Allergic

Maggie has trouble sleeping because she’s so worried about her mother. She hears crying, and when she gets to the boys’ room, she realizes that although Noah is sleeping, Liam is awake and upset. He misses their parents and wants Maggie to stay with him. She stays until he falls asleep, but as she starts to creep away, he wakes up, so she gets a sleeping bag and lies down on his floor. He asks her why she doesn’t like him and Noah. She says it’s because they tattled about the mice, but he says that she didn’t like them before that. She says that the boys don’t need her because they have each other. Liam then tells her that Noah can be overwhelming, and she laughs.

The next morning, Maggie wakes up to learn that her mother had a girl. Grandma says they must wait a bit to go see their parents, and the children decide to make pancakes together like their father does on their birthdays because it’s the new baby’s birthday. They have fun cooking, and Claire comes over. The two friends both apologize, and Maggie reminds Claire that it was her idea to get the mice. Claire tells Maggie that she’s lucky to have siblings, and Maggie realizes that this is true. She runs to get the friendship necklace and gives it to Claire, and they decide to try to fix Maggie’s.

Grandma and the children arrive at Sacramento Grace Memorial Hospital. As they look for their mother’s room, Maggie spots a fish tank. Her brothers appear excited about the baby, but Maggie is clearly nervous, and “Ba-Bump” appears across multiple pictures as her heart pounds. They reach an elevator, and Maggie is concerned that she might be allergic to humans, possibly her sister. Her grandmother has to prod her to get off the elevator and then cautions the boys to walk, not run, as Maggie walks slowly behind them all, her hand on her heart.

Maggie takes deep breaths in and out as she enters her mother’s room. The boys go straight to the baby, but she hangs back, watching from around a corner. Her father notices and comes up to her, asking her how his favorite Maggie is. She smiles as he holds her up. He suggests that she wash her hands so that she can hold the baby. However, she’s afraid she’ll hurt the baby if she holds her.

The boys want to hold the baby first, but their dad says he already promised that to Maggie. He takes the baby, and Maggie’s mom gives her a hug and tells her that she missed her, calling her “sweetie.” Maggie goes to wash her hands. The baby is crying, and Maggie’s father offers to calm her down before handing her to Maggie, but Maggie says she’ll take the baby because she just wants to get the whole thing over with. She takes the baby in her arms and looks apprehensive as she holds her crying sister, remembering how she held the puppy. The baby continues to cry, and Maggie, recalling how she used to talk to Pipsqueak, speaks soothingly to her sister. Remembering holding a grown up’s hand when she was upset, she lets the baby grab her finger. The baby calms down and smiles with her eyes closed, and Maggie tells her that she’s “the best little baby in the whole world” (221). Maggie suggests the name June, and her parents say they love the name. She holds the baby while her brothers peek from behind their grandmother.

This chapter notes the passing months. In November, Maggie plays with June, cheers her up when she cries, and reaches out to her sister while she sleeps. Maggie still gets allergy shots, and a nurse tells her that she does better with the shots than most of the adults she works with. In December, Claire and Maggie go for a walk, Claire walking her dog and Maggie pushing June in a stroller. Claire tells Maggie that she and her father plan to convert their shed into a clubhouse, and Claire says she’ll make sure the dog never goes into it so that Maggie can. In January, Claire and Maggie hang out with Sebastian in the clubhouse, and in February, Maggie happily gives her brothers birthday presents while their mother holds the crying baby. By March, Maggie is done with the initial stage of her allergy treatment and will need only monthly shots from now on. In April, Maggie feeds June, who makes a mess with her food. Sebastian notes that June exhibits no sign of having a food allergy. In May, Maggie encourages June to crawl.

One day in June, the entire family goes to the beach. Maggie and her father build a sandcastle while June pours sand on her head. June steps into the water and sees a crab. She asks her parents if they can go to the aquarium tomorrow, but her brothers want to go to the beach again. Their father suggests that he go to the beach with the boys so they can release their energy while their mom takes the girls to the aquarium. Everyone is happy with this plan.

At the aquarium, Maggie’s mom has June in a baby carrier as they look at the fish. They touch some stingrays, and Maggie remarks that she’s glad she isn’t allergic to them. They remark about how smooth and silky the rays are. They see a shark, and Maggie remarks that June likes the sharks too. Maggie enjoys watching the seals. Her mom tells her that she always has great ideas like going to the aquarium, and after seeing a swimming turtle, Maggie asks her mom the name of scientists who work with ocean animals. When her mom tells her that these scientists are called marine biologists, Maggie says that this is what she wants to be when she grows up. She, her mom, and her sister happily look at underwater animals. The final page of the chapter shows that Maggie’s room is now teal instead of yellow, pictures of ocean life adorn the walls, and the area rug depicts fish. Her sister toddles into her room, calling her name, as her mom peeks in at the door.