Before the legend.

Listening to the song “Hijo de la Luna” by Mecano, he started to wonder why the moon would want a child.

The water was still, except for the ripples made by the paddles of a small boat.
When the ripples faded, in the middle of the dark lake, the man would watch the stars reflected on the surface. And when the moon reached the center of the sky, he would watch its reflection take shape.

Out of the water, the delicate figure of the moon would rise and walk across the lake. The man watched her run and dance. It only lasted as long as the water stayed perfectly still—any ripple would send her back into the sky.

One night, she noticed him watching and, curious, walked toward the boat. As she approached, he didn’t move; he knew he had to stay as still as possible. When she reached the boat, she touched it—and it shifted. Just like that, she was gone.

He released the breath he had been holding and, disappointed, lay back in the boat, still staring at the sky.

This went on for several nights. Until one night, he gestured with his hands, signaling her not to touch the boat. She replied with a gesture of her own, and a trail of light followed her hands.

He was about to speak, but she put a finger to her lips and pointed at the lake.

He had never seen it before, but the other stars were standing on the water too—not fully formed figures, more like slow, drifting comets, barely grazing the surface.

She moved her hand, and the stars followed, shifting left and right in response. Excited, the man tried to touch one of them. As he leaned forward, the boat tipped, flipped, and he fell into the water.

When he surfaced, it was over.

The next night, she came close enough to whisper. They spoke of playful stars and angry comets that rarely visited. Then one night, he wasn’t there. The boat remained at the shore, untouched.

She danced and ran as usual, then watched the sunrise and let her body fade into the growing light.

The nights passed. The boat was never used again—until one night, when she grabbed a star and sent it to find him and bring him back.

She waited patiently. Almost at sunrise, he returned—this time with a baby. He had met a girl. He had fallen in love.

When the moon saw the child, something in her changed. She knew the man would never return.

She crushed one star into dust. Then another. A third she only pinched, taking just a little.

She dipped her hand into the lake and let two drops fall into the dust. Cupping it, she blew softly. The space between her hands began to glow.

She shaped the newborn star and gently placed it against the baby’s forehead. It slipped inside. The baby laughed once, then drifted into sleep.