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 Vanessa were 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. “You would be 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.

Joan put her hand on Donna’s shoulder. “It’s better, when Vanessa is talking about David Bowie, to not get involved. She’s insane.”

“Hey!”

Joan sipped her beer. “You know, one time, when Frances was over, she was watching Sesame Street, and this song came on called ‘I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon.’ Ernie sings it. And it’s all about how he wants to go to the moon, but he doesn’t want to live there because he would miss all his friends.”

“Are you serious?” Griff said. “Is this your honest contribution to the best song about space? Bert and Ernie?”

Bert wasn’t in it, but Joan could tell that wasn’t the point. “I’m just saying…I found it moving.”

Vanessa and Griff shared a smile. “She found it moving,” Vanessa said.

“You guys are making jokes like you don’t understand what’s at stake on Saturday,” Lydia said.

Everyone turned to her. “One day it will be you on the shuttle, Lyds,” Donna said. “Don’t worry.”

“It’s not that,” Lydia said.

“C’mon,” Vanessa said. “That’s always what you’re worried about.”