Page 125 of Atmosphere

Were they happy? Had they had a bad day? Did they need her?

Nothing happening across Texas mattered to the universe. Joan had always known that. But, oh, how it mattered to her. It made the whole Earth look bright and vital and urgent to her. It made that thin line of the atmosphere the most beautiful thing Joan had ever seen.

But as beautiful as it was, she wanted to feel it, and smell it, and taste it. She wanted to touch it in her hands.

Joan wanted to go home.

The Day Before

Thanksgiving 1984

“Joanie, I saw your landingin California. I was so happy to see that you got home okay. I know it’s safe to go up there, but I just feel better knowing you’re home. I love you.”

“Joanie, I thought maybe you’d be back by now, back home I mean. Maybe I could call you on Thanksgiving Day, if you’re around.”

“Hey Joanie, it’s me again. Sorry for calling so much. I think I’m just…can you call me back? I—”

—

While The rest of thecrew needed some time to acclimate to the hard ground under their feet, it took Joan no time at all to readjust to the pull of gravity.

But when she stepped foot in her apartment that first morning back, something felt off. It was as if she’d come home to her childhood bedroom or tried to drive the old sedan she had in college. They had been hers, yes. But they belonged to a version of her that she’d grown out of.

It wasn’t until she hit the answering machine and heard Frances’s voice that she finally felt truly grounded again.

Before Joan had even finished listening to the third message, she’d grabbed the phone and dialed Frances’s dormitory. It rang for so long.

“Hello?”

“Frances?”

“Joanie?”

“You picked up!” Joan said.

“Yeah, I’m the only one in the hall.”

“You’re the only one there?” Joan asked. “Your mom said lots of kids are staying at school for Thanksgiving. She said there was a whole big to-do there in the cafeteria.”

“Um…”

Joan could hear Frances’s voice start to waver. “They do have it every year. But none of the other kids stayed. It’s just me.”

“What do you mean, it’s just you?”

“It’s just me and Ms. Green. But she’s very nice. And she’s not my teacher, so it’s not like I’m in class or anything. We are going to meet up at three tomorrow to have turkey sandwiches.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“No, but it’s okay, it’s okay,” Frances said, her voice so upbeat that it betrayed her. “She said they have cranberry sauce in them.”

“Franny…”

“I’m fine, Joanie.”

Then Frances burst into tears.

“Babe, I’m coming.”

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