Regina sat in her study alone. She felt so very trapped - cooped up for far too long. She placed the glass of scotch that she had been drinking down onto the table in front of her and made her way outside. She needed fresh air more than anything.
Regina made her way to her front door, her high heels clicking loudly on the hard floor of her home. As she stepped out onto her front porch, she took in a deep breath. The fresh, crisp Maine air filled her lungs and calmed her.
As she stood there with her arms crossed, she looked up at the night sky. Chilly autumn nights such as this one always made the sky clearer – far more beautiful. Her eyes gazed upon the millions of stars that lit up the vast darkness of the sky before her.
Regina's eyes glittered as brightly as the stars she viewed, her eyes sparkling with tears. Memories filled her mind and took over her as she remembered.
She remembered sneaking out of her house late at night, careful not to wake her Mother.
Oh, so many nights had Regina done this. She would grab her warmest cloak, and she would quietly leave the house, running straight for the stables where the love of her life would be waiting for her.
She remembered lying outside the stables with Daniel on cold nights, when the stars seemed to shine the brightest – he would wrap a large, weathered blanket around them both and they'd lie back looking up at the stars for hours – together.
He'd taught her how to read the stars, each constellation. One by one, he would teach her. She sighed a little at the memory, a tear falling down her right cheek.
Just then, Regina's beautiful brown eyes wandered over to her favorite star, the North Star.
She remembered Daniel's words to her.
She remembered Daniel taking her hand into his own and lifting it up towards to sky, guiding her index finger directly to the star above them.
"That is the North star. When you see the North Star, you are never alone. It will guide you wherever you need to go."
Regina had always thought that the idea of a star allowing you to find your way was silly, but after Daniel's passing, she could never see the star without tears swelling up in her eyes.
Regina could hear Daniel's words as if he were standing at her side, speaking to her in this very moment.
"Each star has a story of its own - each star is a part of a bigger group of stars – constellations."
Regina would snuggle closer to him, feeling Daniel's warmth. He was the most loving, the most understanding person that she had ever met, and he was the one person that could soothe her soul.
Daniel had taken so much interest in the stars, as he had spent a majority of his life alone. The North Star had helped him find his way on more than one occasion.
Regina remembered her days as queen. She would stand at her balcony for hours upon hours, just standing there – viewing the constellations alone. She would always remember Daniel's words as she'd toy with the ring he had given her – the very ring that he had used to propose to her.
As, Regina stared up at the North Star in this very moment, the pain and suffering that she had felt since Daniel's passing increased - hitting her like a ton of bricks.
She felt so very alone.
A tear made its way down Regina's left cheek, and it felt cold on her face as the cool autumn breeze blew by her.
She whispered out loud.
"I love you, Daniel."
A chill made its way down her spine as more tears started coming, one by one.
Just then, a shooting star made its way across the sky, and Regina's eyes followed it. It was as though, Daniel could hear her words from the heavens above, and he wanted her to know that everything was going to be okay.
"And I always will."