Rowan filled her body up to the top. Mrs. Spooner gave him a needle and a thread, and he stuck out his tongue and pushed the needle through the sock and then through the tiny holes on the bottom of the doll’s neck.

“I love her,” I said when he gave her to me. “I love her so much. Her name’s Jenny. I won’t lose her. I promise I won’t.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Rowan said. “Because you’ve lost every single doll you’ve ever had. Good thing they’re not real.”

Mrs. Spooner laughed. “She’ll be just fine, won’t you, Maisy?”

“Yup! Thank you, Mrs. Spooner.”

“My pleasure,” she said. “Helping out my two favorite neighbors.”

I put my frog boots back on and Rowan held my hand and we went outside. Gloria was just getting off the bus at the top of the circle. She was gone all day working at Stafford’s. Sometimes she helps people pay and sometimes she puts clothes on clothes hangers. She waved at me, and I ran over. I cradled Jenny in my arms. She was fat and heavy with the oatmeal. One of her eyes didn’t close right, so she looked half sleepy, but that was okay.

“What’s that thing?”

“Jenny. Rowan and me got her before she drowned in the ditch. Mrs. Spooner gave us a sock because Jenny lost her body somewhere away. And Mrs. Spooner got spoons on her wall.”

“Mrs. Spooner?”

“Yup.” I could smell the flower soap from Jenny’s hair.

“I don’t want you going in there.”

“Where?”

“To that woman’s place.”

“To her house?”

“Nowhere near her. Unless you’re stuck in her classroom or at the library. Other than that, you steer clear.”

“But she’s nice,” I said.

“I told you I hate that word. Nice.”

My middle started to feel funny and my mouth got fuzz in it. Like the television when nothing was on.

Gloria nipped my arm. “Listen, Bids,” she said. “You don’t know her. She could be anybody. You don’t know what she’s really after. Maybe she’d love a little girl all for herself. Is that what you’d like?”

“No.”

“I can’t hear you. Is that what you want?”

“No,” I said louder.

“Well you best remember that next time you find yourself in some weird old lady’s kitchen. You hear me?”

“Yes,” I said.

“I’m trying to keep you safe, Bids. You think everyone is decent and good, and that’s not true at all, darling. That’s your mind making stuff up.”

I looked down at Jenny’s new body, and I tiptoed the rest of the way home. The frogs on my feet already had too much dirt in their eyes. I think they were probably crying.

MAISY