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“Pulsars, magnetars, collisions … the list does go on. But this one is curious because of … well, things we look for, so I’m on alert for more, that pattern.”

“That’s where I get a little lost with this stuff. I mean, it’s fascinating, but so … unreal to me. Thousands, millions of light years away just seems way too far to be important in my life.”

“I get it.” He nodded and then smiled like he knew something I didn’t.

“What?” I asked. “If you know the secrets of the universe, I’d like to hear them.”

Sonny shook his head and then sat on the corner of the desk. He crossed his arms in front of himself. “Nope. It’s not a secret.”

“I’m listening.”

“We, you and I, are both into the same things.”

“Explain.”

“Bones, Hazel. You know this, but you might have forgotten. Bones are made of all of this stuff up there. Bones came from stars.”

I felt my breath hitch a little. Of course, I knew what he was talking about. Essentially, we are stardust. Bones are forged from the calcium that lived and died in space long before we were born.

I chuckled once, finding that elusive thing—fun—again. “I do know that. We are stardust. But everything is.”

“Sure, but I was thinking mostly about bones. You and I study the same things, but just from different directions.”

“I suppose I can’t argue about that.”

“Don’t make me quote the old Joni Mitchell song.”

“We should always listen to the hippies.”

“I don’t disagree. See how much we have in common?”

“Okay, I get it.” And I didn’t even want to add anything like “but I’m not interested.” Was I, though?

I stared at him for a long moment, wondering at what point the shift had come. This really was a date. This guy had my attention. I wasn’t quite sure what to say or do next.

“Hungry?” Sonny asked, seeming to key in on my strange but delightful confusion.

“Absolutely.”

“Glad to hear it.” He stood and then reached under the desk, retrieving a giant picnic basket. “Want to eat under the stars?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Awesome.”

I laughed, but it was good to get out of that small building and breathe in some fresh air. My head needed a little clearing.

Sonny led the way down a short, paved walkway which ended in a patio with two picnic tables.

“This seems convenient.”

“Right? It’s good to have a place to go when the walls start closing in inside that closet. It can happen.”

“Yep. I get it.”

“Have a seat.”

Sonny placed the basket on a table and then moved to a giant lever attached to a thick steel pole. With his other hand he pushed a button and spoke into a speaker. “I’m going lights out, Bruce.”