"Sorry about all of my rambling," Audrey said sheepishly as she walked down the hallway with Eli. She dropped his hand and opened her bedroom door, "I just, you know. I want them to see you how I saw you. How I see you." She stepped into her bedroom and fanned her arms out. "Ta-Da!" She grinned as Eli walked into her room. 

Eli smiled at her smile, the shine in her eyes. The way the evening glow of the sun outlined her figure, as if she were an actual angel. He wanted to take a picture of her, just like that. That was how he always wanted to remember her. 

Instead, Eli took a look around her room. "Those glow in the dark star stickers were put up when I was little," Audrey commentated, and Eli looked up at her ceiling, "I just never took them down." Her bedroom was very much space themed. There were posters up of the galaxy, of planets and stars. Her bedding all purple and black swirls. 

Audrey ran to her window and pulled down the blinds. She quickly flicked off the light and closed her door. "Audrey-" Eli started, confused. 

"Shhh." Pulling on Eli's arm, she sat on the bed. She flopped down across it, "Come on." She said, patting the spot next to her.

Eli copied her position, arms pressed next to each other's, Audrey's legs swinging back and forth over the side of the bed. "Pretty cool, right?" Audrey said, and Eli could hear her smile.

He stared at the glowing white stars dotted all over her ceiling in the dark. "Yeah." Eli replied, and turned his head to look at her. She didn't notice, and continued to stare. "Nothing compared to the real thing. But, my Mom never let me sleep outside."

They stayed quiet for a minute, and then Audrey tapped Eli's hand wildly. "I almost forgot," She started enthusiastically, "I'm down to two pills a day." She said proudly. 

"Really? Audrey that's amazing."

"I know." She said smugly, and let out a giggle. "I started Pilates, and then walking. And now I can jog. I barely ever, you know, get bad anymore."

"Wow," Eli said quietly, watching her smile in the dim light intently, and never wanting it to go away, "You're down two pills, and I'm up two pills."

"What?"

"Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant." He clarified.

"Do they... Help?"

"Yeah," Eli shrugged, "They felt weird at first, but I haven't gotten bad in a while either."

Audrey laughed lightly at his copying her words, and could hear him laughing too, in his quiet way. Feeling him watching her, Audrey turned her head to look back at Eli. Their noses were almost touching; this was as close as they'd been in a long time.

She felt a magnet pulling her closer, getting stronger and stronger until it couldn't be resisted.

"Audrey! Eli! Dinner!" Her Mom's voice boomed up the stairs, and Audrey jumped, startled. Heart beating out of her chest, she got up and turned on the light, feeling flushed and hoping Eli hadn't noticed. 

****

Six Months Earlier

Audrey's Mom plopped down at the end of Audrey's bed. Audrey opened one eye, exhausted from finals, and just wanting one nap before her Mom started interrogating her for information. Audrey's phone buzzed again, and she growled. 

Angie looked down at Audrey's phone screen, abandoned on her bedroom floor. She picked it up. "Jack? Who's Jack?" She asked, a devilish grin on her face. 

"No one," Audrey said, burrowing her face into her pillow, "We had a project together in Professor White's class." 

"There are about 15 texts from him." Her Mother guffawed, now freely scrolling through Audrey's phone. "I had a really good time working on our project." She glanced at Audrey, "We should get together for coffee when you get back." She raised an eyebrow. 

"He's not my type." Audrey responded, trying to pull her covers over her head. 

"What?" Angie scoffed, "Why not? He seems very nice." 

"I'm not interested." Audrey told her, teeth gritted. 

"Are you ever going to be interested?" Her Mother snapped, and Audrey threw her covers back down, sitting up. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"How can you possibly still be hung up on a boy you knew for two weeks?" Her Mom griped, and Audrey got up, stomping out of the room. It always came back to this, every time she came home. Her Mom always had to bring it up. 

"Audrey," Her Mom walked into the kitchen behind her, and Audrey crossed her arms, hugging herself tightly. "I'm trying to protect you. I fell in love when I was 18 too." Angie started to cry, tears streaming down her face, "Just look how that turned out." 

Audrey shook her head furiously. "It took me so long to get over him, and he moved on right away. You deserve better, sweetie. Trust me, it will only hurt you to stay hung up on your first love." Her Mom started to wipe her cheeks, and Audrey stood frozen in shock. For the first time, her Mother had acknowledged Eli as someone that Audrey loved. 

Seeing her Mom so genuinely upset and concerned, Audrey caved and wrapped her in a hug. Her Mom squeezed her back. "I just want you to give someone else a chance." She said into Audrey's neck, and pulling away, she stroked through her daughters hair. "Don't deprive the world of you."

The next week, Audrey called Jack and set up a coffee date. 

****

"Hot chocolate." Audrey announced, handing Eli a mug. He took it with a smile. Audrey felt calmer, now that her Mom and Grandma had gone to bed. She sipped at her hot chocolate absentmindedly. "Have you been to the beach?" Eli asked all of a sudden.

"No," She laughed, "Why?" 

"You said if you could breathe better the first thing you would do is go swimming." 

Audrey's nose scrunched up, "You're totally right," She breathed out, "I haven't." She was disappointed that she'd somehow forgotten something that was once so important to her. She couldn't breathe perfectly, but she was better. Why hadn't she been swimming yet? 

Eli smiled slyly and took a drink of his hot chocolate. He had an idea. Audrey led him outside, where the cold air bristled their exposed skin. They stood on her wooden porch, shoe less. Audrey rested her elbows on the porch railing and pointed towards the middle of her yard. 

"That's where I used to stargaze." She said, and Eli smiled at the thought of it. Of Audrey, sprawled out in the grass, watching the stars. Twirling her hands around, thinking one day she might just catch one. "The sky is so clear tonight." Audrey said wistfully, craning her neck to look straight up into the sparkling sky. Eli looked up too.

"What do you think of, when you see stars like this?" Audrey asked, fingers curled around her hot chocolate. The steam from the mug floated into the inky night air. "That we're all very small." Eli admitted freely.

Audrey's brows crinkled. "I mean, its like what Virginia Woolf said, 'When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don't seem to matter much, do they?'" He elaborated.

The twinkling of the stars reflected in her eyes, and her pink lips parted as she thought. And she was so undeniably, irrefutably beautiful. 

"The stars make me feel like I can do anything." Audrey said, "Look at them, Eli." She lightly touched his arm, as if she knew somehow that he was staring at her and not the starry night. "The possibilities are endless. Infinite." 

"Infinite." Eli repeated. 

Audrey nodded and looked back at him. "Anything's possible."