who: @deanbailleres where: art gallery patio when: harvest moon
The night was quiet, a far cry from the last full moon. Alexander heaved a sigh, one that seemed to come from the deepest recesses of his soul. He was tired -- exhausted, really -- in that kind of way that radiated from his bones. Alex had arrived with Zoey, but after approximately an hour of being indoors, had needed a break, a quiet moment to himself, which was how he’d found himself occupying an empty corner of the patio that was mostly veiled in shadows.
As he stood, Alex’s gaze drifted up towards the sky, eyes trying to pick out the constellations. It was something he’d done with his parents as a young child, and something that he’d continued to do throughout his adulthood, something that he did even now with Mira. As he picked out various stars -- Polaris, Sirius A -- Alex’s thoughts drifted to his daughter, wondering if she, at that very moment, was standing in the same position, gaze tracked on the night sky. He missed the days when the night had brought him comfort. Now, he found himself suspicious of every shadow that moved, wondering if one would reveal a new attacker. Another sigh escaped his lips as Alex turned on his heel intent on rejoining the activities indoors and nearly smashed into someone standing nearby. “Sorry,” he muttered, jaw clenched and body tensed.