Page 55 of Stardusted

Suppressing a shiver, I turned from the window. Dustin and Lisa’s eat-in kitchen opened right into their living room, and with one last glance at the storm, I wandered past the table toward the island where Mom was working.

“It’s not that bad out there,” I said.

The scent of her cheesy Italian chicken made my stomach growl. I hadn’t eaten anything since that pizza binge last night. It was a good sign, I guessed, that my appetite was back.

I leaned my elbows on the counter. “Need a hand?”

“You already made the salad. And that cheesecake you brought.” Mom waved her knife like a wand. “Go check on your sister-in-law. Make sure she’s not climbing on that stepladder again.”

“On it.”

I mounted the stairs, rubbing my marked palm with my thumb as I went. No texture. No change, but I knew the markings were there.

Lowering my arms to my sides, I turned the corner, and sure enough?—

Lisa froze with one foot on a step stool, both hands full of a stars-and-moon mobile. She winced. “Oh, Rae,” she said, easing off the stool. “Hi.”

I raised my brow. At nearly nine months pregnant, she was nearly as wide as she was tall, and it was utterly adorable.

“Busted,” I said, arms crossed. “I’m under strict orders to keep you off that thing.”

She rolled her eyes but conceded, handing me the mobile. “I’m pregnant, not made of glass.”

“You’re growing my nephew in there. You’ve earned the right to relax.”

I paused to take in the nursery. It had changed a lot since I last visited.

It was oddly fitting, considering current events, that they’d gone with a space theme. The walls faded from light blue to deep cerulean to navy black, like a sky falling into night. Constellations and planets scattered across the ceiling and walls, glowing faintly beneath the soft wash of recessed lighting. Over the crib, the wordsI love you more than there are stars in the skygleamed in silver script.

Cute. No way in hell Dustin had come up with it.

I saw the changing table and the little gray dresser, both pieces Mom and I had painted together for Lisa’s shower, were already in place. It made me smile to see our labors of love on display.

The whole room felt…calm. Soothing. Something I hadn’t been feeling much lately. A strange sort of nostalgia settled in, and I turned back to Lisa.

“You guys got a lot done,” I said, genuinely impressed.

“Dustin’s been nesting harder than I have. He did most of this,” Lisa said, flipping a curl over her shoulder. “I had to tell him to take a break.”

I smiled. “Sounds familiar.” I lifted the mobile. “Where do you want this?”

“Oh, just over the crib. There’s a hook already.”

I climbed the ladder and stretched up to hang it. The tiny planets and stars tinkled as they swayed. Turning slowly, I tookin the rest of the room. A familiar shape on the wall caught my eye: the Big Dipper.

My chest constricted, a soft squeeze. It was like Dad would be here, watching over his grandson.

Then I frowned. Come to think of it, though…all these shapes looked a little familiar.

“Did…” I arched a brow Lisa’s way. “Did Dustin actually use real constellations for all of these?”

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes, rubbing her belly. “He bought a projector to make sure it was accurate.”

“Wow.” I climbed down slowly, circling the room. “No wonder it took so long.”

“You have no idea. He ordered maps and everything. Remember what I said about obsession? He even…”

I stopped short. Her words faded to a background buzz as my attention snagged on a single star pattern.