Summary

Birdie works up the courage to tell Sandy about the contradictory story she’s fed the Marshes about her grandparents. She’s surprised when Sandy both takes the news in stride and makes up a new lie they can use to explain the contradiction.

Birdie can’t sleep the night before her first day at a real school. Her mother comes into her room and lies down with her, reminding her to keep the secrets about her real life from everyone. Birdie loses her temper and blurts out how she will forget she ever knew her father or her sister, and her mother strikes her on the mouth and clamps her hand there to keep Birdie quiet. Before long, however, this serious moment turns to laughter as the two imagine the melodramatic worst-case scenario of Birdie being placed for adoption and Sandy back to her obese...