It Looks Like A Heart

Vanilla #30 - cloud/star gazing

            “It looks like a heart,” she said one morning. I look up and creased my eyebrows trying to figure out what exactly she was talking about. She was pointing at the heavens with a single finger; at a cloud high in the sky. “It looks like a heart.” I turned my head and tilted it to one side. I just could not see it. Looking away from the sky I shrugged.

            “I don’t see it,” I replied, “I just don’t see it.” Taking my hand she pulled me aside to a lawn. It was someone I did not even know but without a moments hesitation she was lying on the grass and staring at the sky once again pointing.

            “Come look,” she said, “Just for a bit then we can keep going.” I sighed and lay down on the grass. It felt cool and a little wet against my skin but I chose to ignore it. She took my hand in hers and pointed my finger at the cloud. I blinked back my surprise. I could not believe I did not see that before. It was a heart, a perfect heart in the sky, looking lovingly down at the ground below. “I think when you see a heart in the sky it means someone is thinking about you.”

            “I thought that’s when you sneeze.” I replied and she shook her head a few times before releasing my hand.

            “No, that’s when someone pretty or cute is thinking about you. A heart in the sky means someone is thinking and loving you enough that the sky itself wants to remind you,” she said before pausing, “Don’t you wonder who it is?”

            “Who is what? Thinking about me?” I asked and she looked at me. For the first time I noticed how innocent she really was, younger sister of mine, this girl all of five years old.

            “It’s me,” she said and I felt my heart skip a beat. I smiled at her and reached over to pat her head. A moment later someone was outside their house screaming for us to get off of their lawn. So I took her hand and the two of us ran to the park. As I watched her play the heart in the sky seemed to be following us. And when she was too tired to stay a moment longer and we were walking home the heart stayed with us. I watched it, and she did too, as we walked along the quiet street. Someone loves you, I thought, a heart in the sky means someone loves you. I love you little sis, thanks for reminding me how much I do.