[ WP ] What are you looking at ?

`` What are you looking at?'' I ask for what must be the 600th time. For the last few months my kid sister has been staring at the night sky with her hand up in the air like a complete fool. `` Come on in before one of the neighbors recognizes you.'' She just stands there. Idiot. As I'm about to walk up and shake her shoulder, mom calls from the door, `` Honey it's time to come in now.'' 
 
 `` OK mom!'' with that she skips off to the front door. Great listen to the evil dictator over your brother. 
 
 `` Honestly honey what are you looking at out there every night?'' 
 
 `` I think he's a star mom.'' 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` I think he's lonely up there. I go outside and try to give him my hand, but he's so far away now. But he ca n't be that far away because I can still hear his voice. He's worried about me.'' Mom does n't know whether to look sad, angry, or afraid. 
 
 `` Your brother's gone far away now honey. You ca n't reach him where he is now.'' 
 
 `` I know. Maybe when I grow up I can reach higher and let him know that he's not alone.'' 
 
 `` Yes honey. When you grow up you can see your brother again. We all will.'' 
 
 I remember it like waking up from a dream. That last night when she was bugging me about the dead presidents she learned about in class that day. We were in the tree and I told her something stupid about the dead people being stars. I fell out of the tree that night. I do n't remember what happened next. I just remember that every night since then my sister was with me. Holding her hand up to the sky like a fool. And I ask her, `` What are you looking at?''
