Can We Keep It?

“Nobody can hear a scream from the vacuum of space, or so they say.” Hazel blurted this random fact to break the awkward silence at the breakfast table.

Her dad looked her in the eyes and then quickly back down sadly at his UFAwful Waffles. Lately, he’s been back to his cheerful self on Lazy With Hazy Spacey Days, but today he’s a bit rattled.

“You could scream and even cry, like super loud. But nobody could hear you! Isn’t that weird, Dad?” Hazel nervously poked at her Crunchy Craters in her bowl like she was attempting to wake them up. She knew precisely why he was upset.

“Hazel.” Her dad took a deep breath.

“Yea, Dad?”

“Why’d you scream last night?” His question made her freeze mid-chew.

“I screamed? Weird. Really?”

“Yes, Hazel. You screamed. I came into your room to check on you; I know you had to hear me.”

“Ohhh, that! I remember now. Silly me. That was just a….”

“A what?” Her dad insisted.

“A happy scream?” Hazel even questioned her response.

“A happy scream? Hazel, what’s a happy scream?”

“You know when you’re like having a good dream, and then you wake up. And then you’re like AHHHHHH! That was so good. I’m so thankful for rest!” Her dad was not buying this story, and she could see it in his face. His bushy eyebrows somehow always told her exactly how he felt.

“You’ve been my daughter for seven years. Please tell me when these happy screams started.”

“I guess last night. I will try to control them. They’re still a bit new.”

“Listen. Though I love how you can turn everything into a joke, I need to know the truth. This is important. If the nightmares are coming back, tell me, and we’ll figure this out again. Okay? For the last few weeks, you’ve been rustling and making noises in your room at night, and I’ve been trying to give you space. But, that scream had to be a scream of fear.”

“Dad, there weren’t any nightmares. I promise.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, I do! And to be honest.” Hazel thought to herself for a few seconds. “They actually were kind of happy screams.” Hazel immediately regretted her choices.

“Come on, Hazel. I thought we were being serious.”

“I am Dad!”

“Then tell me!”

They both paused as they could feel the tension in the air. They were silently staring at each other. Her dad and she both shared a lot of things. Their hazel eye color. Their love for crazy socks. Their sense of humor. Their passion for outer space. Their deep hatred of arguing. And their longing for their best friend back.

“When mom went missing, I screamed every night.” Her dad’s eyes instantly began to water as he saw his wife’s face in his daughter’s and remembered all the sleepless nights.

“I had nightmares of her floating alone in space, with no one to talk to or hold, or to save her. And there was nothing anyone could do.” Hazel put her hands over her face to hide the tears.

“But, then you asked me for all your mom’s notes and books, remember? It seemed like that made you feel better.” Her dad got up from his seat and sat next to her.

“You also asked if you could have a pet but wouldn’t tell me which kind you even wanted.” Her dad chuckled. Hazel slowly moved her hands from her face.

“Dad. On the day that I asked for mom’s notes and books, someone came to my window.” The eyebrows on her dad’s face rose higher than ever before.

“What are you talking about, Hazel?”

“Dad, you have to promise not to freak out.”

“Hazel, what’s going on?” Everything quickly became much more severe.

“Mom’s space shuttle landed on the planet they were trying to get to like everyone said. And it’s true; her ship came straight back to Earth like scheduled. But it wasn’t empty like people keep saying. Someone else returned in her ship!”

“Hazel, stop this right now.”

“Dad, the scream you heard last night was mine. But it was because we found mom! She’s alive!” Hazel hugged her dad tightly. He was too shocked to hug back. He could only imagine what his therapist was going to say this time.

“She’s alive? We? Who’s we?”

“It’s in my room. But, you have to promise we can keep it.”

Hazel grabbed her dad’s hand and slowly walked him down the hallway like it was unfamiliar to him. He imagined this unsure feeling being how his wife felt the first time she visited a new planet. He looked at his daughter, and she gave him a reassuring smile. She turned the doorknob and opened the door. Immediately, without hesitation, her dad let out the biggest scream their house has ever heard….

Hazel wasn’t sure if it was a happy scream, yet….

Neither was their new visitor….