Page 98 of Atmosphere

And Joan loved that God.

Later, Vanessa laid out a blanket under the stars in Montana. She brought out Joan’s telescope, which she had carefully packed up. And a picnic basket she’d picked up from a deli, and a glass bottle of sparkling water.

“I forgot cups,” she said.

“I don’t care,” Joan told her.

They drank out of the bottle, passing it back and forth.

“There’s Pegasus,” Vanessa said, pointing east.

“Vanessa,” Joan said. “I want to do this forever.”

Vanessa turned to Joan and smiled. And then kissed her temple and said, “Wouldn’t that be something?”

Summer 1983

They spent the fall, winter,and spring of their second year together, shifting from desire into comfort.

That rush and ache that Joan had once felt at the graze of Vanessa’s hand along her arm had muted. There was less newness between them, almost no mystery.

But Joan knew she felt less buzz because she also felt no fear. There could be no danger between them when they made each other this safe.

This wasn’t romance—Joan was sure of it. It was something much deeper. Something that, unlike every other thing in the known universe, Joan suspected, could last forever.

—

That June, Joan and Vanessawere at a bar with Donna, Lydia, Griff, and Hank. It was two nights before STS-7 was supposed to launch—two nights before Sally Ride was to become the first American woman astronaut to fly on the space shuttle.

Tomorrow, Vanessa and Hank would head out to Edwards. Donna and Joan were heading to Cape Canaveral.

But Joan always liked this moment best—this liminal time right before a launch where no one had anything to do just yet. Even if Vanessa was growing unnecessarily heated about what was the best song about space.

“Griff,” she said. “I am glad we agree that it’s Bowie. But it’s ‘Space Oddity.’ ”

Griff shook his head. “I stand by what I said.”

Hank laughed.

“You’re standing by ‘Starman’?” Vanessa said. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I don’t want to rock the boat with y’all, but it’s ‘Rocket Man,’ ” Hank said.

Both Vanessa and Griff looked at him.

“That’s number two,” Vanessa said.

“She’s right.”

And then they looked back at each other. “ ‘Space Oddity’ is a tragedy!” Griff said. “It’s heartbreaking. ‘Starman’ is hopeful, it’s embracing the future.”

Vanessa shook her head. “Youwouldbe a sucker for that.”

“Okay, let’s not get personal.”

“I like ‘Space Baby,’ by the Tubes,” Donna said. “Or what’s that one by the Kinks?”

“All right, at least Griff is smart enough to know it’s Bowie,” Vanessa said.

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