Squinting, Bree squared her body towards the stranger walking toward her, and pushed back the flying locks of hair blocking her eyes from viewing the image of the man before her.

"Are you lost?" The words were loud enough to hear before he got close enough to where she stood.

He admired her from afar and a wave of relief flooded him. He had learned his lesson after the innumerable failed attempts the night before. He'd been remarkably eager and selfish, nearly ruining what he most desired.

When he awoke that Earthly morning, he practiced his humanlike mannerisms, posture, and speech in anticipation of their encounter. Haĝiēn wasn't over-excited about the encounter. Instead, he approached her with caution and evident concern for her well-being, not his need to get to know her.

"No, I--" 

Her aura glowed mostly yellow with streaks of red. It was the first time she received him with a smile like the one gracing her face and he stared flabbergasted unsure of what to say. She had not been friendly nor warm towards him before. Surprisingly, it stumped him. 

"I-I am not. I'm--" he swallowed. "I'm Haĝiēn," he said quickly in an attempt to catch her name.

"I'm Bree." She smiled and cocked her head. "Are you jogging?"

Wordlessly he gazed back at her.

"Um, working out? Or need help with something?"

Working out?!

"Am I what?" 

Pretending not to hear, he bought time.

What does she mean? Certainly, I am. I am outside in this atmosphere and working, but how would she know this and why would she so blatantly ask?

That's an activity requiring physical effort to improve health, he heard Qûarzar intervene.

Confused, Haĝiēn lifted his shoulder. Who would freely do that?  He questioned her about the word and its meaning.

Evidently, humans, she retorted.

"Um, I was wondering if you," Bree continued. " Nothing, never mind."

"No! Yes, yes. Yes, I--was?" He said hesitantly.

Haĝiēn disliked he had to lie to her but he had no idea what exercising meant until Qûarzar whirred it into his ear. He realized he should have used her help the night before but at that time he was still skeptical of her. However, he realized perhaps he would've been successful on his first try. 

Thank you, he acknowledged Qûarzar. He wasn't sure about her then but now, now he knew he could solemnly trust her.

Bree laughed. "I know why you would doubt yourself." She nodded flipping her hand in the air. "You go out for a jog but end up walking along the greenbelt. Don't worry, happens all the time. At least you're out doing something, right? I haven't felt like working out much since the lockdown but one's gotta push themselves, you know? Like you are doing."

He nodded and grinned uncertainly at what the human meant by at least you're out doing something and pushing themselves. something about what? And, was there genuine pushing involved. Humans were savagely strange.

"Kinda late though, isn't it?" 

She turned her wrist and glanced at something latched to her skin. Haĝiēn understood it to be an archaic, time-telling type of technology strapped to her wrist.

"Oh, sorry. I must have lost track of time. I didn't mean to startle you. I find the solitude and the peace the evenings bring to me, comforting."

"I get that. I do too." She nodded and lifted her eyes above the trees and breathed out through her mouth before looking around for her pup. "That's why I bring Sydney, my dog, out at this time. Where is she?" Bree mumbled while searching around the ground. "To be in harmony with the earth and the sky ... Where the heck is that dog?"

Sydney stood still behind a thicket of tall grass and a hollowed tree trunk. 

"I'm amazed she's so quiet. When you spoke, I thought she'd bark at you startled," she laughed.

With his brainwaves, Haĝiēn commanded the dog to stay where it was. He could feel the animal's excitement and need to come over to him and greet him. Every time he appeared the evening prior and she excitedly ran over to him, the situation turned gravely wrong for him and her. 

Well, worse for her ... 

He rather not make mistakes this time around and keep the atmosphere neutral for their first encounter. He sensed it would be best. He had learned his lesson and he would start slow.

Glancing over at the human, he was impressed by her attitude and serenity at that moment. He measured her breathing pattern and her vitals and all was too normal for human standards. Unlike his state of mind and body. His pulse was steady but his breath came out staggered and his pupils dilated.

How could he feel like that? How? Never had he experienced such things. Not on his planet or any other galaxy. It was overpowering. 

"Hm," he found himself questioning the situation.

Able to finally move, Sydney walked down to where he stood and wagged her tail. Then trotted happily around him whimpering.

"Ha! She likes you. She likes strangers, sometimes." The human's voice sounded impressed.

Haĝiēn was no stranger to her pet but she didn't need to know that. 

Yet.

"I like her too. She's beautiful." 

Smiling, he lifted a five-fingered hand. He now knew Qûarzar had not said anything about his four-fingered hands, on purpose, when she let him come to earth with eight fingers. He was not amused ... yet he couldn't help but be. It was humorous and she was fast becoming an exceptional friend.

"Thanks. Do you need help with something?"

she'd been curiously staring him over.

"No, thank you." 

A million times yes, I do. 

"I was passing by, um, exercising. I have nowhere else to go, really. I like watching the night sky at this hour."

"None of us do." She giggled. 

He furrowed his brow.

"COVID? It has locked us all down, right?" 

"Right! It has." He had almost forgotten about Earth's pandemic. "I enjoy the stars."

"I do too! I love looking at their brightness and twinkles. Many times I wonder if they are all truly stars or planets."

"What else would they be?" he teased with a half-smile and she shrugged.

"Nothing in particular."

"Are you suggesting they might be UFOs?"

"Um," she hesitated for only a second. "Well, yes ... maybe perhaps. Why not?"

"Agreed. Why not?"

She looked satisfied with his reply and a grin spread across his face.

"Are you familiar with the stars?" he asked.

"With the stars? Except for Orions Belt, not really, no. Are you?"

"Yes, very much. Do you mind if I point them out and name a few?"

"Of course not! I would love that." Her eyes brightened. "Without an app, it is difficult to know which is which. At least for me."

"Oh well, I'm very good at it," he giggled. "You see that cluster there?" He pointed in the distance at a distinctive five-star cluster. "That's Cassiopeia."

"How do you know?"

"Due to its unique 'W' shape, formed by five bright stars. You see them?"

She took in the stars before her. "Wow, yes." Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "I do! I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out otherwise. That's fascinating!" Her eyes would not leave the cluster before her.

Finally, she tore her eyes from studying Cassiopeia. "And, what else do you see?" With her index finger, she pointed round close to where Cassiopeia was.

"There's Perseus."

"And how do you recognize that one?"

"It is close to Cassiopeia. If it forms a bright "W,"  Perseus will be the group of stars below the left part of the zig-zag. If Cassiopeia resembles an "M," Perseus will be the group of stars below the right part of the zig-zag. You see it?"

"Yes," she breathed in awe. "I love it!"

"Look for its two brightest stars. The brightest is Mirfak, a yellow star at the mid-point of the constellation. The other is Algol, a blue-white star that forms a line with Mirfak to identify the middle of the constellation."

"You're very good at this! I'm impressed." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you an astronomer?"

He shook his head. "No. I've loved them since I was young."

"Do you know about planets too?"

"Yes! Everything. That one there," he pointed, "is Jupiter."

"Oooh, so that one is Jupiter, I thought Jupiter was somewhere different ..."

"Which one did you think it was?"

"Uhm," she looked embarrassed. "Nevermind. It's not out tonight."

His lips curved into a smile.

"You don't see it?"

She giggled. "I don't see it right now. No."

"It's a clear night. Perhaps it shifted?"

"Maybe it moved," she said scanning the darkness.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "Or it could've been something else."

She shifted her eyes back to him and for a moment they shared a look. 

"So, I have never seen you around here, although, for no particular reason, you do look familiar. Are you new in the neighborhood or visiting family, or friends?"

"Visiting." 

The first truth of the evening.

"That's nice. How are you liking it here?"

"I love it here."

"Where are you staying?"

"Not here," he carefully responded.

A burst of laughter erupted from her chest. "Yes, I know not here but where?"

Tell her you're staying at a friend's house but don't remember the address, Haĝiēn. 

"I'm staying with a friend."

"Aah, great. Where do you live?"

"I don't remember the address."

"O--kay..."

"I'm from another country."

"But you don't remember your address? Or it's difficult to translate?"

"No, I don't know my friend's address."

She made a face. "Oh, I see."By her body language, she seemed to be losing her patience. "Which one? Which country are you from?"

"Umm, a very small village ... in Denmark." For the life of him, he could not remember any other country on Earth and Qûarzar had gone quiet.

"Denmark? How cool. I worked with a client from Denmark some time ago."

"You did?" He panicked.

"Yes, but I know nothing about the place," she laughed.

He sighed in relief. "Well, it's a nice place. Cold." He shrugged.

"Which part of Denmark? What does it look like there? I love traveling. I would love to know more."

"It is quite beautiful and lush." He knew little of Denmark so he described his planet instead. SHe wouldn't know the difference. At least he hoped she wouldn't. "We have a lot of water all around. It sparkles like your diamonds."

"Like, my, diamonds?" She asked confused. "I'm not wearing any."

"Oh, sorry! I meant like Earth diamonds."

"Umm, okay." Her brow raised and he knew, in her mind, he was not doing so well.

Turn it back on her, Haĝiēn. Turn the questions back to her! He heard in his ear.

"So," his eyes shifted around as he thought. "How is it around here?"

She scrunched her brow some more.

"It's nice. Lush. Green. Lots of stuff to do outside if you like that kind of thing. River, lakes  ... seems like you would like it."

"I do." He beamed.

"Well, you're in the right place, then. Ask your friend to take you somewhere nice. Go tubing at the river or to a National park around here. There are plenty of them and not too far. Actually, there's a really nice one not too far from here. About 40 minutes away, maybe?"

"Thank you. I will." 

He studied her silhouette and her hair as it moved with the wind. He glided his eyes down and observed the way the clothes she wore seemed soft to the touch and the way they clung to her frame. He was puzzled by the feelings he experienced at the moment and did not understand what they could be.

Sydney still circled his feet and he folded at the waist and petted her. 

With a new found excitement he would label his mission to be a success. He kept his distance this time. A comfortable one as he had learned she wouldn't feel threatened by him otherwise. In one night, he had learned many things. Including the fact, she was sweet and patient, and most important of all, he hadn't damaged her brain. He'd been afraid of that.

"I must go," he said reluctantly.

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

There was disappointment in her voice. He could read it. He could feel it. He saw the color of her aura and how it wavered with specks of indigo and his heart jumped for joy. She did not know it but her energy field was responding to him.

"But, I can come back. I've been, ah, exercising around here for the last three or four nights. If you don't mind I can stop by and we can talk if you're outside with ..."

"Sydney."

He was hoping she would remind him what species she had said the mammal was, not its name. He heard Qûarzar laugh in his ear and he knew he'd get her back. She had proven to be different than he thought she was and a true friend.

"Yes, Sydney."

Her dog, Hagien. Qûarzar chuckled again.

She kept quiet reluctant to answer.

"It could be about the stars?"

Her lips spread into a smile. Then, she laughed.

"I think it would be nice if you did stop by and I was outside already. That would be nice."

"Then I'll make sure I do. Have a good evening."

"You do too, Haĝiēn."

She had pronounced it back perfectly.

"Thank you."

Her eyes shined bright then and he saw himself in them even though she did not realize it at the moment.

"Goodbye, Bree. You have yourself a wonderful night."

"Thanks. Come on Sydney, leave the nice man alone will ya?"

The dog panted and stood on two feet smelling his knees and clothes. She then turned her body so he could pet her behind. He patted it a few times and then happily Sydney panted before hurrying behind her owner.

"She likes you." Her smile spread.

"I'm glad she likes me ..." And I hope someday you will like me too.

"Thanks for the lesson." She waved.

"You bet."

She walked back to her house reluctantly and he could tell she might have wanted to stay. He had accomplished what he most dreamt of. To meet her, learn her name and talk to her. Now, he wanted to captivate her heart. If he only knew how he could do this. He wasn't sure, but, he was going to do something about it.

Before entering and disappearing through the back gate, she looked back once more and waved. 

There was that gesture he had learned to appreciate and had started it all for him. A rainfall of emotions he was not familiar with nor knew to possess.

He raised his arm too and returned the signal heading in the opposite direction down the greenbelt he now much loved.