This is exactly the kind of story that I love. Not only was it well written, it was exceptionally read by Anna. Her reading reminded me strongly of the audio version of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Not the story, just the reading. Brava.
This story touched a very deep place in me. I'm another one who used to look up at the night sky and...I don't think I ever really articulated, even to myself, that I wanted to be among the stars, but I did. I still do. Like Steve, I'd make the same promise today.
As an aside, I think labeling stories as "YA" does them a disservice when there are people who react with that typical knee-jerk reaction to it. For instance, I read Lois Lowry's The Giver without knowing it was a YA story, and it remains one of my favorite books I've read in the last five years. I think adults can get a lot out of stories even if they're aimed at a younger audience, and this story shows that quite well, as demonstrated by how many of us enjoyed it.