Ayu stood by her open car trunk. Soft golden fairy lights glowed against the dark street. A single red balloon bobbed in the cool evening air.
She checked her watch. The street was quiet. She pressed her palm against one warm bulb, waiting.
Footsteps echoed on the sidewalk. The boy from school stepped into the fairy-light glow. He held out a small box and knelt beside the trunk.
The red balloon slipped free and floated upward. Ayu gasped and reached for it, but it drifted past her fingers into the night.
The boy caught the string again and handed it back. "It wanted to say hello to the stars," he said. Ayu laughed and took it.
He opened the small box. Inside was a ring shaped like a tiny heart. The fairy lights glowed brighter around them.
Ayu nodded yes. The boy stood and took her hand. They walked down the street together, the red balloon bobbing above them.
Years passed. They were married now, with a little boy of their own. The red balloon still bobbed on quiet nights, and the fairy lights still glowed.