As the days turned into weeks, Callie kept waiting for Papa to come, and she knew her mama did, too, even though this was her house now. It took some time, but between her mama, Aunt Sam, and Mr. Finch, Callie got used to her new life. She had pretty new clothes that she loved, like sundresses and blue jeans, shorts and T-shirts and lots of shoes. Her mama got her a new tea set similar to the one she’d had in her old room, and new dolls and stuffed animals too. Callie learned about TVs and cell phones and computers, but she wasn’t allowed to spend a lot of time using them. Her mama liked to do puzzles and play games with her instead. And of course, her mama continued with her piano and dance lessons.

They stayed in their home in England through Callie’s birthday. She turned six on May 18, 2019. Her mama made her repeat the date over and over again. Not the May 18 part, the 2019 part, which at first seemed very silly to Callie since 2019 wasn’t even a real year. She also made her memorize what Mama called her “birthdate”—five-eighteen-thirteen. Mama and Aunt Sam and even Mr. Finch would ask her at odd times, “What’s your birthdate?” She didn’t even have to think about it anymore.

After a while they left England and moved to a place called New York. Aunt Sam and Mr. Finch came with them and they flew on a plane they had all to themselves. Her mama told Callie not to be scared, that the man who flew the plane in the sky, their pilot, Captain Morgan, would keep them safe. “Just wait, baby,” she’d said. “That feeling you love, that you get right here”—her mama patted Callie’s stomach then—“this time will be even better.” Her mama was right too. Callie remembered looking at her as they took off and she laughed out loud when that feeling came. She couldn’t help but think of Gregor then, and how much he would have loved it too.