Where new worlds wait,
She charts her flight,
Out of the black,
And into the blue.
Emily passed out about five minutes in. Then to AJ’s astonishment, so did Noah, his head sinking, eyelids flickering.
AJ stayed absolutely still, not wanting to disrupt this miracle. Midway through the next episode, Noah unconsciously curled toward her, draping his hand over her left knee. After that, AJ lost track of what was going on inAstronauticals,consumed by the pleasant weight of his chest, the gentle rise and fall of his breaths. Then she too drifted off, her hand resting lightly on his back.
They stayed like that until AJ’s mom dropped Mike off. Three hours had passed.
“You guys excited for Spring Con tomorrow?” he asked, plunking down on the sectional and shoving a handful of Reese’s Puffs in his mouth. “Nauticals will be representing hard.”
“That’s great,” said Noah, sitting up and wiping his eyes.
With Mike home to watch Emily, they were free to go. They changed into their now-dry clothes, said goodbye to AJ’s siblings, and climbed into Noah’s Camaro.
“I can’t remember the last time I slept like that,” said Noah, yawning.
AJ smiled, yawning too. “Fixing a washing machine is no joke.”
Noah kept his eyes on the road. “Yeah, I’m sure that was it.”
Eudora had spent her day orchestrating a celebratory banquet on the patio. AJ counted no fewer than three forks at each place setting by the light of twin silver candelabras.
“I’m always looking for an excuse to use the family china,” said Eudora, as Mrs. Gilroy grudgingly poured AJ a glass of wine.
Noah almost spit his out. “Thefamily china?”
Eudora’s cheeks went pink. “All right, fine, the Home Shopping Network was having a sale on American Royalty patterns, and I’ve always envied Jacqueline Kennedy—”
“Made in Indonesia,” said AJ, peeking under her plate. “Very American.”
“Oh, you two are incorrigible,” said Eudora, as Noah snorted.
The meal was delicious, gazpacho followed by arugula salad, roast lamb, then raspberry gelato for dessert. When they’d finished eating, Eudora mysteriously disappeared into the house and returned with two brittle typewritten pages. They were jaundiced with age and soft where the typewriter’s keys had left an impression. She handed one copy to AJ and one to Noah.
“What’s this?” said Noah, squinting at the paper in the twilight.
“Seeing as AJ returns to school on Tuesday, I thought we’d try something different. To celebrate a job well done,” said Eudora. AJ blinked. She knew this, but somehow the idea of not being at Drew House each day came as a shock. She glanced at Noah and found him lost in thought. Eudora sighed dreamily. “Ezell named this piece after anAstronauticalsepisode, you know.”
It was a scene for two characters initialed W and F. Water and Fire.
Fire & Water?
With a start, AJ glanced up at Noah, who gave her a meaningful look—this was a page from Ezell Farr’s unfinished play. The last one he ever wrote. The one Eudora had refused to showanybody.
“Start at the beginning,” said Eudora. “Then play until I stop you.”
They scrambled into place on the patio. Noah went first, taking the part called “W.”
“It’s ours forever,” he read.
“I don’t understand,” said AJ, reading F.
“This hill, the house. The stars. We’ll be safe here.”
