And when I did, I always felt like Bilbo Baggins on his way to an adventure. On one of those adventures, Roona talked about her dad. She still hadn’t gone back to the prison at Nellis Air Force Base to see him, but she’d written him a letter, and she showed me a letter he sent her in return.
It only had three lines.
I’ve made so many mistakes and I don’t know how to say I’m sorry after all this time.
I would like to see you, if you want to see me.
I love you.
The next day, Mom came into my room and said, “Why don’t you call Roona and invite her and Miss Oberman over for dinner on Saturday night.”
Unexpected tears stung the backs of my eyes. I stood up and hugged my mom, tight. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
“Can I ride my bike over to invite them?” I asked. “Please? I’ll be super careful.”
Mom pulled away enough to look down at me. “You’ll walk your bike across the street?”
I nodded, my heart skipping a beat. “I promise.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slow. “Okay, then.”
I pedaled over to see Roona. I kept my promise and walked across the street.
She was skating in front of Miss Oberman’s house. She wore cutoff jeans and a T-shirt with purple polka dots, and her hair hung down her back in two neat braids, just like the first time I saw her. The day we moved to Logandale.
Except she wasn’t wearing her swimsuit over her clothes. And there was no baby blanket around her neck like a cape. She looked up and waved, her long, skinny arms and legs flailing as she skated toward me.
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About the Author
Shaunta Grimes has worked as a substitute teacher, a newspaper reporter, a drug court counselor, and a vintage-clothing seller. Before writing for children, she published two science fiction novels, Viral Nation and Rebel Nation. She lives in Reno with her family, where she writes, teaches, and perpetually studies at the University of Nevada. The Astonishing Maybe marks her middle-grade debut. Visit her blog about writing at whatisaplot.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by Shaunta Grimes
A Feiwel and Friends Book
An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
mackids.com
All rights reserved.
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
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First hardcover edition 2019
eBook edition 2019
eISBN 978-1-250-19184-7
The Astonishing Maybe Page 13
