Mia climbed up to the roof of her house and sat down, looking at the starry night sky. Somewhere, she hoped, her father was looking at the same night sky, thinking of her like she was thinking of him.
Her father had left home a year ago for a job, and neither she nor her mother had heard from him ever since.
"Mia! Dinner's ready!" She heard her mother's voice from inside the house.
I'm not hungry.
Suddenly, Mia saw something move across the night sky.
It's a wishing star!
"I wish my father comes back!" Mia cried, tears rolling from her eyes, "Or... or he just gets to know that I miss him!".
The wishing star disappeared under the horizon.
Mia wiped her tears. It's not as if a wishing star can do anything to bring my father back.
"Mia!" Her mother's voice called again, from inside the house. "Come inside the house, it's getting cold outside!".
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"Any new data today?" The head of the U.S.A satellite station inquired.
"No," Mark Smith, an employee replied.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but thinking the better of it, closed it again.
The head looked at him from under his glasses and raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to say something?".
"No...it's just... nothing".
The head sighed, took of his glasses and placed them on his head. "If it's nothing, then it won't be a problem to tell me, would it?".
"Well, my crew just spotted something unusual and they considered it important to inform you".
The head raised his eyebrows.
"Our satellite was passing overhead the town of Springfield, and as it was close enough to be spotted by a human eye, a girl mistook it for a wishing star".
"What did she do to it, then?"
"Nothing. She just made a wish".
"What was the wish?"
"That her father comes back home from his job soon. Nothing special".
When the head looked grave, Mark tried to defend himself.
"I told my crew it was nothing, I don't know why they insisted - "
The head interrupted in between, "It's because they know something you don't".
Mark frowned.
"I left my family too, for this job. I told them how much it hurts everyone in the family in such situations".
"OK," Was all Mark said.
"I am going to assign you a job. Will you do it with full commitment?"
Mark nodded. Of course, I have no other option.
"I want you to fulfil the girl's wish".
Mark widened his eyes. "I'm sorry?".
"Fulfil the girl's wish. Is that too hard for you to do?".
"No sir, but our job is focused on comparing the changes in the Earth's atmosphere and -"
"Would you like to be replaced?"
Mark lowered his head. "No sir".
"Then do as I say. I need a progress report tomorrow".
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"Is something bothering you, Mia?" Her mother asked while they ate dinner.
"No," She replied.
"What were you doing up on the roof?" Her mother asked, trying to make conversation.
"Nothing," Mia replied and then looked up from her food. "Can I got to bed now?".
"Now?" Her mother frowned. "It's only 8. Are you not feeling well?"
Suddenly, they heard the front door open and then they heard the sound of footsteps.
Mia looked at her mother who was now standing up and moving towards the front door.
Before she knew what was happening, two officers in black were standing before her.
"Who are you?" Mia's mother demanded.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry for the intrusion." One of the men held up an id- card, "I am Mark Smith, I work for the USA satellite launch centre, I have come here due to official purposes".
Mia's mother opened her mouth to say something but Mark ignored her and said, "You were up on the roof a while ago, weren't you?".
It took Mia a while to realise that this question was being posed to her. "Uh, yeah," Mia stuttered.
"And you made a wish to a wishing star asking your father to come back from his job?" He further asked.
Mia stared at him. How the hell do they know that?
"I'm sorry," Mia's mother interrupted, "What are you here for?".
"Ma'am," Mark said, "I have been assigned a task to reunite your daughter with her father".
Her mother looked as if she had seen a ghost.
"Mia," Mark continued, "We need to see a picture of your father, so that we can compare it. Do you have one?".
Mia nodded, and quietly brought a box full of his pictures from upstairs.
"Mia," Her mother gasped, "How do you have all these?".
Mia's mother had thrown away all his pictures a long time ago, but Mia had saved a lot of them.
"Thank you," Mark said and picked up one from the box, but his expression suddenly turned to one of horror.
"Is this your father?"
Mia nodded.
"Are you certain?" Mark asked again.
"Yes, I'm sure," Mia said frowning. Why is he acting so wierd?
Mark turned over the box which was full of Mia's father's photos. he frantically looked at all the photos, clearly alarmed about something.
"What's wrong Sir?" Mia's mother asked.
Mark looked at her. "You wouldn't believe it".
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The head of the satellite launch station looked at his phone which had an incoming call from Mark.
"Yes Mark, tell me. I expect to have a progress report".
"Sir," Mark's voice on the other end of the phone sounded tense. "I have found the father".
"That's great Mark!" He said but then stopped. "Then why do you sound so worried?".
"I don't know how to tell you this," Mark sighed.
"Is something wrong Mark?" The head frowned. "Who is the girl's father?".
"It's you, Sir".
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Mia couldn't believe her ears. They found my father?
Her mother was in a same shock. "He is the head of the satellite launch station?".
"Yes ma'am," Mark replied.
"How did - When -" Her mother stuttered, searching for a question.
"You can ask him yourself, ma'am," Mark said.
Mia looked up at him. "He's coming...here?"
As if to answer her question, the doorbell rang at exactly that moment.
"Would you like to do the honors?" Mark motioned towards the door.
Mia started to go, but her mother held her back. "No, Mia".
She turned to Mark. "Who is at the door?".
"Your husband, ma'am".
Mia could see her mother look worried, but then she let go of Mia. "Okay Mia, you can open the door".
Mia thought of cracking a joke when she first saw her father, but when she opened the door and saw her father, she broke into tears.
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"I think I'm going to retire," Mia's father said once he was seated at the dining table and there had been an exchange of words.
"I'm sorry Sir?" Mark asked.
"I'm going to retire. Leaving my family was the worst thing I ever did, and I don't want to miss out on more".
"And," He continued, "I'm going to make Mark the new head of the department".
This took Mark off the hook. "Sir?"
Mia's father laughed good- naturely. "I'm not the 'Sir' anymore, you are".
"But wouldn't you assign this position to someone more experienced than me?"
"According to what I have seen, I have never met anyone more capable than you. Shall we go back to the department to make you the official head?".
Mark smiled. "Thank you".
"Don't forget to come back home again," Mia's mother laughed.
Mia's father laughed too. "I won't".
Mia looked as the two men made their way out of the house, into the cold night.
She smiled to herself.
Making a wish to a star was good enough, but not as good as it is to wish upon a satellite.
❤ THE END ❤
