Afternoon time in Mr. O’Reilly’s room seemed to last much longer than usual. Nova found herself glancing over and over again at the clock, even though it was the round kind she didn’t know how to read.

Finally, X-Block!

Nova’s high school student volunteer, Stephanie, arrived. She introduced herself as “a space and science superfan.”

“Say hello,” prompted Mrs. Pierce. Nova waved.

“We’re going to have so much fun! Is your name really Nova? Like, as in supernova? That’s so cool. Do you know what that is? A supernova?”

Nova looked at Stephanie (not in the eyes) and shrugged.

“Oh my stars, let me tell you. A supernova is the coolest thing ever!” Stephanie tugged Nova’s hand, ready to head to X-Block, but Mrs. Pierce stopped her.

“There are a couple of things we have to go over first,” she said. “Wait just a minute, please, Nova.”

While Nova waited just a minute, she tapped her fingers against her chin. She knew what a supernova was. She was a Super Nova. Bridget said so. She’d said so on the very first night they were in foster care.

And Bridget was never wrong.

The very first night Nova and Bridget spent in foster care, they were worried.

Five-year-old Nova was worried about who would take care of them without Mama.

Ten-year-old Bridget was worried about who would take care of Mama without them.

Bridget asked lots of questions but no one answered. Nova had lots of questions but could not ask.

After the sun went down but long before Johnny Carson, their new foster mother settled them into a small bedroom with two beds, no night-light, and silence.

Nova did not want two beds. She was used to sleeping in the same bed as Bridget. Plus she hated being stuck in the dark, like in the belly of the sheep. At Mama’s house they had a night-light, plus the light from the hall came in through the open door.

And there was no music. At Mama’s house the radio played soft music, Bruce and Bowie and the Top 40 Hits, even when the TV aired static. At the foster home, all they could hear were outside sounds like crickets and trees. With everything in the house silent, every car passing by on the dirt road sounded like a speeding train. It was too much of the wrong kind of noise.

After their new foster mother left the room, Bridget counted out loud to a hundred. Then she got up, turned the light back on, and slipped into bed with Nova.

“I wished on three stars from the bathroom window tonight,” Bridget whispered. “Three wishes to go back home to Mama.”

Nova did not answer. She just covered her face. She was too upset to think about wishing.

“Nova, it’s going to be okay. I’m still here.”