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Luna doesn’t know everything. She doesn’t know where the stars in the sky come from, how dreams form shape in her mind, or why the leaves change in the fall.
But she does know one thing for certain: she loves her dad very much.
It’s only been the two of them for quite some time—for as long as Luna can remember, really. Sometimes she dredges desperate memories from the depths of her mind, faint evocations of any minor thing: the color of her mother’s hair, her smile or tender touch.
Those thoughts tend to sadden her mind, but her dad is always quick to assure her. He tells her that it’s okay because he’s here and he loves her enough for the both of them.
And the thing is, after some time, Luna has come to the realization that she doesn’t really miss her mother. She misses what could have been, maybe, but she never wishes for anything to change—because her dad will see one glimpse of sadness in her eyes and make her feel happy again in an instant. He’ll pick her up and pepper her forehead with kisses, much to the boisterous giggles that accompany her smile.
So it goes without saying: Luna loves her dad very much.
She also loves her grandfather.
Luna hears other children whisper when they think she’s not listening. She bows her head and acts unaware, but she can see the faint shades of green in the corner of her eyes, the slight tint of purple in their murmurs: that her grandpa is scary and evil and bad.
Luna never understands these claims, because she doesn’t think her grandpa is bad at all. Not to her, anyway— never to her.
He always looks at her like her dad does, like she’s the only thing that matters. And Luna loves her dad’s hugs, the crushing embraces that flash so intensely bright, but her grandpa’s hugs are special. They are faintly but ever so strongly golden—secure, soft and warm. His smiles are rare, like a shooting star in the darkest of nights. It is all of these characteristics that make it really difficult for Luna to picture her grandfather as any of the words her peers utter under their breaths.
Luna only wishes he didn’t have to leave so much.
“How come you can’t stay here with me and Dad?” Luna asks him one evening, fiddling with a pillow while Grandpa packs a suitcase on the end of the bed.
“I wish I could,” he replies with a sigh. “But I have duties in Genosha. I can’t leave my people— our people.”
“I miss you a lot,” Luna says quietly.
Her grandpa stops packing and reaches to run a soft hand through her hair. A soft blue lingers from the touch. “I know. I miss you as well.” The blue morphs into a faint yellow as he places a hand on her shoulder. “But I will be back as always. It will be as if I have never gone.”
Luna nods solemnly until she brightens with an idea. “When you come back, we can go to that one place Dad likes so much. The one with the yummy chicken nuggets!”
Grandpa’s nose wrinkles in disgust. “Are you talking about McDonald’s?”
Luna nods enthusiastically.
“I would hardly call what you eat chicken at all,” her grandpa says drily, but he gives Luna a genuine smile. “But I would love to. We can get lunch when I return.”
Luna cheers as Grandpa shakes his head fondly, resuming his packing.
The door opens and her dad’s brown eyes land upon her own. “There you are. What are we celebrating?”
“Grandpa said we can go to McDonald’s when he comes back from Genosha,” Luna says as her father sits beside her.
“McDonald’s?” Dad echoes in surprise before giving her grandpa a smirk. “I thought you hated that place.”
“Oh, I do,” Grandpa agrees with a nod, but not without giving her dad a soft smile as he zips his bag closed. “But if it means spending time with my two favorite people, then we shall go when I return.”
“You’re so sappy, pops,” her dad chuckles, a glowing gold surrounding him.
Luna turns to her father, raising an eyebrow in confusion as an image of a tree flitters over her mind. “What does that mean?”
“It means that despite anything your grandpa says, he’s really just one, big teddy bear.”
Luna giggles as she exchanges a playful glance with her dad. Grandpa rolls his eyes, but Luna can see the fierce gold that radiates from him as he seats himself in between the two of them.
Luna knows her grandfather will be leaving soon, and she will be forced to watch his departure with the same lingering sadness that she always feels when he leaves. But she also knows that her dad will be there with her every passing day until her grandpa returns.
And for now—Luna basks in the glow beaming from around her, enjoying the moment—however long it may last.