362 days. It has been 362 days since I last saw my mom. My mom works for NASA, and she left almost a year ago on a trip to explore the moon and to establish a living presence from earth among it. It was supposed to be 3 months. It'll be 12 soon. She promised to be back for my birthday, she lied. All I got was a 5 minute phone call consisting of bad news and a happy birthday song. Just short of an "I miss you, how are you?" Eventually on the news I found out about the Boov. A group of what I can only describe as aliens. They are purple and small and round. They have many little legs and different types of heads, but usually consisting of two little cinnamon-bun like horns? If you could even call them horns.

I woke up and started getting ready for the day. The boov initiated a fight with the people from our earth and school had been canceled because no one knew what would become of the fight. Everybody was watching the news, stocking up with food, and making sure they had an emergency plan if anything happened. I was more concerned with whether or not my mom was okay. I made my way over next-door, to have breakfast with Claire and Tasha. Clair is my mothers best friend and Tasha is mine. My mom left me in Clair's care. They're wit me wherever I go, making sure I stay safe. Even when I sleep, Claire and Tasha will stay with me or I stay with them. We have cameras set up at the exits and entrances, and one that we turn on or off depending on whether we are there or not. Claire set them up to ensure we were okay when leaving and getting home while she was working. She works at home in her home office but once in awhile she goes out to buy groceries or do the basic stuff. She's done a lot for me since my mom has been gone, and for sure a critical reason why the transition between having then not having my mom home with me hasn't been so difficult.

Claire made some breakfast sandwiches, my favorite. She was watching the news but turned it off the instant I walked into the kitchen. Claire tried her best to keep the news about the Boov away from me. She knew it would worry me given what it would mean for my mom. The news talked about the Boov carrying through an attack on the humans from our earth on the moon. They wanted control of the moon and didn't want to negotiate about it. There was also news about a lot of people coming back from the moon to stay with their families in these uncertain times.

"Do you think my mom will come back?" I decide to ask Claire.

"What?"

"Do you think she'll come back? My mom? To see me?"

"Why do you ask that hun?"

"Because I know people have been coming back from the moon to visit their families and I wanted to know if you'll think she'll be one of them."

"Your mom loves you. You know that."

"That's not the question, I know she does. But do you think she'll come back?"

"I don't know hun. She probably hasn't because she's busy with everything. You know how hard it was for her to leave you."

"I know that, but if it was so hard for her to leave, shouldn't it be easier for her to come back?"

"I'm sure she will, soon. But for now, you have to be patient."

"I've been patient for a year. She was supposed to be back months ago!" I snapped back. You could hear the break in my voice, holding the tears back.

"I know, I know. It's okay. Just give it time." Claire told me as she came over to comfort me.

Tasha came down from her room, bedhead and all. She woke up later then her mom and I, so she was usually last to breakfast.

"Hey loser. Come up stairs. I have something to show you." Tasha told me as she grabbed a sandwich off the counter and made her ways back upstairs.

"Whatever. Okay let's go."

We made our way over to her room and I sat in her bean bag chair while she grabbed whatever she needs from her bed.

"So I've been looking, and you can go see your mom."

"Wait, what?!"

"Okay so I know you've been really sad lately about not being able to see your mom and especially after Alice's mom came back but yours didn't. So i did some research and I found out that you can go see your mom. Basically you have to pass this program in order to be able to go but you can for sure go. It was that program you did with your mom that she needed to do before she left and you went with her so you could maximize the time you spend with her before she left. You can go see her! All you need is to book a ticket to go, but since a lot of people haven't been wanting to go, and they want to fill up the ship to go, they have them for only 150$. You should go!"

"I don't know. She won't be expecting me. I haven't been able to contact her at all!"

"So what?! Do it. You've been wanting to see her for forever, this is your chance!"

"Ugh i don't know."

"Go! I'll help you pay. I'll give you my 60$ left from my birthday money. Go and conquer!"

"Okay. Let's do it. What's next?"

We spent the rest of the day getting everything I needed to be able to work, from the means of paying to the paperwork. We decided it would be best to not tell Claire till the day of. That way, I kind of had to go through it. It's not like I would be able to ask for a refund the day of.

*2 weeks later*

So far everything on the news indicates that everything has been going good between the Boov and the humans from earth on the moon. I'm all packed up and ready to go. I've been sneaking around Claire but she found out last night and turns out she knew all along after the bank statement came in for Tasha and Tasha left it in the living room. She noticed the 60$ missing and she saw the ticket come in too. Turns out she called my mom before hand, explaining to me the whole process she went through to contact my mom and she would be meeting me once I landed on the moon. Clair drove me over to where the ship would be taking off. I ended up falling asleep after take-off. It was bumpy and crazy, but I had stayed up the night before not being able to sleep from excitement of seeing my mom.

*awhile later*

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived. The moon welcomes you."

Finally was on the moon and I couldn't wait to see my mom. I got my luggage and made my way over. I saw my mom and ran into her arms. I missed her so much more than I even thought and we ended up spending a solid minute or 2 just hysterically sobbing. Finally we made our way back to where she was staying, on the moon, and we got something to eat. It was months late but for sure the best present I could have for a birthday. Even if it wasn't meant to be for that.