Page 31 of Atmosphere

“You screamed very loudly just now,” Vanessa said at the doorway. “It sounded so dainty and helpless. I worry you’ll set women back centuries if any man hears it.”

Joan frowned. “Thank you for your excellent notes on how I can be scared in a less vulnerable way.”

Vanessa smiled. “Can I come in?”

Joan opened the door farther, and Vanessa followed her into the room. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you, too.”

Joan raised an eyebrow.

“I just dropped off Donna—she’s drunk as a skunk. I was going to ask you if you’d check on her in the morning.”

“Oh,” Joan said. “Of course I will.”

“I wasn’t even going to stop by. I assumed you’d be asleep, but then I could hear you playing when I passed your door.”

“Is it that loud?”

Vanessa shook her head. “You’d have to be walking by, hoping you were up, to notice.” And then she added, “You are very good, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you,” Joan said. “I just like to play to clear my mind. I’m not anything to write home about.”

“Are you doing that thing where you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m not that good’ and then I have to tell you that you’re great?”

“What? No. I don’t do that. I’m competent at a lot of things andam honest with myself about my talents. But I am an amateur classical pianist. I don’t practice enough to be superlative. I do it because I enjoy it.”

Vanessa hid that smile, the lopsided one.

“What’s so funny?” Joan asked.

“You have a very high standard,” Vanessa said. “That’s all.”

Joan pursed her lips, trying not to frown or smile.

“Anyway, listen—I had a secondary reason for coming over here,” Vanessa said.

“I’m listening.”

“I need…I need help with something. And you’re…sort of the only person that can help me. I guess I’m asking a favor.”

“Are you…nervous?”

“I’m embarrassed,” Vanessa said.

“What on earth is it?”

Vanessa laughed. “It’s actually not on Earth.”

Joan shook her head and smiled.

“I’m not able to orient myself in the night sky as well as some of the others. Lydia can spot every constellation, and she’s incredibly smug about it. But I’m having trouble recognizing them consistently. Especially in a dark sky.”

“Okay, whatcanyou spot?”

“Well, I can find Polaris. And I have a handle on Vega, Deneb, and Altair. So I can always find north and south. But I’d love to feel more confident about the dimmer constellations.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place. Of course I’ll show you.”

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