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Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. Acknowledgments
  62. About the Author
  63. Books by Bobbie Pyron
  64. Back Ads
  65. About the Publisher

Tears sting my eyes. I get up and walk across the room so Dylan doesn’t see how upset I am.

I study the shelves crowded with board games—Monopoly, Scrabble (I’m good at that), Risk, Candy Land (Dylan’s favorite), Battleship, chess (Mama’s favorite).

I look up at the row of paperbacks on the top shelf, and there, pinned to the bulletin board, is a flyer for a Firefly Girls troop meeting.

Firefly Girls Troop 423 Meets This Saturday Morning, 9:00 AM, in Conference Room 4-B. All Hope House Girls and Their Parents Welcome!

My heart leaps. A Firefly troop here? I can’t hardly believe it. And they’re meeting tomorrow morning!

I read the flyer over and over until I have it memorized.

I snap my fingers. Wait, did it say they’re Troop 423? That same troop I saw on the telephone pole flyer that reminded me of good things on that cold, wet day?

Chill bumps run up my arms; my scalp prickles. I remember a vocabulary word Mrs. Monroe taught us the day before I left Cyprus Point forever: serendipity. I can hear Mrs. Monroe say, “It means the unexpected coming together of different things in a lucky way.” The flyer on the pole. Moving to Hope House. Having to babysit Dylan in the playroom instead of going with Mama. Finding a Firefly Girls Troop here, in a shelter. Serendipity!

Saturday morning. I’m so jittery with excitement I feel like I’ve eaten two whole bowls of Sugar Zoom! cereal.

I don’t care though. In fifteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds, we’re going to my first meeting of Firefly Girls Troop 423. And Mama’s going too!

On the elevator ride down to the lobby, Mama hugs me to her and says for the fourth time, “Just like old times, right, Peeper?” Peeper is what Dylan used to call me when he was little and couldn’t say “Piper.”

I hug her back. “Sure is.”

“Morning, Piper. Morning, Mrs. Trudeau.” Byron is working the front desk today. I’m always glad when he’s working.

Mama chirps, “We’re going to the Firefly Girls meeting this morning!”

Byron smiles. “Awesome! I love Firefly brownies.”

When we get to the room, we stop in the doorway. Mama straightens my Firefly sash. It feels so, so good to wear it again.

We peer in. The room’s almost empty.

“Is there a meeting here this morning?” Mama asks.

A round woman with a big smile waves us in. “Sure is. You’re just a little early. Most of the folks here always run a little late.”

Mama frowns. She has a thing about punctuality.

The woman sticks out her hand. “I’m Shirin Bailey, proud troop leader of Firefly Girls Troop 423.”

Mama smiles. “I’m Meg Trudeau and this is my daughter, Piper.”