REVELATION 21:23

And the city had no need of the sun,

neither of the moon, to shine in it;

for the glory of God did lighten it.

REVELATION 21:25

for there shall be no night there.

~ * ~

"Beautiful, isn’t it?"

Calie smiled her agreement as Perlman pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "Yes." She studied him for a moment. “Are you happy now, Bill?"

He glanced at her, then nodded. “As happy as I'll ever be," he said finally. "More than I would've thought possible."

"We are, too," she said. “And it’s because of you and all your work."

Perlman rubbed a thumb along her shoulder. "Not just me," he reminded her.

"But impossible without you." She looked at him seriously. "I always wondered, what really made you so determined to develop that bacteria? Was it Mera? Your son?"

Perlman shook his head. "They were gone months before I got the idea." He smiled dreamily and Calie followed his pointing finger across Michigan Avenue, then up to the sky and its vivid sprinkling of tiny lights.

"I just wanted to see the stars again at midnight."