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The tall grass swayed in the crisp October breeze as the triplets made their way up the hill. They carried nothing with them but a blanket to lay on.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie had created a tradition of going stargazing at least once a month. It was a nice escape from the enclosed space of the houseboat.
Of course the seasons had shifted now, and they could no longer take comfort in the warm summer air. Now, bitter cold nipped at their feathers. But the boys ignored the changing weather the best they could, preferring to relax in the soft field with their eyes on the sky.
Once they reached the top, where they were closest to the stars, the three ducklings set out their blankets and laid down.
While the small twinkles of light reflected in Dewey and Louie’s eyes, Huey was taking out a flashlight and projecting it onto his guidebook.
“We’re right under Orion, also called ‘The Hunter,’” Huey remarked, pointing at the page. “Oh, and right above it is Taurus, or-”
“‘The Bull,’ right? You can tell by that bright red star,” Louie finished for his brother.
“See? We do listen to you sometimes ,” Dewey chuckled, nudging Huey playfully.
Huey grinned. “I guess that’s somewhat reassuring.”
“All I need to know is that they look pretty,” Dewey replied, stretching.
“Yeah,” Huey and Louie agreed simultaneously.
Quiet elapsed between the triplets as they watched the painted night sky. The moon and the stars seemed to move ever so slightly with each passing second.
For a few moments, all that could be heard was the gentle lull of crickets and the rustling of the late autumn leaves. The fall colors looked identically brownish-orange in the dim lighting.
“Do you guys think Uncle Donald’s okay?” Huey asked softly, not even turning to look at Dewey and Louie.
“What d’you mean?” Louie tipped his head.
“He seems so overworked lately. I think we’re wearing him out,” the red triplet sighed.
“We’re always wearing him out,” Dewey corrected.
There was a pause before Louie spoke again. “That’s true. Maybe it’s because he’s on his fifth job in three months.”
“Or he’s just sad,” Dewey shivered, and his breath became visible as a little wisp in the air.
“Why would he be sad? What’s different now?” Huey murmured.
“Well, I’ve been really sad before, and there didn’t seem to be any reason for it. I felt like nothing would help. It drained all of my energy, and I didn’t even want to talk to anyone,” Louie admitted.
Huey and Dewey sat up and glanced at each other. Then, they moved closer to Louie and sandwiched him into a group hug.
“What were you sad about?” they asked their youngest brother.
Louie didn’t respond for a moment, choosing to study the dead grass curling around their blanket. After all that suspense, he simply answered, “Mom.”
“Mom?” Dewey’s eyes lit up. “I think about her all the time.”
“You do?” Huey turned to the middle triplet, surprised.
“I miss her. She’s like a hole that can’t be filled,” Dewey said sorrowfully.
“How can you miss someone you’ve never met?” Louie interjected.
“I dunno,” Dewey shrugged. “She’s our Mom, and it feels like she should be with us.”
“But she’s not. She abandoned us, all of us. She left her kids and her brother. Maybe I felt more angry then sad,” Louie realized.
“You really think she left on purpose?” Dewey’s eyes went wide, as if he didn’t want to believe it.
Louie gazed at him, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. “She would’ve been back by now otherwise.”
Huey, who hadn’t said anything in a while, took a deep breath. “I had no idea you guys were hurting over this, I’m sorry. I’ve never really thought about her.”
“Really?” Dewey and Louie asked simultaneously, noticing the regretful tone in the red duckling’s words.
“You don’t have to be sorry about Mom’s mistakes, Hue,” Louie reassured him.
Huey gave a small smile. “I still don’t want to see you both upset over someone who isn’t even here. Mom’s never been a part of our lives. We can’t change the past. . . I prefer to focus on the family I have now, is all.”
The triplets hugged and all began to cry. That was a thing with them. If one started crying, they were all bound to follow suit sooner or later.
“Yeah,” Louie sniffed. “But we’ll always have Uncle Donald. And each other.”
“Maybe Uncle Donald’s just sad because he lost Mom, too. She was his sister first,” Dewey pointed out. He didn’t tell his brothers, but it felt as though a deep, clenching darkness had opened up inside of him. Dewey realized that he might be the triplet who yearned for their mother the most.
Huey nodded. “That’s right. Still, there’s nothing to be lost in wondering, even if I don’t see the value in it.”
Dewey smiled, feeling a bit better. His feelings weren’t stupid.
“I think we should do something nice for Uncle Donald tomorrow, he deserves it,” Louie commented. Huey and Dewey agreed.
They were all shivering against the cold, yet had no desire to leave their little spot atop the hill. No, for some odd reason the triplets wanted to remain crystallized in these bittersweet emotions.
“We won’t end up like them,” Dewey vowed.
“Yeah, we’ll be there for each other,” Louie whispered.
“We’ll always stick together,” Huey finished.
Still entangled in a sort of hug, the three boys leaned back into their blanket, with their sights set on the stars.