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Molly didn’t disagree. She had no doubts about the cosmic origins of Aster’s name, but she didn’t hate the idea of softening the pressure of such grandness with something lovely, something of the earth.

She reached out, holding Eli’s free hand in hers.

“I’m glad I know you now, Eli,” she said, a bit unsteady around her edges, like emotion might steal her voice.

He squeezed her hand.

“I’m glad I know you too. I’d even be willing to let you and Aster live here permanently because I like you guys so much. I’ve got the space.”

Molly laughed. “You just want to steal my cat.”

“Guilty,” Eli admitted. “But please don’t turn me in. I don’t think the police want to see me again.”

“Waters really wouldn’t tell you why he wanted to be here?” Aster asked as he and Molly headed up the steps toward a brick town house. In the three weeks since an explosion obliterated everything they owned, a single spark of good luck had presented them with this property available to rent on the same block where Roy and Alannah lived. It was a new version of old dreams she’d once had about her life, living near her best friends.

This bit of fair fortune was something of a silver lining amidst all the rest. With their belongings destroyed, so too were all the land mines hiding in a history Molly didn’t know. In an unexpected way, the totality of losing their apartment meant something of a clean slate. This new home, with no locked door or looming memories, meant moving forward with an even footing, no longer quite so out of step.

“Couldn’t get a word out of him,” she admitted as Aster unlocked the door and held it open for her.

Roy and Alannah were already inside, waiting in a fully furnished entryway.

Molly greeted her friends with hugs and hellos and open confusion over what they were doing in her new home and where all the stuff had come from. Aster, looking equally baffled, offered Roy a firm handshake and, to Molly’s great surprise, a friendly kiss on Alannah’s cheek.

“What, no insults?” Molly asked, eyes wide, expecting jabs about pointy facial features or offensive fashion choices.

Roy laughed. “They don’t do that when Alannah’s pregnant. Apparently, Bishop refuses to insult pregnant women.”

Molly’s gaze shifted from Aster to Alannah and back to Aster again. He simply shrugged.

“It gives me nine months to work on new material,” he said with casual hands resting in his pockets and a none-too-subtle wink at Alannah.

Roy evidently had no patience for whatever weird rituals their spouses engaged in and instead motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen, also furnished. “As you can see, we have a housewarming gift for you,” he said, a grin growing in sync with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The kitchen looked entirely lived in, complete with a sturdy table, a coffee machine, decorative knickknacks, and even a few houseplants perched on the windowsill by the sink. It smelled like something delicious and slathered in cheese was baking in the oven.

On the refrigerator, a photo from Roy and Alannah’s wedding stopped Molly in her tracks. It wasn’t the same photo she and Aster had kept on display in their old apartment, but it was of the same moment. This new photo had been snapped from a different angle, revealing Aster’s face instead of Molly’s, and capturing such breathtaking devotion in his expression that Molly couldn’t bear to look at it for too long.

“What,” she began, looking around at the rest of the space with wide eyes. “What is all this?”

“It occurred to me that your husband has a lot of really rich friends. And they all have extra home decor lying around,” Roy said, shrugging like this was no big deal. “They’re generous, I’ll give them that.”

Too shocked to fully process the immense kindness that had been dropped in her lap, Molly focused on the practical. “When on earth have you had time for all this?” Molly asked.

“I spend all day wrangling a team of adult men who mostly act like children. And soon enough, Alannah and I are going to be outnumbered by our own kids. I’ll never feel rested again. This is just practice.”

The kindness caught up to her. Molly could do little more than hold a hand to her mouth in awe as Roy and Alannah guided them out of the kitchen and into another fully furnished room.

“Is that—” Aster started, eyes locked on the piece of furniture sitting at the center of the living room.

Alannah choked on a giggle from beside them.

“That’s your sofa,” Roy said with a laugh. “Apparently it was part of a set with a very limited production run. But I tracked down a few of the pieces via an antiques broker. Eli, of all people, paid for the expedited delivery.”

Aster’s mouth hung wide open. “An armchair too?” he finally asked in a reverent tone.

“And an ottoman!” Roy’s joy could not be overstated.

Alannah clutched Roy’s shoulder, and managed through her glee, “Don’t forget all the matching pillows.”