Astronaut.
that i could leave this star crossed world behind
Lora Joan had a secret.
“You can’t tell nobody, Jupie, or I’ll have t’ cut off your toes. Okay?”
Jupiter nodded solemnly and held tightly to the small girl’s hand. Inside she was afraid that the fingers in her grip would simply disappear. Outside she was eager for untold riches galore.
Lora Joan’s sapphire eyes glittered with a lust for life. Her cherry-red lips were tiny and beautiful and someday a boy might want to kiss them. Jupiter always hoped there would be a boy to want to kiss her Lora Joan. She wanted Lora Joan to grow up to meet boys who wanted to share kisses.
Her illness had taken a vacation. She hadn’t coughed in over three months; her pale complexion was finally growing into something of a sunny glow. There was hope for her yet, everyone was convinced. Even Jupiter’s husband, who had decided long ago that if Lora Joan died, he and his wife would move west and away from the cold winds (which Jupiter secretly found comforting, like a nightly kiss on the brow from a mother), was sure at this point that Lora Joan might make it to her teens.
“Are you ready for my secret?” she asked in a hushed voice, face nearly hidden by the carpet of clover, sprinkled with white daisies. Her wispy honey brown hair puffed like little clouds around her face. She was currently watching a ladybug crawl curiously across the leaf of the clover plant closest to her nose. She looked quite silly with her eyes crossed. Jupiter had to bite her lip to keep from giggling out loud.
“I am,” she whispered in return, tucking a strand of Lora Joan’s hair behind her ear.
The girl nodded, mission in mind, and lifted her gaze to her older sister. “There was a boy outside last week at night,” she hissed, like it was the greatest scandal of all and if anyone heard about it the world would most assuredly end in a tremendous explosion.
Jupiter felt her face burning. “Really? What was he doing outside?” Now she kept her voice a low murmur, pressing into the clover as if she could hide.
Lora Joan’s serious face erupted into the grin of a cat. “He was throwing rocks at your window, Jupiter. I heard it and I sneaked into the hall and I heard at your door. I think he wanted to talk to you, Jupie… did you go see him?” Her eyes were wide and eager, hungry for the information she had wished for during the past week. “Was he pretty? Did he kiss your hand? Does Hubbie know?”
That was her nickname for Jupiter’s husband: Hubbie. Jupiter felt her blush deepening into a shameful scarlet. “I must have slept through it, Lora Joan. Did you go outside?”
Shock appeared on the girl’s face. “At night? No! Mama would tap me if I did that.” Even though it had been two weeks since their grandmother’s death, Lora Joan had trouble believing that she was completely gone from their lives. “’Esides, he didn’t want to see me.” A little pout showed the shine on the inside of her bottom lip. “No prince wants to see me. I’m too sick for princes.”
Now it was Jupiter’s time to be shocked. She lifted Lora Joan’s chin and stared into her sky blue eyes. “Honey, you deserve every prince that sets his eyes on you. You’re such a beautiful princess, you’re perfect. Who told you that you were too sick for princes?” The thought horrified her.
The girl dropped her eyes, looking a little ashamed. “Hubbie said there’s no such thing as princes in America anymore because of sick people…”
Gritting her jaw, Jupiter tenderly touched Lora Joan’s cheek. When she looked back at her, the woman smiled. “I met a prince.”
A hesitant smile touched the girl’s lips. “A real one?”
She nodded and let go of Lora Joan’s hand to rub her back. “A real one. He was very handsome. Would you like to hear about him?”
“Yes!” She gasped and slapped a tiny hand over her mouth, realizing her error. “I mean… yes,” she whispered, giggling like a cherub and curling up next to her sister. “Tell me about the prince. Is he tall?”
“Yes. He is very tall. He has black hair, and eyes that are the color of stars in the daytime.” She smiled and tapped Lora Joan’s button nose with her index finger. “He laughs like wind chimes and he’s very warm.”
“Tell me more!”
“His name is… Peter. Do you like musical princes?”
“Yes!” She was getting bouncier by the second; this was the most exciting thing she had heard since she learned that snow was frozen rain.
Jupiter grinned and nestled deeper into the clover. Her eyes drifted closed and she sighed happily. “He plays the guitar. I heard him in secret. He holds his guitar very carefully; like he’s scared it’ll break in his hands.”
She stopped and listened to the small beating of Lora Joan’s heart on her arm. It was strong, but she knew better than to think it would last.
Suddenly, the girl grabbed her shirt and shrieked. Jupiter opened her eyes and looked at her, fear striking her heart. “What is it? Are you okay?”
But Lora Joan wasn’t looking at her. She was sitting up as straight as a board, arm extended and finger pointing at something in front of her. “It’s your prince!”
Jupiter sat up and lifted her head to see the silhouette of a man. The sun was to his back, but she could see the curls of his hair. It was the man with the guitar, the man who had thrown pebbles at her window. A smile widened on her face. “What are you doing here?” she asked, excited and surprised.
He grinned and squatted in front of them, arms resting on his knees. “I came back from my uncle’s yesterday. I wanted to come and see you.” Only at that moment did his golden eyes leave Jupiter. He looked at Lora Joan and smiled softly. “And who is this little princess?”
The girl giggled shrilly and hid her face in the clover, obviously thrilled to see a “real” prince.
Jupiter smiled and pulled her sister into her lap, holding her close and fighting her excited wiggles with hugs. “This is my sister, Lora Joan.” She laughed as the girl turned and gaped up at the visitor.
The man – whose name she had forgotten again – gasped softly and clapped his hands. “What a beautiful name! Is she a goddess?” His grin widened as the girl burst into another fit of laughter. “Surely I am unworthy of her presence.” He bowed his head with a hand gently touching his breast.
“No,” the girl wailed, squirming and dropping to the ground between him and her sister. “I’m not a goddess. I’m a princess!”
He smiled and nodded seriously. “But of course. Actually… you look more like a fairy to me, Lora Joan.” Another gasp fell from his mouth. “What if you are afairy princess? You need a crown!” He looked around and snatched a dropped vine from the grass. With a skilled hand, he twisted it in a circle and twined the ends together in a braid. He inspected it with one eye, then picked a small bundle of daisies and pushed them into place. Smiling at his masterpiece, he reached out and set it gently upon Lora Joan’s head.
The girl leaned her head back and touched it tenderly, her mouth a little ‘o’ of amazement. “Who are you?” she asked in wonder, her voice hushed and awed.
He smiled and sat back, crossing his legs and picking a clover from the ground. He handed it to Lora Joan and watched as she discovered with glee that it had four leaves. “My name is Noah. You said I was a prince?” He was visibly intrigued.
Lora Joan turned to her sister and gasped dramatically, forgetting the amazing four-leaf clover amidst the sea of similar beauties. “Jupiter, isn’t he your prince?”
Jupiter blinked in surprise and looked from Noah to the petite girl. “Um… he… I meant…” She could feel her blush returning with a wicked vengeance, at the worst time conceivable. When she felt she might melt from embarrassment, the sister turned her gorgeous eyes to the angel beside them. “I think he is my prince, Lora Joan,” she said softly, feeling very brave and ashamed.
Noah’s smile was small, but warmed her heart.
“You can’t tell nobody, Jupie, or I’ll have t’ cut off your toes. Okay?”
Jupiter nodded solemnly and held tightly to the small girl’s hand. Inside she was afraid that the fingers in her grip would simply disappear. Outside she was eager for untold riches galore.
Lora Joan’s sapphire eyes glittered with a lust for life. Her cherry-red lips were tiny and beautiful and someday a boy might want to kiss them. Jupiter always hoped there would be a boy to want to kiss her Lora Joan. She wanted Lora Joan to grow up to meet boys who wanted to share kisses.
Her illness had taken a vacation. She hadn’t coughed in over three months; her pale complexion was finally growing into something of a sunny glow. There was hope for her yet, everyone was convinced. Even Jupiter’s husband, who had decided long ago that if Lora Joan died, he and his wife would move west and away from the cold winds (which Jupiter secretly found comforting, like a nightly kiss on the brow from a mother), was sure at this point that Lora Joan might make it to her teens.
“Are you ready for my secret?” she asked in a hushed voice, face nearly hidden by the carpet of clover, sprinkled with white daisies. Her wispy honey brown hair puffed like little clouds around her face. She was currently watching a ladybug crawl curiously across the leaf of the clover plant closest to her nose. She looked quite silly with her eyes crossed. Jupiter had to bite her lip to keep from giggling out loud.
“I am,” she whispered in return, tucking a strand of Lora Joan’s hair behind her ear.
The girl nodded, mission in mind, and lifted her gaze to her older sister. “There was a boy outside last week at night,” she hissed, like it was the greatest scandal of all and if anyone heard about it the world would most assuredly end in a tremendous explosion.
Jupiter felt her face burning. “Really? What was he doing outside?” Now she kept her voice a low murmur, pressing into the clover as if she could hide.
Lora Joan’s serious face erupted into the grin of a cat. “He was throwing rocks at your window, Jupiter. I heard it and I sneaked into the hall and I heard at your door. I think he wanted to talk to you, Jupie… did you go see him?” Her eyes were wide and eager, hungry for the information she had wished for during the past week. “Was he pretty? Did he kiss your hand? Does Hubbie know?”
That was her nickname for Jupiter’s husband: Hubbie. Jupiter felt her blush deepening into a shameful scarlet. “I must have slept through it, Lora Joan. Did you go outside?”
Shock appeared on the girl’s face. “At night? No! Mama would tap me if I did that.” Even though it had been two weeks since their grandmother’s death, Lora Joan had trouble believing that she was completely gone from their lives. “’Esides, he didn’t want to see me.” A little pout showed the shine on the inside of her bottom lip. “No prince wants to see me. I’m too sick for princes.”
Now it was Jupiter’s time to be shocked. She lifted Lora Joan’s chin and stared into her sky blue eyes. “Honey, you deserve every prince that sets his eyes on you. You’re such a beautiful princess, you’re perfect. Who told you that you were too sick for princes?” The thought horrified her.
The girl dropped her eyes, looking a little ashamed. “Hubbie said there’s no such thing as princes in America anymore because of sick people…”
Gritting her jaw, Jupiter tenderly touched Lora Joan’s cheek. When she looked back at her, the woman smiled. “I met a prince.”
A hesitant smile touched the girl’s lips. “A real one?”
She nodded and let go of Lora Joan’s hand to rub her back. “A real one. He was very handsome. Would you like to hear about him?”
“Yes!” She gasped and slapped a tiny hand over her mouth, realizing her error. “I mean… yes,” she whispered, giggling like a cherub and curling up next to her sister. “Tell me about the prince. Is he tall?”
“Yes. He is very tall. He has black hair, and eyes that are the color of stars in the daytime.” She smiled and tapped Lora Joan’s button nose with her index finger. “He laughs like wind chimes and he’s very warm.”
“Tell me more!”
“His name is… Peter. Do you like musical princes?”
“Yes!” She was getting bouncier by the second; this was the most exciting thing she had heard since she learned that snow was frozen rain.
Jupiter grinned and nestled deeper into the clover. Her eyes drifted closed and she sighed happily. “He plays the guitar. I heard him in secret. He holds his guitar very carefully; like he’s scared it’ll break in his hands.”
She stopped and listened to the small beating of Lora Joan’s heart on her arm. It was strong, but she knew better than to think it would last.
Suddenly, the girl grabbed her shirt and shrieked. Jupiter opened her eyes and looked at her, fear striking her heart. “What is it? Are you okay?”
But Lora Joan wasn’t looking at her. She was sitting up as straight as a board, arm extended and finger pointing at something in front of her. “It’s your prince!”
Jupiter sat up and lifted her head to see the silhouette of a man. The sun was to his back, but she could see the curls of his hair. It was the man with the guitar, the man who had thrown pebbles at her window. A smile widened on her face. “What are you doing here?” she asked, excited and surprised.
He grinned and squatted in front of them, arms resting on his knees. “I came back from my uncle’s yesterday. I wanted to come and see you.” Only at that moment did his golden eyes leave Jupiter. He looked at Lora Joan and smiled softly. “And who is this little princess?”
The girl giggled shrilly and hid her face in the clover, obviously thrilled to see a “real” prince.
Jupiter smiled and pulled her sister into her lap, holding her close and fighting her excited wiggles with hugs. “This is my sister, Lora Joan.” She laughed as the girl turned and gaped up at the visitor.
The man – whose name she had forgotten again – gasped softly and clapped his hands. “What a beautiful name! Is she a goddess?” His grin widened as the girl burst into another fit of laughter. “Surely I am unworthy of her presence.” He bowed his head with a hand gently touching his breast.
“No,” the girl wailed, squirming and dropping to the ground between him and her sister. “I’m not a goddess. I’m a princess!”
He smiled and nodded seriously. “But of course. Actually… you look more like a fairy to me, Lora Joan.” Another gasp fell from his mouth. “What if you are afairy princess? You need a crown!” He looked around and snatched a dropped vine from the grass. With a skilled hand, he twisted it in a circle and twined the ends together in a braid. He inspected it with one eye, then picked a small bundle of daisies and pushed them into place. Smiling at his masterpiece, he reached out and set it gently upon Lora Joan’s head.
The girl leaned her head back and touched it tenderly, her mouth a little ‘o’ of amazement. “Who are you?” she asked in wonder, her voice hushed and awed.
He smiled and sat back, crossing his legs and picking a clover from the ground. He handed it to Lora Joan and watched as she discovered with glee that it had four leaves. “My name is Noah. You said I was a prince?” He was visibly intrigued.
Lora Joan turned to her sister and gasped dramatically, forgetting the amazing four-leaf clover amidst the sea of similar beauties. “Jupiter, isn’t he your prince?”
Jupiter blinked in surprise and looked from Noah to the petite girl. “Um… he… I meant…” She could feel her blush returning with a wicked vengeance, at the worst time conceivable. When she felt she might melt from embarrassment, the sister turned her gorgeous eyes to the angel beside them. “I think he is my prince, Lora Joan,” she said softly, feeling very brave and ashamed.
Noah’s smile was small, but warmed her heart.
♠ ♠ ♠
If you have the time, go to my profile and watch the video I have posted. I've been keeping track of the pianist, and I found this recently.Thanks to BlackxLovingxBlonde for the idea for this chapter! I asked what you guys wanted, and she delivered. She suggested I have a memory with Lora Joan, Jupiter, and Noah all together. :3 Hope you like it.
[I know I just posted chapter six yesterday, but honestly, peoples, I can't stop writing this!]
And, as always, comments are immensely appreciated. I love you guiz.