A loud thump on the door surprised Nova. She lost her balance, waving her arms to keep from falling off the bed. She managed to plop backward onto her pillow, but the helicopter/space shuttle was not so lucky. It flew from her hand, smashed against the edge of the dresser, and dropped to the floor. The propeller was broken.

Oh, no, said NASA Bear from his position at Ground Control. Houston, we’ve had a problem.

Nova screamed. The shuttle was broken. Luke Skywalker was on the floor. Princess Leia was nowhere in sight.

The bedroom door opened.

“Nova, I’ve been knocking. Are you okay?” Joanie rushed to her side. She took off the headphones, checked Nova over, and even felt her head like she might have a fever. Nova pulled away. She returned the Walkman to the bedside table drawer, wiping her eyes, shaking. The song had ended anyway. The game was over.

“Mom sent me up to tell you it’s time to get ready for school,” said Joanie, trying to smile. “Don’t worry about the toys; you can clean up later. I’m glad you were playing.” She picked up Hawaiian Barbie and smoothed down her dress. “I loved these dolls when I was your age! This one was my favorite. Isn’t she pretty?”

Nova did not answer, not even an “Mm.”

“So, what do you want to wear today?” Joanie put the doll away and went to the dresser. She held up a red-and-white-striped shirt with long sleeves and a pair of denim overalls. “How about this?”

Nova did not care what she wore. She picked up the broken helicopter. They’d had space travel mishaps and emergencies before, but Bridget always managed to save the day. Even when she broke her arm. They still managed Mission Accomplished. Nova held out the helicopter to show Joanie.

“What’s wrong? The propeller came off?” Joanie gave Nova a quick hug. Nova did not pull away. “No big deal! We’ll glue it.”

But it was a big deal.

It was.