Henry stares off at the sky like he’s figuring something out. “You know, Delsie, you have a lot in common with your mom. You laugh like her. The way you stand. But you have one big difference.”

“We do?”

“She always waited for ships to come in, but you swim out to them.”

“Huh?”

“She waited for things to come to her. You chase them down.” He looks over at Ronan and back at me. “You’re both like that, actually. It will be great to see what you two manage to make of yourselves. I can’t wait.”

Chapter 44

THE SUN WILL COME OUT

I just about flew across the neighborhood when Esme told me that she had a friend at the playhouse who had given her tickets for us all to see Annie. They even got a ticket for Ronan. When I told her how happy I was about that, Esme said, “Well, he’s one of us now, isn’t he?”

So when the big day arrives, Olive, Grammy, the Laskos, Ronan, and I all pile onto a bench in the back of the theater. I see Mrs. Fiester first. Then Brandy and Tressa follow. Brandy sees me and waves a little, and I wave back. They head up to the front of the theater and sit really close to the stage.

The play begins with “It’s a Hard-Knock Life,” and I think about how differently I feel about that song now than I did before. Papa Joseph used to say that if everyone put their troubles in the middle of the table, most would take their own back. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about when I was younger, but now I get it—I don’t think my life is too hard-knock after all.

But mostly, I sit up real straight so I can see as much as I can of Michael and Aimee.

Aimee is amazing as Annie. The audience loves her, and I’m so proud of her.

And Michael turned out to be a great Rooster. He acted like such a twit, I’m sure he made Madam Schofield proud.

At the end, I am the first to lead the standing ovation. I hoot and holler and yell Michael’s and Aimee’s names. Aimee looks for me in the audience, and when she finally sees me, she waves wildly.

When Ronan and I go to wait outside the stage door to see Aimee and Michael, Tressa and Brandy are there, too.

When Aimee arrives, I start yelling, “Miss Polloch! Miss Polloch! May I have your autograph!” I do the same for Michael.

Aimee unhooks the rope that everyone must wait behind and says, “C’mon, Delsie and Ronan! The director said I can take you backstage. I’ll show you the costumes and stuff.”

“Aimee. Delsie,” Tressa yells. “Can we come, too?”

Before we can say anything, Michael steps forward. “Aren’t you the one who wrote on her back with sunscreen and treated her like trash all summer? Now you want a favor? I don’t think so.”