People talk about moonstruck. Wonderstuck. Just simply struck.

But none of those words feel right on her tongue.

Nova wants to describe Ward in a way that matches the grandness of his whole self. How he makes her feel.

Every time she opens her mouth, words die before they come out.

It shouldn’t be so hard. Her boyfriend is great. Amazing even. But those aren’t good enough.

Why can’t she find the right descriptors?

He somehow makes her sound better just with his words. She wants to do the same.

Ward makes her forget everything around her but makes her feel everything.

It’s like he has some kind of magic. Haze would giggle at her expense and point out that she’s so in love. Nova has failed at keeping him at arm’s length. She can’t even deny it. Her sister is right.

She loves Ward.

So she told him.

…well she specifically said, “I think I love you.”

And he told her “I know I love you” with all the confidence in the realm. Like he didn’t doubt his feelings for a millisecond.

How is it even possible someone with so much trust has any affection towards her?

When she pictures genuine love, it isn’t just Haze that comes to her mind anymore. Ward, with his sunny self, snuck in and found a forever place in her trust.

He must be a master at breaking and entering to slip through her many defenses.

Or maybe that sunny demeanor just melted her ice walls.

He’s her sun.

His light came out of nowhere, struck her from behind. Totally unexpected.

Maybe that’s the best kind of love.

That’s when the word hits her.

The perfect word.

Sunstruck.