He couldn't rightly remember the first time he looked up and saw that pretty thing shimmering in the sky. No more than he could remember why his name was Raymond or why catfish swam in the bayou. It had just always been, and always would be, he supposed with a grin.
But there she was, just like the nights before, and breaking from the pack of family he had buzzing around and doing whatever it was fireflies did, Ray waved shyly at his lovely Evangeline. "Evenin' cher", he said, like he always did. Evangeline said nothing, like she always did. Ray just took it to be her greeting too. He laughed heartily, landing on a branch. "Aw sug, someday ol' Ray gon' git ya te say SOMEFIN." He shrugged. "Cos, if'n ya don', I won hold dat ginst ya, Evangeline."
Still nothing. In his head, he could almost hear her laughing, almost see her giving him a loving smile. Ray smiled back. "Sho is a pretty night, tho. You shinin' extra bright."
Sometimes he'd spend three, maybe four hours like that, just staring up at the sky and talking to her. Once, he'd even tried to stay up all the way till the sun came up. After all, she had to come down SOMEtime, right? But he never made it, not yet. She was always gone when he woke up, and he couldn't plead her away from her lofty perch.
The others sometimes talked about him. Sure, there were other girls around. They were nice and polite and plenty interesting, Ray supposed, but none of them were Evangeline. Maybe it was because she'd never said a word to him that he liked her so much. Ray didn't know, and honestly couldn't care less. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, after all.
All too soon, the first rays of the sun weaved their way through the tangled mess of mangroves, and Ray yawned loudly. "Well, till next we meet again, mon amor." He bowed as low and as gentlemanly-like as a Cajun firefly knew how, and flew off for somewhere to lay his head. There was always tomorrow, and maybe then she'd finally talk to him.
---
---
She couldn't rightly remember when she looked down and saw the brilliantly warm heart of that firefly, nor why she let that melt her heart.
But The Evening Star had never been loved as hard as she was by Ray, and for the first time in all the eons of creation, she had a reason to shine. It didn't bother her that she and him would never have a life together, or children, or even a proper hello. All in due time, the tragically short life of a firefly would end, and he'd be with her there in the sky.
And after all, she liked the name Evangeline.
---
---