Ava saw skates with rockets on the sides. A little orange light flashed in each heel.

“I could go to the MOON,” she said.

“Only pretend,” Mum replied. “They're skates, not a spaceship.”

Eleven coins. Ava had four. She liked the skates enough to keep their picture in her head for later.

On the way to the track, she spotted a leaf shaped like a rocket.

“Actually,” she said, “we can go today.”

She put the leaf on the ground. Louis drew a circle beside it with chalk. The circle was the moon. Mum helped choose a clear patch away from the racers.

I became Mission Control.

Ready for lift-off!

Ava stepped over the chalk craters. Louis floated in very slow steps. When they reached the moon, they found something astonishing.

A twig.

“Moon tree,” whispered Ava.

“A tiny one,” said Louis.

I reported it to Mission Control. Then I remembered I was Mission Control and said thank you to myself.

Ready for lift-off!

They travelled home in three enormous pretend jumps, landing on the safe side of the chalk line.

Ava looked at the four coins on her band. They could stay there while she thought about the skates.

“Did you like the moon?” Mum asked.

“Very much,” Ava said. “Tomorrow we're going somewhere with bigger trees.”

Louis drew another circle. Our next planet was ready before tea.