The Someday Birds

Charlie and his family continue driving. The car is cramped, and everyone is tired and hungry. To feel better, Charlie stares at the pinpricks on the ceiling, imagining them as stars. He imagines being in his room, where he also likes to study the ceiling to calm down. Sometimes he can see people’s faces in the knots of wood. He often imagines seeing his mom’s face above him, even though he can’t remember her. He wonders if he’ll ever get to go home and “see that ceiling again” (78).

Gram checks in with the family and tells them that Dad’s tests are going well. Everyone seems happy, but Charlie wishes they had more information.

Finally, they stop at a burger place for food. Charlie orders chicken nuggets and arranges them on his napkin. Before eating, he writes all his questions in his Bird Book. He still doesn’t know if Ludmila is trustworthy and worries they’ll never get to Dad or go home. Davis urges Charlie to stop writing and eat. The twins tease Charlie for inspecting his food before eating, but Charlie ignores them. Ludmila tells everyone to hurry up because she wants to get to Wyoming by the end of the night.