Emma Moves In

Chapter Four

It’s been a week since the official move, and Emma is getting sick of bunking with Natalia and Zoe on an air mattress. Natalia snores, Zoe is irritable in the morning, and Tomás and Mateo’s toys get everywhere, even in the girls’ bedroom. Even Natalia points out that five children in the house is too many… it’s survival of the fittest. Emma isn’t used to that sort of chaos in her quiet household.

At breakfast, she’s beginning to figure out a way to tell Abuelita and Grandma Stephenson about the difficulties in adapting to the new environment when the boys rush in, followed by the other adults. And before she knows it, the moment is gone.

The kids head to the store with Uncle Luis to buy school supplies. Normally, Emma does this with her mom, and they take the whole morning to go through everything. But here in Waverly, everything is different. Uncle Luis has to give Tomás and Mateo his full attention, so the girls are left to pick everything out for themselves.

Afterwards, the girls go for ice cream. Natalia is busying herself trying every single flavor, when two new girls walk in, Bridget and Caitlin. Zoe explains that Natalie is friends with everybody. Furthermore, Zoe and Natalia aren’t always in the same class, so they don’t have the same friends at school. Emma’s nervous—if Zoe and Natalia don’t stick together at school, who is she going to hang out with?