“You will.” He finally understood she meant more than the house and yard he left behind, when he traveled to visit her. Before she could add more, Raskee brushed against Finny’s leg.
A strong rumble let Finny know he wasn’t alone. Good, the cat purred. With this soft response from his small friend, Finny fell asleep.
Long before sunlight brightened the window’s glass, Finny woke.
The soft chirp of crickets outside drifted through the open window. Raskee lay near the open pages of the book, staring at Finny. It’s about time, he growled.
Finny reached out and pulled the book to him.
Mama Jack played with the red polish on her nails. The white surface of the page accentuated their brightness. “Come on sweetie.” She reached long slender fingers to him. When he clasped her hand, calm passed to him.
Everything went dark. With a sharpness that captured his breath, ribbons of light streaked across his vision. Time and space lost meaning. Finny knew he was traveling at great speed. “How?”
Mama Jack didn’t answer; instead she stretched out her arm. He felt like he was flying through the air. Thank goodness she kept a firm grip on his hand. Her touch gave him a sense of security, like the belt on the plane that had kept him safely in his seat on the flight out. Planets gathered and swirled past him. Raskee’s soft rumble shared joy and pleasure that was easy to understand.
Soon they came to a brilliant blue green planet. That’s just too weird. It looks like Earth.
It is sweetie.
But we traveled a long way? Didn’t we?
Yes and no. We’ve traveled into space to show you where we are really going, but we are also in your room.
Before he could ask more questions, ribbons of light slowed around him. Finny stared at the international space station. Bright golden wings jutted from each side of the living module. They glistened as they gathered the sun’s energy. He wanted to stay and watch as it moved across the sky, but something tugged at him. Sooner than he wanted, Finny found himself back in his room. He sat up and stretched, the bed-covers pooling around him.
“How did you like the trip?” Mama Jack stood in the doorway.
“It was alright,” Finny couldn’t keep the awe from his voice.
“Do you want to help me in the farmyard? Or would you rather stay inside and read?”
Finny couldn’t help but notice the twinkle that lit her eyes. Maybe it’s not going to be such an awful summer after all. “When do we start?”
Let the adventure begin. Raskee’s purr joined with the unicorn’s neigh, accepting the challenge.