Feelings of Exclusion

• The narrator finds the party boring until her cousins arrive.
• Her mom and grandma are preoccupied with conversation.
• The narrator likes when her grandma strokes her hair while she holds onto her knees.
• She likes her grandma's coffee and crayon wax scent.
• The narrator enjoys drawing and talking with her grandma at the kitchen table.
• Her grandma listens to her and doesn't make her feel unintelligent.
• The narrator is interested in ancient Egyptians, and her grandma suggests she might have been Egyptian in a past life.
• The narrator's grandma is listening to Aunt Trudy talk about Uncle Gary's boss's triple bypass surgery.
• The narrator tries to find out from Kenza and Marti about the triple bypass, but they dismiss her.
• Her sisters, Kenza and Marti, are in their room, engrossed with a tablet and giggling, excluding the narrator.
• Marti used to play with the narrator but now spends time with Kenza discussing topics the narrator is too young to know.
• The narrator feels lonely and wishes she could join them.
• The narrator has her own small sleeping cabinet off the living room with a tiny window.

The Sleeping Cabinet

• The hills outside of the sleeping cabinet appear red during the day and blue at night.
• The narrator imagines things at night while looking out the window.
• Mom is angry because Uncle Joe is late, which is typical.
• Mom is punctual.
• The food is getting cold, and "The Big Finish" is about to start and everyone needs to eat before it airs.
• The Big Finish is a live stream.
• It's unusual for the family to gather on a Tuesday afternoon to watch something together.
• The family has been anticipating the Big Finish for months.
• The narrator doesn't remember living on Terra (Earth).
• Mom says she was born there.
• The family moved to Reunion Station on Mars when she was a baby.
• Space travel took a year.

The Journey to Mars

• It took her a long time to learn how to walk because she was used to floating.
• The narrator wishes she could remember the floating.
• She is a good swimmer because of zero-gravity training.
• The children who came to Mars as babies are small.
• Their bones and muscles didn't develop correctly on the ship.
• It was unsafe to remain on Terra.
• Sometimes she wishes she had grown up on Terra and was bigger.
• Other times, she's glad to be small because Mom and Grandma can still carry her.
• The narrator is sitting on Mom’s lap, and Mom is complaining about Uncle Joe to Aunt Trudy.
• Mom is wearing a red silk dress with flower patterns.
• The narrator likes the texture of the dress.
• Mom tells her to stop touching the dress.
• Mom's voice is loud and hurts her ears.
• Uncle Joe arrives with the cousins, Max, Cody, and Judy.
• Uncle Joe was late because he struggled to fix the ribbons in Judy's hair.
• Max makes a fart noise behind Grandpa Jayden, and then they run to hide.
• They hide in the narrator's cabinet and laugh.
• They chase Cody with a doll, and Max makes kissy faces.
• Kenza and Marti yell at them to be quiet.
• They keep running through the house until Uncle Joe tells them to stop and sit down.

Viewing the "Big Finish"

• Folding chairs surround the couch.
• Everyone has a drink, watching the screen, but not eating.
• Max and Cody sit on the couch next to Grandpa Jayden.
• Judy is on Uncle Joe's lap with her fingers in her mouth.
• Kenza and Marti stand next to Mom.
• Marti looks scared, and Kenza is scowling.
• Max makes silly faces.
• Grandma is crying.
• The narrator asks Grandma why she's crying.
• Grandma picks her up and cuddles her.
• The narrator plays with Grandma's blue earrings.
• The lady on the screen is counting down.
• The screen shows a picture of Terra.
• The narrator compares the colors of Terra to bouncy balls.
• During countdown, orange circles light up on Terra.
• The circles grow and touch until Terra is glowing.
• The adults sigh, gasp, and cry, scaring the narrator.
• She buries her face into Grandma's neck.

The Aftermath

• Grandma says, "It's over."
• The screen shows a black ball, then images of Terra with plants and flowers.
• The adults talk quietly.
• Judy is asleep.
• The boy cousins want to play.
• The narrator is tired and wants to stay in Grandma's arms, feeling her hum.
• The narrator wants to stay with her grandma before playing.