Rent the Moon

Mathieu Cailler

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I wanted to rent a house for my wife’s birthday. A getaway weekend was what she requested, but I had purchased a string of pearls, too, just in case the sojourn wasn’t enough. Online, I searched for a quaint place in Los Olivos or Ojai—a place with vineyards that might induce afternoon naps. But after some time, I found a cozy one bedroom on the moon. I booked it immediately, then checked my lunar phases calendar and saw our reserved weekend fell during a waning crescent period, which suited me just fine.

I imagined the two of us, resting in the moon’s hammock, telling gravity to go to hell, and wondering if we’d ever return home.

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Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: a novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children's titles. His stories, poems, and essays have appeared in over one hundred publications, including Wigleaf, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He has received several prestigious awards, including a Pushcart Prize, a Short Story America Prize, and accolades from the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festivals. You can connect with him on social media @writesfromla or visit his website at mathieucailler.com.

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