, mouths forever touching and breaths intertwined. I'll stay as long as I can, as long as... He pulls away.
I don't open my eyes yet. "What's wrong?" I mutter.
"Look," he whispers.
My lids part and I look down at my stomach glowing and blinking, full of fireflies attracted to the golden light, sweetly dancing across the soft cotton of my clothing.
"How?" he asks.
"How what?"
He shakes his head, "How did I end up with you? How did I end up with the coolest person in the history of people?"
I trace his bottom lip with my thumb, "You're so dramatic."
He meets my eyeline, "__, I..." His eyes dart away.
I guide them back to me, "What is it, Peter?"
He says it so soft that I almost don't hear, "I stole something from you?"
