Star Light, Star Bright (Double Drabble #43)

They're seated side by side on the curb outside the Jeffersonian one hot summer night when the moon hangs high and full. As Booth sips his beer, a glimmering star catches his eye. Smiling, he pictures Parker looking out the window reciting Star Light, Star Bright. "Say, Bones, if you could make one wish--any wish--and have it come true, what would you wish for?"

Brennan's forehead wrinkles as her fingers skim the condensation on her bottle. "I don't believe in wishes, Booth."

"I know, but just pretend for a sec. It's a hypothetical question."

Without a breeze, the air presses thickly against their skin. Shrugging, Brennan lifts her hand and brushes her damp fingers over her mouth. The gesture seems absentminded, but Booth's mouth turns dry. "Obviously, I would wish for an infinite number of wishes."

He groans at her logic. "Come on, Bones," he says, waving away her answer. "That doesn't count."

"But you said I could make any wish."

"Any wish but that one. Try again."

Their shoulders brush as she shifts. "I would wish my parents had stayed," she replies softly. "Does that count?"

Booth leans in until their shoulders touch again. "Yeah, Bones, it does."

---

Author's Note: For anyone who doesn't know it, Star Light, Star Bright is a nursery rhyme that goes like this:

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.