Watching the falling stars, my lady and I were gazing up at the dawn sky.

“He he he…”

It must have been the anniversary of the day the seeds of hope sprouted, because my lady was smiling so pleasantly, making no effort to hide the corners of her mouth as they turned up.

“Hee hee hee…”

Lying in bed, my lady continued to laugh as she looked at me. I looked at her with a small smile as her gaze, heavy with the expectation of praise, fell upon me.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“He he he… …