After he’s seen the post-post-mortem glow of stars a few millionths of a second earlier than he does on earth, a few hours after his dessert of dehydrated ice-cream and playful mimicry, Houston we have a problem, one small step for man, and all that, after the white whir of cameras and the blue and silver slap of bulbs, after the last guests, official or friendly have left and the twins are tucked, tousled and kissed, after shutting out the lights on his bedside table, after a lifetime of preparation for his first trip to the moon, Jack, the astronaut, returns to earth and, wrapping his arms around her from the back, says to his wife “There are whole planets, whole galaxies, whole worlds where you and I don’t exist,” and, she, noting the wonder in his voice, asks if he had to go to the moon to discover what she’s always known simply lying beside him at night.
Tags: fiction, flash fiction, nicola yoon, short stories, the butter
I loved this. LOVED.
Wow! So much said in so few words.
This was a luxury to read.
So sweet! So well done.
Also, after being recently exposed to some terrible run-on sentences, I congratulate you on making this one WORK. I didn’t have to re-read it at all to make sense of it!
(Forgive me for taking particular pleasure in how your name rhymes with Moon)
Beautiful little gem of a story!
Beautiful little gem of a story!
I would like this made into a picture book. It would be the grown-up, non-creepy version of The Runaway Bunny.
*RAISES GLASS*
*CLINKS GLASS TO YOURS*
*RAISES GLASS*
Brilliant! Looking forward to this author’s novel. Already been hearing buzz within the industry.
I wish I could get this as a painting and hang it up in my house forever.