Koi No Yokan - (n.) The extraordinary sense upon meeting someone, that you will one day fall in love.

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I huff and push through the thigh-deep mess that's piled up on the sidewalk, trying best to keep up with my mother. The snow only comes to her knees, which I envy a little. One day, I'll be that tall.

I take a deep breath and try to jump over a particularly large pile of snow that was pushed out of a doorway. As I land on the other side my shorter legs tangle up in my long coat, and I fall into the snow. Cold seeps through my shirt, and I jump back up.

"How much farther?" I ask, grabbing at my mother's tailcoat. She stops for a moment to smile down at me, before lifting me out of the mush and placing me on her hip. She dusts the powder from my hair and pushes my head under her chin to warm my face up.

"Just a few more skyscrapers." She promises, her breath warming the back of my neck.

Around us, several other workers push through the snow, while others walk in the street to avoid the slush. Most of them turn to look in our direction, and those we pass offer submissive greetings to my mother. Of course, they would. She's the second-in-command of this entire military base. No one except my father surpasses her here.

We pass the last skyscraper, but she keeps walking. Now that we're out in the open, all that surrounds us is white. It's blinding, and I close my eyes and press my face against her coat.

"Look up, baby," she whispers, kissing the side of my head.

I do as she says, and look up at the sky. It is alight with stars, all glowing impossibly bright.

"Whoa." I murmur, and she carefully sets me in the snow. I keep my eyes up as I watch the thousands of twinkling lights.

In front of us now, the ocean spreads farther than I can see, but the stars go farther than even it. They and the moon overhead bathe everything in a pale, silver glow that was impossible to see from under the lights of the base.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" My mother asks, and I nod. "They're infinite, but you know something?"

I look up at her, and she raises her hand to gesture to the heavens.

"They'd rather be you."

"Really?" I ask, and she ruffles my hair.

"Being alive is a very rare thing," she explains, "it's a blessing. It's a beautiful, rare, thing to exist. I hope you understand."

"I think I do." I reply, hugging her leg. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"Of course." My mother replies, pulling me up into her arms once again. I tuck my head under her chin and into the warmth of the crook of her neck. She rubs my back gently, and we stay like that for several minutes, before she turns and walks back toward the base.

"No matter what happens," she murmurs, "don't forget them. Promise me, Tobias."

"I promise." I reply, yawning a little. She rubs my back, and I feel her lips press against the side of my head.

"That's my baby." She praises. "Now lets go back inside. You're father has a very important promotion for you."

"For me?" I ask, lifting my head to meet her pale blue eyes. She kisses my forehead affectionately. "What is it?"

"I'm not to say." She smiles, touching her forehead to my own. "But you'll be seeing him a little more often."

I grin excitedly, hardly feeling the cold against the jitters of excitement. I hug my mother's neck tightly.

"I can't wait."

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