dragon

Maureen chewed her garlic green beans unnaturally slow. Never having been a favorite of hers, she was surprised to find that her silent dislike for them slowly dissipated. She listened intently, as if native to a different language and seated in the middle of her gathering, carefully taking in every word that her friends or husband said. 

Tomorrow a ship named after a creature would carry her into what she’d been dreaming of for nearly thirty-seven years. Astronaut has been the first word she had learned how to spell, her name coming only in second. A lifetime met with dreams followed by training, inspired by dreams, pursued with training, had led her here. 

And although the excitement for tomorrow’s launch vibrated like fireworks in her chest, here she was, digging her heels into time, begging it to let her soak up every last minute of the sounds of her friends’ voices, the smell of her husband’s hair, and her sudden new appreciation for garlic green beans.

-b 

May 27, 2020

Photo Credit: NASA