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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

Anika shook her head. “No, of course not! I’ve got Drumlin, for one thing.” And then she rubbed her belly again. “And I do have a roommate—I just haven’t met her yet.” She nodded her head toward the drawn curtain behind us, which was hiding another bed that must have been empty just then.

“That’s time, I’m afraid!” said the nurse, and we had to say goodbye. I thought it’d be hard, but just as we were leaving, Drumlin started kicking. All three of us ended up laying a hand on Anika’s belly and feeling his flutters, like he had wings in there or something.

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25

Here Be Dragons

Cartographers from long ago used to draw dragons, sea monsters, and other made-up creatures in the unexplored territories on maps. It was their way of warning that there could be danger in the unknown, and it’s where the phrase “here be dragons” came from.

If this story was a map, this is where the dragons would go. Because after Anika and Drumlin went into the hospital and we didn’t know when they’d be back, it felt a little like we were off the map, in uncharted waters.

Sam and I didn’t talk on the bus to the hospital. I let him take the window seat, and he sat the whole way with his forehead pressed against the glass. It reminded me of that day we went up Arthurs Seat, all of us, and I thought how long ago that was.

Anika was lying on her side in bed, and the curtain behind her was still drawn closed, except this time we could see the shadowy outline of someone on the other side.

“Hello, my darlings,” Anika said, her voice coming out a little croaky. She put an arm around her stomach as she slowly and awkwardly moved herself up a little on the pillow.

Sam went to her side but didn’t make a move to touch her. She had a few more tubes stuck in her hand and running to a machine by her bed, and another that was tucked down her nightgown and stuck to her chest.

“You just missed Luca and Penny,” Anika said, looking at me. “They popped in during their shift.”

I nodded but hung back by the door, watching as Sam sucked on his bottom lip, pushed his glasses up his nose, but still didn’t try to touch his mom.

“How was school today?”

“Good,” Sam said. “Mr. Khouri let us take a nap in the nurse’s office.”

Anika frowned, but then smiled it away before Sam could see. “That was good of him, you’ve had a big couple of days. Were you tired during class?”

Sam shrugged and kept looking down at his feet.