Stars Between Us by Tierra Stockham

Bee Lancaster, a twenty-seven-year-old waitress at the Sunburst Diner in Seaflower Bay, Maryland, has spent most of her life putting others first. After losing her parents in a tragic accident, Bee put her dreams of becoming a graphic novelist on hold to raise her younger sister, Lucy. Now that Lucy is off at college, Bee finds herself stuck in the routine of survival, haunted by guilt, grief, and the fear that it's too late to reclaim the life she once imagined. She feels adrift--like she's spent so much time taking care of others that she's forgotten how to live for herself. One night, at the annual Starlit Festival, Bee makes a wish on a shooting star. She doesn't wish for fame or fortune or even for her dreams to come true. She wishes, simply, to feel alive again. Enter August, a time-traveling Wanderer from The Cosmos. August isn't human--he's a celestial being, sent to Earth to help people like Bee rediscover the spark they've lost. But he's not there to grant her wish for her; his purpose is to help Bee find the strength to grant it herself. In the process, he finds himself drawn to her humanity--the messiness, the resilience, and the extraordinary beauty of it all. August initially views humanity with curiosity, like an astronomer studying a new star. He's fascinated by Bee's rituals--making coffee every morning, muttering under her breath when she's frustrated, the way she tilts her head when she sketches. To him, these small, seemingly inconsequential things hold a kind of wonder he never expected. The more time he spends with Bee, the more he realizes that being human isn't about grand gestures or monumental moments--it's about finding meaning in the quiet, fleeting ones. As they spend more time together, August introduces Bee to the magic of the everyday. They build snowmen in the first snowfall of the season, share late-night conversations about life and the stars, and create tiny traditions--like eating cereal on the living room floor. Bee, in turn, shows August what it means to live fully: to embrace imperfections, take risks, and love deeply, even when it feels terrifying. But August isn't meant to stay. His time on Earth is fleeting, and when he leaves, Bee is shattered. She's faced with the daunting task of building a life without him, but in her grief, she begins to understand what August came to teach her: that the beauty of being human isn't in perfection or eternity. It's in the fleeting, imperfect moments that make life extraordinary. August, too, struggles with his own choices. Back in The Cosmos, he feels the weight of Bee's absence in a way he never thought possible. For a being who has spent an eternity observing humanity, he learns, for the first time, what it means to long for something. When he's offered the chance to return as a mortal, sacrificing his place in The Cosmos, he doesn't hesitate. For August, humanity--its beauty, its messiness, and most of all, Bee--is worth everything. When August sacrifices his connection to The Cosmos to stay with Bee, he chooses the life they've built together--a home filled with lavender cabinets, two cats who rule the house, and mornings spent eating cereal on the floor. Together, they craft a life that feels perfectly imperfect, full of quiet joys and extraordinary love. At its core, The Stars Between Us is a story about healing, self-discovery, and the courage to embrace life's small, magical moments. It's about the people who remind us that being human--with all its heartbreak and hope--is worth every second. Bee and August's story isn't just about love--it's about the choice to live fully, even in the face of uncertainty, and to find extraordinary meaning in the quietest corners of life.