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“Here Rin, give this to your father.” Rin turned to find her mother holding out her father’s serving of fish and rice.
“You got it?” Her mother asked as Rin carefully took it using both of her hands.
“Mmhmm.” She replied confidently.
Slowly, but steadily, she walked towards her father who sat between her two older brothers, and carefully set down his food.
“Thank you, my Rin.” Her father said, smiling proudly at his youngest child. He briefly inspected the contents. “This looks delicious. Did you help your mother cook this dish?”
“Yes I did.” Rin proudly lifted her chin slightly.
Her father chuckled and lifted the food, taking a small piece of fish into his mouth, “Ah, I can tell you helped. How lucky your brothers and I are to have two of the greatest cooks in all the world.”
Rin’s cheeks reddened, “Well, mother did most of the work.”
“I can taste all the love and care you and your mother put into this feast.” He said warmly, smiling up at his wife who now stood behind Rin and smiled back at him lovingly.
“Come Rin, I have your food set up over here by me.”
Rin nodded and followed her mother, walking to their usual places across from her father and brothers.
Rin ate happily, watching father and brothers quickly empty their bowls and seem satisfied. It made her happy to see them eat so well, and hoped it would keep them strong while they worked on repairs to their home.
“The roof is nearly complete. If we keep up at this pace and the weather cooperates, we will be done in two days’ time. We finally have enough thatch to add on to cover it fully.” Rin’s father suddenly spoke out loud before he took a sip from his drink.
“Ahh that is good news! We will have a stronger roof and won’t have to worry about being rained on.” her mother chimed in enthusiastically.
“Oh, someone doesn’t look to happy.” One of the twin boys remarked with a wide teasing grin directed towards his little sister.
“What’s wrong Rin? Aren’t you happy? We will have a nice warm home.” Rin’s father asked.
Rin pouted, “I like to see the moon and the stars when I go to sleep.”
“You won’t be saying that once the snow starts to fall and freezes your nose off .” Her other brother remarked.
“That would be fine with me.” Rin said through puffed out cheeks.
Rin’s father laughed at his daughter’s stubbornness, “Let’s make a deal. We will finish this roof and we live in it for just a little while, then your brothers and I will work to build you a castle for you to live in when you're older. In the middle I'll grow a garden so you can safely sleep outside whenever you’d like.”
"WHAT??!! MORE BUILDING?!" The twins whined.
“Really?” Rin perked up with anticipation.
“Yes, anything for my little girl.” Her father confirmed. “You’ll just have to give me and your brothers a little time to build it, but you must agree.” He pointed out.
“Yes! Rin agrees!” The young girl declared with a bright grin.
Both twins groaned at the thought of never ending building projects, while Rin’s mother and father laughed, their eyes twinkling with affection as they enjoyed their meal with their children.
Later that night the family was sleeping inside the incomplete structure that they called home. Although it wasn’t finished, it was safe and sturdy, providing some shelter.
Rin gazed up at the sprawling sky under the soft glow of the curved moon, her mind swirling with endless questions about the moon and the stars that kept her awake despite her body’s need for rest.
“Rin, you’re still awake?” A soft whisper broke through the quiet.
Rin quickly turned her head to find her mother watching her with her usual kind smile, framed by the dim lighting of the moonlight.
“I’m sorry mama, I can’t sleep.” Rin whispered.
“You need to try, tomorrow we will have another busy day. We need to make sure to keep your father and brothers strong and nourished.” She whispered lower, glancing at the three sleeping figures at her other side.
“But the stars are too pretty, I don’t want to close my eyes.” Rin said looking up at the night sky.
Her mother smiled and gently pulled Rin’s blanket up to her shoulders. She could see the her daughter’s lids growing heavy. Perhaps, she mused, a story might help lull her into sleep. The only question was… what kind of story?
“Why are some stars brighter than others?” Rin suddenly asked.
Rin’s mother thought over the question, thinking of how to weave it into a tale that would captivate her daughter’s imagination. She slowly shifted to lie on her back, joining Rin in her in stargazing. “Well… some stars glow bright for a time, but even the brightest ones grow tired and begin to dim. It is said that if they lose too much of their brightness they will fall.
She glanced back over at Rin, noticing a sad pout beginning to form “But if they find someone to help them… they can glow brightly again.” She quickly added.
“So, if you see a star fall, we have to help them?” Rin asked.
The mother smiled at her daughter, only her Rin would think of helping a star, “It depends on the star too and how much light it has left in it, if it is too dim then it might not want anyone to find it until it’s ready. Even then only one with a brave and pure heart can approach. They must carry no greed for its light, and hold no fear of the darkness that may surround a fallen star.
“What happens then?” Rin’s small voice whispered, her tired eyes filled with awe.
“If there is one who is brave enough to approach the fallen star, and the star also finds them worthy, it grants them something precious that their heart had been searching for.” Rin’s mother explained.
“Something the heart has been searching for..” Rin repeated as she looked up at the sky, “What would a heart want?” Rin asked.
Rin’s mother sighed, thinking of the many longings of hearts, “People’s hearts wish for many things. A warm meal, a cozy futon, a home with a strong roof.” She said with a light laugh as she looked pointedly at the large section of missing roof, “But a brave and pure heart doesn’t search or long for those types of things. That kind of heart yearns for more meaningful things, like fairness, protection, and love.”
“Why would it matter for a heart to only want that?” Rin asked, her voice soft with curiosity.
Her mother smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair from Rin’s face. “Because those are the only things that can help a star find its light again and shine as brightly as it was meant to.” Her mother said with a smile.
Rin yawned and looked up at the sky once more before bringing her blanket up closer to her cheeks, and faced her mom. “Do you think one day we will ever find one?”
Rin’s mother smiled warmly as she moved closer and held her young daughter. The thought of this story’s ending wasn’t hard for her to imagine. “You don’t need to worry about finding a star, little one.” She whispered, “I’m certain that with your kind and brave heart, a star will find its way to you.”
Rin slowly closed her eyes as her mother’s words settled into her mind. If her mother believed it so strongly, then she knew that it would come true. Slowly she drifted into a slumber, dreaming of the day when her star would be guided to her.