My Faraway Star | Book #1

Part 2 - 10 years earlier.

"Heaven! We are leaving, come show us off, baby." Heaven's mom said while putting her luggage on the porch waiting for the cab to come. Her dad was helping her mom. Skyla was weeping, she was still too young and did not even want her parents to leave, they gave her a choice to leave with them, but she preferred to stay with her sisters and Jax. Ayla was telling her, "Hey! You can't have it both ways, or us or them; you made a choice to stay, right?" While Ayla was saying this to Skyla, Heaven was already standing next to them, and told Ayla, "I always tell you to stop being harsh to our little sister."

"She made the choice!" "But it doesn't make her happy; our parents are leaving for God's sake; do you have to be a cold ass queen all the time?" "Don't fight, we don't want to make our parents sad," Skyla said.

They said their goodbyes to their parents, and Heaven went back to her room to call Juno, but he did not pick up the phone, and it was the first time Juno had missed a call from Heaven.

Juno was a well-known YouTuber with a promising future; he was Heaven's first love and the inspiration for most of her paintings, as well as her graffities on city walls. She once painted his face on a brick fence, wearing headphones, a graffiti that attracted a large number of tourists and even individuals who recognized him, and the gratify was shared all over social media. Juno can create videos from anywhere in the world, which was a benefit for him being in his hometown near to Heaven; he had never considered being apart from her until he realized he was doing okay, but not great. That whatever money he earned is only going to get him through a day-to-day life. Juno wanted something different from that, he wants future with Heaven. The majority of Juno's fans were mostly from Europe, and it was continents and oceans away from home, but this week he got the opportunity to be host in a famous radio station in Europe. Reality did hit him so hard; to make a choice of staying with Heaven, never grow, and be stuck in the routine of his life without having the chance to actually marry Heaven, or have children with her. Heaven is an artist, and her desire is to have her paintings displayed in every prestigious gallery and exhibition across the country; but she also wants to have a family with Juno, and if he stays in this little town, he would never be able to give her the life she wants.

Heaven was sipping her afternoon tea on the patio, lost in thoughts and concerned about Juno's failure to respond to her texts and calls. She had no idea that Juno immersed in his thoughts as well, trying to make a choice without losing her. That was a desire that could never come true. Heaven adores her hometown, her studio, her two dogs, and her tiny world here, he knows. Furthermore, she would never abandon her sisters, whose parents had already returned to their homeland, and it was impossible for Ayla, Heaven, and Skyla to go because their whole life had really been in the country. It is Skyla's home, the one thing that connects her to her roots; it's the country in which Ayla hopes to launch her first avant-garde boutique; and it's the place that Heaven will never leave.

She was absorbed in her thoughts for so long, sipping her tea that she failed to realize that she had received a text from Juno telling her that he was coming over. She looked in front of her and saw a tall skinny boy with big brown eyes, black hair, and flawless white skin and face, dressed in black jeans, a Nirvana shirt, and a high neck converse. "You seem disturbed," she said quietly as she smiled at him. She gestured for him to take a seat next to her on the bench. He stepped closer and sat beside her; she asked if he wanted coffee; he frowned and replied, "I need a drink," and she went to the kitchen and handed her a can of beer. "I was kidding, it was a metaphor," he added, a small smile escaping his lips. "We don't joke about alcohol, we take this seriously," she replied, trying to appear serious. He told her, "You're right," with a broken smile. "My Juno isn't arguing and admitting that I'm right!" she replied, raising an eyebrow. That was a first."

He sipped from the Beer can before turning to Heaven and telling her, "I need to tell you something, and you always know when anything is bothering me." This time it's something I can't avoid, keep it to myself so as not to upset you, or hide so that we could continue to live in our happy bubble."

"Tell me already," she said, confused. "You know I can take anything, I'm not a cry baby, and I know how to deal with my emotions, so say it like it is, and let me decide what to do with the information you're telling me."

"I got an offer to Europe that I can't refuse," he sighed, "and I'm torn between staying here and doing nothing for us, or leaving and making a future for myself and returning for you so we can build that future together. Are you willing to wait for me for a couple of years, to work out this long-distance relationship?"

"Do you not know me at all after 5 years of relationship?" she squeezed his hand. "Of course I will wait for you, of course I will make this long distance relationship work," she said as he glanced at him. You do what you need to do, my Juno; I will never stand in the way of your future, and I am sure you would do the same if it was me. So, my handsome man, flash me that irresistible, sexy smile, and let's raise a toast to your bright future, my love, to our bright future."

"I have the coolest girlfriend on the face of the planet," he said to Heaven as he placed the can of beer on the floor next to the bench, and hugged her.

They sat on the porch for a while, talking and laughing, before going out to dinner at night. Everything sounded wonderful, and the future seemed so bright after making those promises, but little did they realize that they would drift apart and that after one year they will not be seeing each other again for 10 years. Their long distance relationship lasted for one year, until he became too busy to call her or even come home to see her. She used to write him a letter every day for the first year and keep it in a box next to her bed; she never missed a day.

Juno returned home for two weeks after a year and they had the happiest days of their lives together. Before he left, she gave him the box of letters and told him, "Only if we break up, promise me you will open those letters after ten years." He looked puzzled at her, "and what if we stayed together? Do you want me to be curious about what's in those letters?" She said, "If we stay together, every day for the rest of our lives, I will tell you what I wanted to tell you in those letters."

Back to present...

Heaven came back home from a late walk; it was dark, and she did not notice Skyla sitting on the stairs with a suitcase and a backpack next to her; she was a mess, her eyes swollen from sobbing, and she was much skinnier than she was before. "Skyla, my baby, OMG, why didn't you tell me that you are coming?" Heaven held her sister, Skyla's voice cracked as she said, "Heaven, it happened again, I lost him once again!" and she sobbed like a little baby.

It has been a week since Ayla visited Skyla, and Heaven been trying to give her all the space she needs and here she is when felt she needs to be with her sister.

"It's cold let's go inside," Heaven said. "I'll prepare you the most delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows, and then we'll sit together not talking but comparing scars, since something happened to me as well today." But tonight we won't talk about anything; you'll sleep next to me, and I'll hug you until you're no longer unhappy."

"What did I do to deserve a sister like you?" Skyla said to Heaven, hugging her once again. Heaven patted her on the back, helped her in standing, and carried her luggage and backpack into the hallway. Skyla and Heaven were drinking hot chocolate when Skyla fell asleep on her sister's chest. They sat in the living room for a bit until Heaven awoke Skyla and told her to go upstairs and clean up. She slept beside her, held her until she felt warm and comfortable, and fell asleep again, just as she had promised.