Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Stephen Gilbert, was an aerospace engineer.

When my friends found out, they all crowded around me and asked,

"So does he do that thing you see online, buying you a few stars and naming them after you?"

I smiled and shook my head.

"He's a very meticulous man. He keeps his work and his life completely separate."

"He had an ex once who kept begging to tour the Aerospace Research Institute. He just blocked her and broke it off."

For five whole years, I never once brought up his work.

Holidays, birthdays, it didn't matter. Stephen never did a single romantic thing.

Every month, when his salary came in, he transferred me five hundred dollars.

Five hundred, not a dollar more or less, punctual as clockwork.

I got used to it.

I thought that was just who he was. Calm, restrained, no good at showing anything.

Until one day, a post came across my feed.

Number one trending.

A girl had posted a nine-photo grid, and the caption read,

"For my birthday, you bought me twenty named stars."

In one of the photos, a man's hand was showing.

I recognized the watch on his wrist in a single glance. It was the limited global edition I'd given Stephen.

So it turned out he wasn't incapable of romance. It was just that the romance wasn't for me.

So it turned out I'd never had a place in that sky of his.

1

I chased Stephen Gilbert for a full year before he finally agreed to be with me.

He was a neat freak, exacting in everything.

At home or at the institute, everything was in perfect order, not a detail out of place.

We never celebrated Valentine's Day, or any of the couple's holidays.

On my birthday he never bought flowers, never gave gifts. He'd just find the time to have a meal with me.

Once my friends learned what he did for a living, they teased me,

"Does he do that thing online, buy you a few stars? Super romantic, that kind of thing?"

Every time I heard that, I smiled and shook my head.

"He's not the type who plays at romance."

"But every month when his salary comes in, he transfers me five hundred dollars."

My friends' expressions turned a little odd at that, but they all managed a smile.

"Well, he's practical, at least."

The truth is, we'd fought about it once.

I said I wanted to celebrate the couple's holidays, that I wanted him to buy me a star up in the sky.

I still remember his face then, cold and flat.

"Buying stars and aerospace are not the same thing. Spend less time on that stuff online."

"An ex of mine said things like that once, wanted to tour the institute too. I blocked her and ended it right there."

"If you can't accept that……"

I changed the subject fast that day, and I never mentioned stars, or anything like them, again.

But today, one post sat at number one on the trending list.

A girl, celebrating her birthday, had posted a nine-photo grid.

"For my birthday, you bought me twenty stars named after me."

I knew that watch on his wrist too well. It was the limited global edition I'd given Stephen.

Something drove me to it, and I scrolled through every post that girl had.

The earliest ones started half a year ago.

The "him" in her posts was romantic and playful.

He'd send her bright red roses, walk with her along the shore, ride the Ferris wheel with her.

Scrolling through my phone, I realized at some point that my face was already wet with tears.

So it turned out I had never once been in that sky of Stephen's.

Shaking, I dialed Stephen's number.

It rang a long time before he picked up. In the background I could faintly hear women laughing and talking.

His voice was flat, the same as always.

"What is it?"

I swallowed down the ache in my chest.

"Tomorrow's my birthday. Could you buy me a star?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Stephen spoke.

"Alberta Swanson, you know my rule."

"And you should know this by now. Academically that stuff is just a scam for suckers. It means nothing to the International Astronomical Union."

I let out a small, self-mocking laugh.

"Fine. I get it. Forget I said anything."

A few seconds passed, and he spoke.

"Tomorrow, I'll come home early and have dinner with you."

Then he hung up.

That night, I sat on the couch, staring at nothing.

There was a sound at the door, and Stephen opened it.

The lights came on, and he saw me.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?"

I answered calmly.

"I was looking at the stars outside."

Stephen frowned.

"There aren't any stars in the city now. Are you throwing a tantrum on purpose?"

"Didn't I already say it? I'll come home early tomorrow for dinner."

"What else is there for you to be unhappy about?"

I looked straight at him.

At this man I had loved for five years.

"Let's break up."