What If I Never Get Over You

by Paige Toon

“So why physics and astronomy?” His smile instantly becomes relaxed and easy. “My answer is going to make me sound like I’m a five-year-old boy,” he warns, before adding, “I love space.” God, he’s cute. “What do you love about it?”

Things could be a little hectic at home, but when I looked at the night sky, everything else just sort of faded away. It all seemed so still and peaceful, but later I learned that it wasn’t still or peaceful, that there are whole other worlds up there raging with storms and being blasted apart by volcanoes, and all of it made me feel small, as though anything I was dealing with was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Space has always taken me outside of myself.”