Joan grabbed her binoculars, telescope, and blanket out of the back of her car and then stood on the lawn and looked up at the sky as the sun began to set. It would be a good night to take a little sky tour around Hercules.

Vanessa backed out of the driveway in a cream convertible with a red interior.

“Wow,” Joan said, putting her things in the back.

Vanessa laughed. “I like cars.”

Joan opened the car door and got in. “It’s nice.”

Vanessa pulled away from the curb. “Where are we going?”

“Brazos Bend.”

“I don’t know it.”

“It’s far outside of town. But the view is incredible. Turn left here—we’re going to head to 288.”

As Vanessa’s car picked up speed, Joan’s hair began to float behind her, the wind on her shoulders.

“I used to take Frances there when she wouldn’t fall asleep.”

“How old is she, again?”

“She’s six now,” Joan said. “It was a long time ago. My sister would lose her mind after so many nights not sleeping and so I’d take Frances and just drive. Usually out to Brazos. Most of the time, she’d be asleep by the time we got to the park, but sometimes, she’d still be wide awake, so I’d lay her on a blanket and show her the stars.”

“Raising the next generation of astronauts,” Vanessa said.

“Frances has said she wants to be an astronaut,” Joan said. “I don’t know if she really will, but it’s a nice idea that…you know…” Joan seized up, very aware of the lump in her throat. It’d snuck up on her.

“Girls today might look at us or the women in Group 8,” Vanessa said. “And know they can do it, too.”

Joan looked at Vanessa as Vanessa watched the road. The wind ran through Vanessa’s hair. Joan had been trying to control hers, holding it back. But Vanessa just let it fly. Joan put her hands down, let hers go.

“I mean, pretty soon, they are going to put a woman in space,” Vanessa said.

“Have you heard anything about who they might choose?”

“No,” Vanessa said. “You know how they are about that stuff. It’s like we’re not even supposed to admit we’re curious.”

The first American woman in space would be one of the women from Group 8, the first round that Joan had applied to, when she hadn’t been called back. She was grateful for it, in hindsight. Being the very first would have been so much to hold on her shoulders.

As they got onto the highway, the wind was too loud for either of them to say anything and so Joan closed her eyes and felt the air run over her.

“This is far,” Vanessa said once they took the exit and the wind quieted down.