Ali’s mother smiled. “Maya Angelou said, ‘And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.’ My money is on Alfie. Now enough moaning and groaning. Go get Gigi, Ali, and not another word about this birthday party. We can make it a wonderful surprise for her.”

Ali spent the evening learning how to change into animals. They practiced in the living room because Gigi was tired and had gone back to bed right after supper. Her mother knitted in the corner as Digger tried to coach Ali through three unsuccessful attempts to change into a chipmunk.

“Try to focus on its stripes,” he suggested.

Ali pictured one of the chipmunks she and Emily had photographed in the park. Which made her think of the beautiful red sweater she was still wearing. After two more tries, she managed to change into one. It was fun, sprinting under the couch, hopping from chair to chair, stuffing bits of cookie her mom held out to her into her mouth until her cheeks bulged to the size of fat acorns . . . but she was glad when Digger talked her through the steps to change back to herself. Chipmunks used a lot of energy.

“How did I do?”

“You did great,” said her mother. “Except you had a bright red stripe down your back.”

Whoops. “How do I make sure that I change perfectly?” Ali asked.

Digger bit his lip, perplexed. “Huh. That’s rarely happened to me. I think you need to concentrate harder.”

Concentrate harder? That’s all she seemed to do these days!

Digger seemed to sense her frustration. “You’ll get there. How did you feel when you were a mouse this morning?”

“I kind of panicked,” she confessed.

“A lot of Copycats panic in the beginning. They worry that if they don’t change back right away, they’ll never change back, which just makes things worse.”

“Did you ever have trouble changing back?”

“No, but I was encouraged to practice from when I was a baby. Practice makes perfect.”

“Maya once said, ‘Nothing will work unless you do,’” offered her mother.

Digger nodded. “Maya’s right; it’s going to take time for you to learn how to transform easily. I want you to practice at least two hours every day. Remember—you know you can change back, because you’ve changed back before and you’ve seen me and Gigi do it.”

Ali placed a hand on each cheek. They were still sore from being puffed out. “Gigi never changes.”

“I’ve never seen her change either,” Ali’s mother chimed in.

“You’re right. I forget that she hasn’t changed in years. I think she lost her abilities around the time she turned eighty. Most Copycats stop changing when they get very old. I think it’s too hard on our bodies.”

“Do you think it makes her sad that she can’t change anymore?”