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“La la lu
La la lu
Oh my little star sweeper
I’ll sweep the stardust
For you”
He stood in the garden, facing the water. The sun was setting on another pleasant day on the lush green and blue planet, and the loose fabrics of his clothes fluttered in the wind. He rarely wore his Jedi robes anymore.
Anakin could hear his wife singing in the children’s room behind him. She was singing to them the song she sang to him on several occasions when they were on Coruscant.
Anakin remembered one specific time she sang it to him. Recently, in fact. Back on Coruscant, he was out on her balcony — their balcony — gripping the railing and staring out onto the skyscraper planet. She was no Jedi, but she could feel that something wasn’t right. He didn’t want to talk about in in the morning, or for a while. He finally told her around a month later, when her body was tangled with his. They were on the sofa, and the silence stretched a bit too long after she had mentioned going back to Naboo early for the baby again. She thought he was thinking about it. He was working up the courage, running through all possible situations in his mind. Padmé could cry, she could be absolutely horrified… She came behind him on the balcony and placed her hands gently on his back, rubbing up and down slowly. He visibly relaxed, leaning back into her touch slightly.
Padmé did the first thing that came to mind. Something comforting her mother used to do with her. She sang a lullaby.
And now she was singing it to their children. Children. Two of them.
The thought of his three favorite people together in a room made him restless. Anakin unclasped his hands behind his back and fiddled with the long flowy sleeve of his tunic as he walked indoors. He paused in the doorway to listen for a moment before proceeding. All was still for a moment as Anakin quietly padded up the stairs. He just made it to the nursery door when Padmé resumed her singing.
“La la lu
La la lu”
Anakin leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, just watching her there. Padmé was sitting in the rocking chair he had assembled. She had one arm extended, rocking the bassinet.
“Little soft fluffy sleeper
Here comes a pink cloud
For you”
She was so… beautiful like this. Her face was smooth, free of any scars or burns, like the wars had never touched her at all. The setting sun shone through her curls just enough so that it turned auburn. Small parts of her night gown glimmered in the light as she rocked in the chair. Not even flinching when the breeze stopped or started.
He must have made some sort of noise in his reverie, because Padmé’s eyes began to open. She beckoned him over with a small wave of her free hand. He padded over and sat down, leaning his head forward into her lap. Padmé shifted her arm to gently run her fingers through his hair. Her singing came to a halt, and Anakin lifted his head to look at her.
“Keep going,” he whispered to her. He probably looked stupid sitting there, staring up at her with big puppy eyes begging her to continue. She gave him a small smile, one that could light up a whole room, one that immediately turned his insides to mush.
“La la lu
La la lu”
He smiled back at her and buried his face in her nightgown once more as she rocked slowly and gently back and forth. He wished they could stay like this forever, calmness radiating off of every single one of them in the room. If Anakin could pause this moment, he would.
“Little wandering angel
Fold up your wings
close your eyes”
And he did. Anakin let himself gently drift off to Padmé’s lullaby. Flashes of dreams entered his mind. One with their children as toddlers, galloping around the field where they had their first picnic. Another with just him and Padmé, sitting by the lakeside with their feet just barely touching the water. Her head was resting on his shoulder as she stared off at the horizon.
“La la lu
La la lu”
It was calm in their home by the lake. Padmé knew it wouldn’t be like that for long. She’d heard things from her sister and other women in her life. “It will go by fast, Padmé.” “They’ll be off to school before you know it.” Soon they would be walking and talking and causing oh so much trouble. Soon Anakin would be teaching them how to harness the Force.
Padmé didn’t really want this moment to end though. She wanted to stay in it forever. She wanted to stay by her children’s side and have her fingers in Anakin’s hair for the rest of eternity. His hands were tangled in her sleeping gown, resting on her thighs. His breathing was slow and even. He was dreaming. No nightmares. At this she sighed contentedly and leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.
“And may love be your keeper”
“La la lu
La la lu
La la lu”
“There now, little star sweepers,” Padmé whispered. “Dream on.”