“What makes me so special?”

“Everything”

__________________________

Sierra loved counting stars.

When she was little, Sierra would sit atop the roof of her parent’s ranch all night - categorizing the numerous balls of light from brightest to dimmest, losing count, and starting all over again.

Many have called her childish over the years, but she didn’t care. Even now as an adult with a full-time job, Sierra went up to the roof of her apartment complex at least once a week in hopes of spotting a star. Unfortunately, with the excessive light pollution of the city, she had yet to see one. Still, she went up anyway, waiting for the day there would be a star with a gleam bright enough to be seen in a place like this.

The first few times it was just her on the rooftop, and Sierra liked it that way. No one to bother or judge her for staying up there for hours on end.

Then one day, as she made her way to her usual spot, she realized someone was already there.

When Sierra approached, she recognized him as her neighbor from a few doors down. Rumor around the complex was that he was a war veteran whose time in the military left him cold, calloused, and dangerous.

For a split second, Sierra considered turning around and leaving, but she didn’t want rumors to dictate her own opinion of someone.

And she was glad she didn’t, because now, six months later, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. He was her best friend, her other half, a piece of herself she hadn’t realized was missing.

“Are you cold, princess?” Devon asked.

Sierra smiled at the nickname. Devon had once said he truly believed in another life that was what she was.

She was reluctant to believe him. Sierra saw herself as far too outspoken and defiant for such a role. She was nothing like the dainty, gentle, pretty little princesses she grew up watching. She also couldn’t sing for the life of her. Still, Sierra loved the nickname nonetheless.

“I’m alright,” she said. “It’s not that windy tonight, I’ll be fine.”

As Sierra stared out at the skyline, Devon pushed himself into a sitting position, removed his jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.

Sierra smiled and shook her head. “You’re too good to me, y’know that? What would I ever do without you?”

“Get frostbite,” Devon said dryly, laying back down.

Sierra couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“Major Mills,” She said as she laid back beside him. “I didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”

“I don’t, not with most people,” Devon admitted. “Just you.”

“Just me?” Sierra asked, sarcastically. “What makes me so special?”

“Everything.”

Sierra chuckled and rolled her eyes, nudging his arm. “You’re ridiculous,”

“I’m serious,” Devon said. “You don’t even realize how special you are.”

Sierra smiled at him. “Oh, really?” she turned her head to meet his gaze. “What exactly have I done that makes you think that?”

“You did something I thought no one would ever dare to do.”

“Which was?”

“Became my friend.”

The momentary silence between them was filled by the sounds of the city.

“I know what others think of me. I hear what our neighbors say behind my back. I see the sideways glances when I walk past. But you never did that. You treat me like I'm human. You gave me a chance, and it takes a special person to take a chance on a guy with a few screws too loose.”

“Hey,” Sierra shifted onto her side, fully facing him. “You don’t have loose screws, Devon. You are not crazy, no matter what anyone else says. Your flashbacks, nightmares, and panic attacks do not make you threatening, do not make you dangerous, and do not make you crazy. I don’t ever want to hear you talking about yourself that way again.”

She touched his shoulder, her grip careful, but firm.

“After everything you’ve been through, crazy is the farthest thing from what you are. You hear me?”

Devon searched her face, his expression clearly showing his internal struggle of whether or not to believe her. Sierra knew he was looking for any signs of deceit. He would find none.

Slowly, Devon nodded his head.

“Good,” Sierra said. “Can’t have my best friend thinking ill of himself because of other people’s cruelty, now can I?” Sierra let go of his shoulder and repositioned herself on her back as she returned her gaze to the sky. What she spotted up above made her eyes go wide.

“Vonnie, look!” she sat upright and pointed up to the heavens. For once, high above them shone a star. Not a helicopter, nor a drone, but an actual star whose illumination found some way past the city lights.

“Finally!” she exclaimed.

Sierra heard Devon sit up too, and she turned excitedly toward him, only to find his gaze not up at the star but instead on her.

There was a shaky smile on his lips and a bright gleam in his eyes, a gleam magnified by the tears falling down his face.

“Thank you, Sierra,” Devon said. “For reminding me what it’s like to feel safe again.”

Sierra stared at him with astonishment and wonder. It wasn’t until Devon wiped his thumb along her cheek that she realized she had begun crying too.

As he began to pull away, Sierra grabbed his hand and wrapped him in her arms. He returned her embrace with full force. Letting it relay all the gratitude in his heart that his words could never fully say.

Sierra glanced back up at the sky. All this time, she had been waiting for the brightest star to appear, the star whose light was strong enough to push through everything that dared to stand in its way no matter how hard or painful it might be.

Only now did she realize the brightest star wasn’t above her, but beside her, and he had been all along.

Edited on 12.16.23