What are you doing here? and
How are you? and
What’s new?
we ask each other.
I don’t hear his answers because
the music is so loud and
I’m so happy to see him again.
“Let’s go outside,” he yells,
and when we get there, I ask, “What about Wesley?”
He nods. “He was wounded, but he’ll be okay.
He’ll be in the hospital for a few months.”
“I’m so glad he’s okay,” I say.
Timothy starts to say something else, then stops
and rolls a pebble with his shoe.
So I tell him what happened
when Stacey and I came back from suspension,
how the kids switched classes, and Mr. MacDougall’s promise.
And that Stacey will be dancing with Victor for the whole night.
As we talk, a few cars crawl into the parking lot for their kids.
“You look really great, Mimi,” he says.
I’d forgotten he’s never seen me like this.
Suddenly I don’t feel like myself
in Stacey’s dress and wearing makeup,
so I wipe my lips with a tissue.
“I have something,” he says,
digging his fingers into his pocket.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
I feel something cool and round drop in my palm.
“Open,” he says.
Even in the shadows of the parking-lot lights
I see it’s a copper-colored coin
with two astronauts on the moon,
and written across the bottom:
JULY 20, 1969
FIRST MANNED LUNAR LANDING
“One small step,” I whisper.
Then say, “This is so cool. You’re lucky
to have it,” and hand it back to Timothy.
But he says, “It’s yours.”