The night came alive with the whispers of the mountain-desert breeze weaving through the air. JC sat on a deck chair just outside their yurt, drawn to the warmth of the fire crackling at the center of the expansive, open yard behind the coffee shop. Nicole perched on the arm of JC's chair, absentmindedly twirling her fingers through the tangle of curls at the back of JC's neck. On the other side of the fire pit, Sergio sat barefoot and shirtless on the ground, his legs crossed, knees drawn up to his chest, and arms wrapped around himself.
Before them, a vibrant fire flickered in the pit, its dancing flames casting ethereal shadows on their faces. The scent of burning cedar hung thick in the air. Mesmerized by the undulating movements of the fire, JC whispered, "I think... I think the fire is breathing at me," turning to Nicole for confirmation.
"Fires need oxygen too," Sergio called from across the way.
Nicole slid down off the arm of the chair and settled in the dirt between JC's legs, tilting her head back to rest on his lap. Her eyes were fixed on the night sky above. "Look at the stars," she exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder. "They're like storytellers. There's a whole book up there."
"You and stars" JC snickered.
"Tell us a story, then," Sergio urged, his tone soft with anticipation.
Nicole pointed to the constellation Ursa Major, tracing the imaginary lines between the stars with her finger. "See that? That's the Great Bear."
In an instant, a bear came to life in the sky, and JC gasped. "I see it. Nicole, why are you conjuring bears?"
"Zeus transformed Callisto, a beautiful nymph, into that bear to protect her from his jealous wife, Hera. Eventually, Callisto was placed in the sky, forming Ursa Major, forever chased by Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, which is the constellation right there," she said, pointing to another cluster of stars.
JC listened, his senses heightened by the mushrooms. The stars above seemed to pulse with life, echoing Nicole's words in a silent cosmic language. The fire crackled, its warmth seeping into his bones. He glanced down at Nicole, her eyes alight with the celestial tale she was spinning.
"So many stars and bears on this trip... in this world!" he marveled, still looking down at Nicole, whose face was still tilted toward the sky.
"Isn't it amazing?" she mused, "how the stars tell the stories of the bears, and the lions, and the tigers." She laughed, blowing a kiss up at JC, "Oh my!" she added.
JC's eyes crinkled as he smiled, his mind swimming in a kaleidoscope of thoughts and visions.
"The universe has countless stories. My grandfather used to tell us about the tale of the Star Maiden," Sergio began, his voice weaving the second-hand narrative. "Long ago, a young Navajo warrior met a beautiful maiden descending from the stars. They fell in love-" He paused and looked at Nicole and JC, who were rapt with attention. "-but their union was forbidden. She couldn't be part of his world, and he couldn't be part of hers. But she tried. She even turned herself into a flower, so she could stay on the banks of his river, by his side, but as a flower, she couldn't be with the warrior. It just couldn't last. So, the warrior built a bridge between the earth world and the sky world, allowing the Star Maiden to return to the sky where she could be herself, but he longed for her. To this day, their love story is written in the constellations above."
A sudden sadness settled on JC's chest. "But it's a bridge," he whined, looking up at the sky, seeing the bridge light up in the connect-the-dot stars. "Why couldn't he go see her? Bridges work both ways."
Sergio shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand love. I live alone on the turquoise trail," he laughed.
JC glanced at Nicole, her eyes still alight with the story in the stars. "The universe has so many lives. We are just tiny specks down here."
JC nodded vigorously.
Sergio laughed. "So," he continued, "what's your story? How did you two meet?"
Nicole glanced at JC, a hesitant smile playing on her lips. "We met about six months ago. He got me out of a jam," she said, her words soft.
"I built a bridge and got you out of there and to me," JC laughed heartily.
Sergio raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Six months? It feels like you've known each other forever. This must be serious" he mused, his words loaded with unspoken curiosity.
Nicole sat up straight, no longer reclining against JC's legs, her eyes downcast, and her fingers tracing invisible patterns on her lap. JC pulled her back toward him and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "We're just figuring things out," Nicole said, her voice barely audible.
"Sometimes, the universe brings together two souls that have been wandering alone for too long. You two are like constellations that have finally found each other in the night sky among the millions of stars"
Nicole stood suddenly. The conversation had grown too serious, and the effects of the mushrooms were wearing off. "Big day tomorrow," she said, turning to JC and holding out her hand, offering to help him stand, before turning back to Sergio. "So, Picacho Peak in the morning?"
Sergio nodded.
"Good night." She said.
Nicole turned and headed toward the yurt, JC in tow. She closed and locked the door behind her, took a deep breath, and turned to make her way to the bed, JC still standing close behind her, impeding her progress. He reached for her and grabbed her with both hands just above the elbows.
"I don't know," he started to speak, then released his grip on her. "I don't want..." He slid his left hand across her cheek and laced his fingers into her hair at the nape of her neck. "I know that I'm not building bridges to send you back to wherever." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, not breaking the kiss as he walked her toward the bed.
