Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

The roof had the gentle slope of a gable, not too steep to climb.

It was originally tiled with glazed shingles, but atop those lay a thick bed of straw.

Standing on it felt like standing on a haystack; there was no fear of slipping.

Esther quickly found a spot and perched herself at the peak of the roof.

Then, with a playful smack on the space beside her, she beckoned, "Nocturne, sit here."

The three of them sat side by side on the rooftop.

Agnes took the spot on the end.

She thought climbing roofs was a bit risky, but she didn't interfere.

Partly because she didn't want to spoil the kids' fun, and partly because Nocturne, usually so mature for his age, was doing something unexpectedly reckless.

Other parents might have scolded them, but for Agnes, it was a delightful surprise.

Esther pointed skyward and exclaimed, "Look, there's the Big Dipper!"

Agnes looked up, and indeed, the view from here was unlike any from the ground.

The sky was a tranquil canvas, with stars strewn across it like scattered silver coins, a celestial game of chess in motion.

Despite her youth, Esther knew a surprising amount about the stars.

This impressed Agnes greatly.

Esther aimed her finger at a cluster of stars and said, "Ms. Agnes, see that brightest star over there? That's called the Guardian's Eye. No matter when or where you are, the person you love most can see you through that star. I think my mom is up there, watching over me."

At the mention of the Guardian's Eye, Agnes was momentarily taken aback.

The Guardian's Eye, the guardian star-why did it feel so familiar?

Her mind drifted back to her own youth, more than a decade ago.

She was walking on the school track with Elton Taylor.

Elton suddenly pointed to a star in the sky and said, "Agnes, see that star? That's the guardian star. It's the eye of your beloved. True lovers, no matter where they are, will find each other under its guidance. Agnes, as long as it shines in the sky, my love for you will never fade."

Agnes had been touched by Elton's words at the time.

She wondered where he had read such a fable.

But when she looked up and saw the mischievous smile on his face, she frowned and retorted, "You made that up, didn't you?"

The young man laughed so hard he bent over, "You believed it, didn't you? Haha, Agnes, you're so naïve. You believe anything I say."

Agnes chased after him to playfully hit him.

Ah, the bittersweet memories of youth-one couldn't dwell on them for too long.

Truthfully, Agnes hadn't thought of Elton in many years. But on a night like this, under such a starry sky, a tinge of youthful melancholy brushed the heart. Agnes inquired, "Esther, who told you all this?"

"It was my dad."

Agnes remembered Mr. Hanson saying Esther's father visited her only once a year.

She felt for the child.

Even if she needed to stay here for health reasons, a father visiting just once a year seemed...

But Agnes also understood that every family has its own helplessness.

Breaking the silence, Agnes asked softly, "Do you miss your dad?"

Esther propped her chin in her hands, pondering seriously, "My dad is very busy, even if he wanted to, he couldn't be with me every day."

"Where's your mom?"

Agnes had heard from the people at the herbal clinic that they had never seen Esther's mother.

Everyone assumed she didn't have one.

But when Esther mentioned the guardian star, it was the first time Agnes heard the girl speak of her mother. It seemed she did have some concept of her.

Esther suddenly sighed like an old soul, "I don't know where my mom is. I've never seen her, but I believe she's somewhere watching over me, and one day she will come to find me."