JULY 20, 1969
The Rubins’ living room smells of butter and popcorn.
The black-and-white television flickers with smoky images
of three astronauts arriving near the moon.
An electric fan hums in the heat. Models of rockets
built by their youngest son are propped among geology books
their oldest brought back from college and college catalogs
ordered by Judy, who will apply for admission in the fall.
As the television shows the lunar module land on the moon,
the whole family cheers and hugs. Then Karl dozes off.
Bob tells eight-year-old Allan, It’s going to be a while
before the astronauts step out onto the moon.
You might want to catch some sleep.
Allan shakes his head.
His oldest brother stacks, then tips over
books to show how continents shifted. David says,
It happened long ago, before people were around.
Then how do you know it happened? Allan asks.
There’s a long valley along undersea mountains
where the break might have been. Now almost all
scientists believe in continental shift, but hardly any
did when Mom and Dad were your age.
Vera talks about the thousands of workers
who helped get three people into space.
Allan slides off the sofa, says, I want to go outside.
I know we can’t see the astronauts up there,
but I want to look.
Allan, his sister, and his mother go to the backyard.
Televisions in neighbors’ houses glow faintly blue.
Allan looks up. I wish the moon was round and yellow tonight.
They chose to land when the moon was a crescent,
so the sun will rise over them, Vera says. The long morning
shadows will help the astronauts find their way around.
I bet they wish it were brighter, Allan says.
What if they get lost in dark matter?
Dark matter is much farther away, Judy says.
No one can see it.
Then how do you know it’s there? he asks.
Nobody knows for sure. For now it’s a theory,
an idea with “maybe” in it, Vera says.
A lot of science starts out that way, until someone finds proof.
Our best telescopes can’t spot dark matter,
but we might see how it changes what’s around it.
I hate dark matter. I like rocks.
Allan sprints back into the house.
I’m afraid there are many who’d agree with him, Vera says.
A lot of people don’t like what can’t be seen.
But you always root for underdogs.
Judy steps closer to her mother, says,
Maybe I’ll study astronomy in college.
There’s a lot of math in those classes, Vera says.
I remember when you complained about math every night.
It can be hard. But it’s cool when everything
becomes clear, Judy says. And I have people to help.
I still need help, but I have different questions.
None of us work alone. Vera touches her shoulder.
I hope you find support in college.
You have more choices of where to go than I did.
Do you think I could get into Princeton? Judy asks.
This year they’re admitting women for the first time.
I believe in you. I’ll be proud wherever you go.
Vera is still a little angry
that the university rejected her application,
though everything turned out all right. Now let’s go inside
and see what’s happening on the moon.