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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

“And speaking of,” Luca started to say, and I felt my stomach drop. “Anika and I have been thinking, Freddo, that maybe we should switch rooms with you for when Drumlin arrives. . . .” Luca raised his hands the second I opened my mouth to protest. “I know, I know! But what was fine when it was just me in the back room isn’t going to work so well when it’s me and Anika and a crib. And your room . . .”

“Mom’s room!” I snapped, and Luca sighed.

“We’ve talked about this before, Freddo,” he said, “that it would be more convenient for the three of us. It’s the only one that’s big enough.”

“We’re still working out the logistics, though!” Anika said, and then she and Luca frowned at each other and each raised their eyebrows, in a way that would have made Mr. Khouri proud.

“Nothing is set in stone,” Anika finished, and smiled tightly at me.

Luca shook his head. “But it really would be for the best and help us all out.”

“I thought you said we had to talk to each other more!” I said, and I shoved my chair back from the table. “But you’ve already decided without asking me, haven’t you?”

Luca sighed and rubbed his hand over his head. “I’m sorry, Freddo—but we have to start making these decisions and getting ready for when . . .”

“The baby comes—I know! But Pop’s coming home first, so you have to move all that junk out of his apartment—”

“Winifred!” Luca snapped.

I blew my bangs out of my eyes and asked to be excused.

“I think you’d better, yes,” Luca said, and he shook his head at me.

As I walked away I heard Sam offer his room for the crib, and Anika said that was very generous of him—even if his room was too small. And that just made me slam my door a little bit harder.

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23

Hold On

I had a nightmare that we could barely hold on. Me and Anika, Pop and Sam, and Luca, too . . . all of us lying flat on the ground and trying to claw into the dirt while the Earth spun madly on, like it was the Tilt-A-Whirl ride at the Royal Melbourne Show.

Or as if somebody had stomped on the accelerator, to make the Earth spin off its axis.

I woke up in the middle of that night, covered in sweat and calling for Mom. I hadn’t done that since I was little, right after she died. Pop said I used to have fevered dreams and I’d wake up having forgotten she was gone, and then I’d cry and cry and cry for her until he or Luca rocked me back to sleep, hugged in their arms.

That night, though, I knew something else had woken me—and then I heard it again, coming from down the hallway.