Orbiting Jupiter

by Gary D. Schmidt

You can tell all you need to know about someone from the way cows are around him.

Like I said, you can tell a whole lot about someone from the way cows are around him.

I guess that night at the pond, while my father and mother and I got colder and colder listening to Joseph, I guess that night unfroze him.

I had his back. And he had mine. That’s what greater love is.

“Jackie,” said Jupiter. “That’s right,” I said. “Jackie.” “Jackie,” Jupiter said again.