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weapons drill.
    There was no way I’d be able to sneak anything out of the house with Dad around. Dad was all about the routine and kids having responsibilities, even my little brothers. He monitored my homework, my chores, my music practice, and my phone calls. If Mom didn’t stand up to him every once in a while, he’d probably be monitoring my height, weight, and blood pressure. I’d have to wait until everyone was asleep to pack up some food.
    “Hi, Mom! Hi, guys!” I hollered as I walked in.
    “Jody!” my brothers shouted in unison. I set down my violin and braced myself for impact as Tyler and Kyle thundered down the front hall in their mismatched socks and threw little-brother hugs at me. This was a lot more fun back when they weighed twenty pounds apiece, but I kissed their grimy little heads anyway, thankful that they were ignoring the smell of river water coming from the wet jeans in my bag.
    “Hey, Kyle, how was kindergarten? Let’s see that loose tooth, Tyler.” They ignored me in favor of measuring themselves on tiptoe against my arm, in case they’d grown since breakfast.
    “How was music?” Mom called from the kitchen.
    “Mmmm,” I said, which wasn’t lying. I swung my backpack off my shoulder and held it in front of my gym shorts just in time.
    Mom stuck her head out of the kitchen door and looked me up and down. “You’re a little late.”
    “Sorry, Mom, we stopped for gelato, and then we, umm, walked down by the river.”
    “Oh, that’s nice, such a pretty day. Did you bring enough money?”
    “Yeah, I had some from when I babysat the Smith kids last weekend, remember?” Mom would make such a big deal if she knew Giselle treated. She doesn’t believe in that sort of thing at all.
    “You’re remembering to put half your babysitting money in the bank, right?”
    “I know. College.” I lifted up Tyler’s chin and gave his remaining front tooth a wiggle. “You better get busy on this—college is expensive.”
    “If I wiggle my toes and they come off, can I get money for ’em?” Kyle asked. He sat down in the hall, yanked off his socks, and got to work on the largest of his toes.
    “Don’t be gross, Kyle.”
    “What’s college?” Tyler demanded. “Is there bowling?”
    “Yes, there’s bowling. College is just like an army base but everyone is your same age.”
    “Whoa!” Tyler was so amazed, he held his body still for an entire ten seconds. “That would be awesome!” Then he got that worried little eyebrow wrinkle that made him look like a tiny old man. He was the most serious seven-year-old I knew. “How many teeth does it take to get in?”
    “I’m pretty sure you have just enough,” I said, rubbing him on the head. “But you better read a lot of books—tricky ones. Now, who is a big-enough boy to carry my enormous backpack and my violin case full of gold bars?”
    “Me! I can! Yes, ma’am!” Kyle and Tyler shouted, snapping off eight or ten salutes each.
    “Be careful with them. They weigh five hundred pounds each!”
    Kyle grabbed my violin case and was panting and groaning with fake effort before he’d gone three steps.
    “Race you!” Tyler said. “Ready, set …”
    “Don’t mess with my stuff!” I hollered after them as theyricocheted down the hall to my bedroom. “Hey, Mom, mind if I grab a shower before dinner? It was all hot and sweaty on the train.” I headed down the hall, hoping she’d stay in the kitchen and not notice that I smelled like sewage.
    “Whatever,” Mom said. “No rush.”
    Dad must be working late again. I hustled down to the bathroom before she could see I was wearing my PE shorts. My skin was itchy with tiny red dots where I had been in the river. Looking out the bathroom window, I could see a smudge of pink in the sky to the west. I thought of the soldier watching the same sky from under his bridge, with no way to clean up and no one to make him a warm dinner. Even though it wasn’t a cold night, I shivered. A few