“You remember about Sally Ride, right? She just went to space in June, the first American woman ever, and she’s going back next year! My physics teacher gave me this article about her. The news reporters asked her all sorts of ridiculous questions because she’s a woman, like if she cries when things go wrong and what kind of makeup she planned to travel with, can you believe that? In this interview, she says as a kid she took all the science classes she could, so that’s what I’ll do too. What we’ll do. And it wasn’t easy. She went to an all-girls school where they didn’t really focus on science or advanced math or chemistry or physics, so she had to keep learning and learning. She went to college for her bachelor’s, then earned her master’s, then got her PhD. Know why? It’s because being an astronaut doesn’t just happen, Nova. You have to want it and you have to work at it.”

Bridget wanted it. Bridget was working at it.

Nova wanted to work at it too.

“Nova? Hey, Nova!” It was Mallory’s voice, interrupting Nova’s memory. “Earth to Nova! It’s your turn. Give it a spin!”

Nova shook her head one-two-three-four times. She’d forgotten what they were doing. She’d forgotten they were playing a game.

“Here!” Mallory put her hand over Nova’s and made her spin the Chutes and Ladders spinner while Buddy, Mary-Beth, and Alex waited. Nova pulled her hand away. She did not like hands touching her hands, not even Mallory’s hands. She picked up her game piece.

“Good job!” said Mallory as Nova moved four spaces. “You’re on space nine! You mowed the lawn! Now go up the ladder.”

“You in the lead!” exclaimed Alex. “That means you’s winning!”

Nova smiled.

She liked winning.

But whenever it wasn’t her turn, she let her brain go right back to Bridget.