The next day the sun came up just like normal except not like normal, because maybe Bart would be back.

One bad thing: The computer wouldn’t work.

The night before I wanted to find out who Steve Fossett was and the screen kept freezing. Mom and I got in a fight because she didn’t think it needed to be fixed.

“It does need to be fixed,” I said, and I almost told her that four of my contests ended soon and we could win so much money and a trip to Cabo San Lucas and possibly a year’s supply of L’Oréal LOCK IT Bold Control hairspray.

But I didn’t.

Because she was not in the mood. I could tell.

She took off her work shirt, walking around in just her bra, banging cupboards and slamming plates on the table. I had forgotten to make dinner.

“The car needs to be fixed. The swamp cooler is broken still. It’s going to get hotter than Hades here in a couple of months. We have holes in the screen door and I haven’t paid the HOA fees for five months.”

She pulled out old ham.

And a bowl of Cheerios.

“Eat,” she said. Then she went back into her room.

So no internet.

But today was a new day.

Berk and I ate our breakfast. We said bye to Mom. I didn’t get to enter any contests but I made a goal to walk to the library right when school got out if Bart wasn’t here. Or maybe he could come with us.

I did my exercises as fast as I could and then we hurried outside.

And sat.

And sat.

And sat.

Delilah stopped by with some cinnamon rolls.

She asked us what we were up to this weekend and I said not much and she said we could come over and watch TV later because she got off early, and I said thanks but really I was wanting her to leave so we could wait for Bart.

“You okay?” she asked me.

“Sure,” I said.

And she gave me a look like she thought something was wrong but nothing was wrong. “Come get me if you need me, you hear?”

“Okay,” I said.

“Okay,” Berk said.

And then she left.

We sat.

And ate the cinnamon rolls.

I saved one for him.

And sat.

And sat.

And sat.

Berk said, “Do you think he’ll come?”

I said, “I hope.”

She said, “Me too.”

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After a while, Berkeley said she was hungry and picked up the cinnamon roll.

“Hey,” I said. “That’s for him.”

“But I’m hungry,” she said again.

“It’s for him,” I said again, and she put it back down.

I looked at my watch. Noon already. And we hadn’t done any of our books.

Or art.

I made more tuna fish with Doritos sandwiches again, cut up some apples.

We ate but made sure to leave a little, just in case, to go along with his cinnamon roll.

And we both watched the trail.

There were a lot of moms with strollers that day.

And one man with a big old mustache who said, “What you looking at?”

I whispered to Berkeley to ignore him and look away. But he kept staring at us and this was one reason I thought I should take martial arts but Mom said I couldn’t, but I was maybe going to ask Paul from down the street to give me some tips one day.

Then the man went away.

And then there were more moms, which I preferred.

After a long time, Berkeley said, “Is he coming?”

“I don’t know. I think so.”

We sat.

And sat. She got out her dolls.

She played.

I sat.

After another hour or so she said, “I wish he’d come.”

I said, “Me too.”

And she said, “Maybe he’s running.”

I said, “He’s probably running.”

She said, “Could you run a hundred miles?”

I wasn’t good at running.

“I don’t think so,” I told her.

She stared at me and said, “Maybe you could.”

I smiled. Berkeley always thought I was better than I was.

“Maybe,” I said.

“You should try,” she said.

“I should,” I said.

And then we sat.

She said, “You do push-ups.”

I said, “I do.”

“Real ones,” she said.

“Yes,” I said, “real ones.”

Then we sat some more.

Finally, Delilah came out of her trailer and yelled over to us. “You girls want to come over? Cupcake Wars is on.”

Berkeley stood up. “Come on,” she said. We love Cupcake Wars. And so does Delilah.

I looked at the path. Where was he?

“You go ahead,” I said to Berk. “I’ll come later.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded and she said, “Come get me if he comes?”

“Okay.”

She skipped off down to Delilah’s and I kept sitting.

I waited for Bart to come all day long.

He didn’t come.