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Jack had the moon sealed up in a Ziploc baggie in the back of the freezer. He was planning to give it to Peg as a gift for their first anniversary. Since Peg was the Queen of Takeout and never cooked, he figured the back of the freezer was as good a hiding place as any.
Sometimes late at night while Peg was asleep, or even during the day when she was away on errands, Jack would open the freezer and stare in at the moon. Frost had coated the outside of the bag, obscuring much of the object's cratery face and phosphorescence, but it still made him smile to see it in there, imagining the look on Peg's face when she unwrapped her present.
The wait was torture for Jack. Several times in the weeks leading up to their anniversary, he wanted to spill the beans and give Peg the gift early, but he forced himself to be patient. He was sure Peg was expecting something simple and mundane, like a necklace or perfume or even some frilly lingerie (which would really be more a present for himself than her), but she would never be able to guess that he'd gotten her the moon.
One evening while watching CNN, listening to various astronomers and scientists and other experts discuss the missing celestial body, Peg turned to him and said, “Weird about the moon, huh? Wonder what happened to it.”
Jack hid a smile and simply shrugged, not daring to speak lest his voice give something away.
Two days before their anniversary there was a close call when Peg, after a guilt-trippy phone conversation with her mother, decided to cook up some steaks that had been in the freezer for months. Jack got to her just as she was reaching for the freezer door. He lied and told her he'd thrown the meat out last week because it had been badly freezer-burned, and they went out for steaks instead. After that, he moved the moon to the attic, tucking it away at the bottom of a box full of old clothes.
Fate acting against him, Jack arrived home the next day to find a Goodwill truck in the driveway and several burly men carrying out boxes and trunks. In a burst of generosity (and more than a little bit of fussy cleanliness), Peg had decided to clear out all the junk that had been cluttering the attic.
Impressed by his own calm, Jack convinced Peg to make some lemonade for the workers since the day was so warm. Once she was inside, he explained the situation to the men and they allowed him to retrieve the baggie with the moon inside from the box of clothes. He just had time to shove it under the backseat of his car before Peg returned with a tray of ice-cold lemonade, which they all enjoyed.
Jack barely slept that night, afraid that his car would be stolen or towed out of his own driveway. It seemed paranoid, but after the two close calls in as many days, he felt he had reason to worry. At one point, just past two a.m., Jack tried to slip out of bed so he could bring the moon inside the house, but the shifting of the mattress awakened Peg, and she mumbled, “Where you going?”
”Just to the bathroom.”
”Hurry back.”
Jack considered just giving her the gift then. It was technically their anniversary, after all, but they had agreed to exchange gifts over breakfast before going for a drive to the lake. Their anniversary falling on a Saturday, neither of them had to work and they planned an all-day outing.
Not actually having to use the bathroom, Jack stood in there for what seemed an appropriate amount of time then returned to bed. Peg rolled over and pressed her warm body against his, and they made love gently for an hour before falling back into a contented sleep.
They were up early the next morning and made love again before vacating the bed. While Peg was showering, Jack retrieved the moon from the car, wrapped it hastily, and placed it under the sofa. He then made two omelets and some cinnamon-raisin toast for breakfast.
They ate in a silence that was full of meaning and happiness then retired to the living room to exchange gifts. Savoring the anticipation (Jack liked to give gifts even more than he liked to get them), he pulled the wrapped moon from under the sofa and handed it to Peg. The wrapping job was embarrassing, just a mess of purple paper and tangled tape, but the important thing was what was inside.
Peg drew out the moment, shaking the gift, feeling it, making guesses as to what it could be. Finally she tore into it, and shreds of purple paper littered the floor like confetti. The moon slid out into her hands, bright and glorious.
Peg's face lit up as bright as the moon and her eyes moistened as she looked up at her husband. ”Honey, I love it,” she gasped. ”How did you manage?”
Jack shrugged and said, “It wasn't easy, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for you.”
”This is unbelievable. How did you know?”
”Know what?”
Peg hurried to the hall closet and came back with a neatly wrapped rectangular box, the kind sweaters come in. ”The present you got me, it matches the one I got you perfectly.”
Jack open the present and tiny sparkling lights came whizzing out, gathering near the ceiling and twinkling like Christmas lights. ”Oh,” was all Jack could say.
Jack and Peg sat on the sofa and held one another, bathed in the light of the moon and the stars.
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FEATURE STORY 
