Nova did not have an answer, but that was fine because Mallory didn’t wait for one.

“Think fast! I’ll start.” Bossy Mallory bounced the ball in front of her four times.

“I never think fatht!” lamented Quiet Mary-Beth.

Nova frowned. She had no idea how she and Bouncing Buddy would play without words.

“Horse!” said Mallory. She rolled the ball to Buddy, who bounced it with one hand and with the other did what looked like the okay sign beside his cheek, slowly moving it away from his face.

“He’s signing ‘cat,’ ” explained Mallory as Buddy rolled to Alex. “Good job, Buddy!”

Alex bounced the ball five times. On his fifth bounce, he hollered, “Pigeon!” He rolled the ball to Mary-Beth. She whispered, “Duck,” on the fifth bounce. She rolled it to Nova. Nova was bouncing slowly, wondering how she would manage, when her eye caught the nursery rhymes posted on the walls above the shelves. Every single poster had one thing in common:

“Seep!” shouted Nova, louder than she meant to. She pointed at the rhymes.

“Sheep!” repeated Mallory. “Good one! Pass it.”

Nova passed to Alex, who yelled, “Hippo!”

It didn’t make it back to Nova before the bell rang but that was okay.

This was the first time she had talked to other kids without Bridget, without a teacher, and without quite having the words.

This was the first time she had really, truly felt like part of the group, just like everybody else.

It felt weird.

It felt great.

It felt like being on a roller coaster, not the tick-tick-tick going up, but that first swoosh going down. It felt like fluff on a sandwich, confusing but sweet. And it felt like a soft landing on the moon, right in the Sea of Tranquility, surrounded by other astronauts, guided by Bridget.

The afternoon was not so great, though. More testing. Nova was sick of gummy worms. Her tummy started to hurt, which reminded her of the day one of their first foster families took her and Bridget to an amusement park, where they rode roller coasters and spinning teacups and ate cotton candy and hot dogs until they felt like throwing up.

Nova closed her eyes and covered her ears, wanting to remember that day, wanting to escape testing with Mrs. Pierce. Wanting to be back with her sister.

It was the very end of August right before school would start again. Nova was seven and Bridget was twelve. They had each worn their favorite outfits. Bridget’s was a blue-and-green-striped sleeveless shirt with Carnation Pink shorts. Nova’s was red OshKosh B’gosh corduroy overalls over a Lemon Yellow T-shirt. They wore matching cloth sneakers with no socks. Nova hated socks then, before slouch socks, because they always had a line across her toes.