I need a hug.

Any time I come home from playing with the other kids in the colony, I come home wanting a big hug and a long story. I think I deserve it. It's all I ask for. They're not mean to me or anything, I just don't like them. I know it's not good, but I can't help it, and I'm not sorry.

I run home from the next house, not wanting to waste any time in getting home. Catching my breath, I open the front door in time to hear my mom say, "We are going to have to tell her."

"Tell me what?" I ask. They had to be talking about me. There's no other "her" here.

Mom and Dad both turn to me, then look at each other at the same time. I love when they do that. "We need to have a little talk," Dad says, and picks me up to sit me down on the sofa. I'm a big girl, I don't need to be carried anywhere, but I don't think he cares.

I don't want to know what they're going to say. Last time they sat me down like this it was to tell me that we were coming here. I didn't like them much that day. But ooh, maybe it means... "Are we going back to Moya?" I ask, trying not to bounce with excitement.

They both sit down on either side of me. "Sorry, sweetie, not now," Dad says.

I sigh loudly as I sit back. "I'm not having a good day."

Mom smiles at me. "You know all the time you've spent telling us you want a little brother or sister?"

Oh! Now I get it. "It's about time!" I say. My day's better now. I've been telling them that for as long as I remember. I'm bored and I'm sick of people that aren't like me. I'm glad they finally listened to me. They should always listen to me. It should be a rule. Everyone should follow it.

Dad looks over at Mom, laughing. "Told you," he said.

I don't care what he means by that. "Can you make it a brother?" I ask. "I already have a sister. We need a boy."

"We can't make the baby a girl or a boy, Rose," Dad tells me. "Sorry."

I shrug. "It's okay. Where are we going to put him? My room?"

"We haven't talked about that yet. We'll figure something out," Mom says. "Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah," I say. "At least there will be someone else like me out here."

She nods, frowning at me a little. "You found a bright spot. Not a particularly happy bright spot, but..."

"I'm not giving up my room, you know."

"Yeah, I figured," Dad says with a smile.

"And I still want a brother."

"We'll work on that."

"And never make me go next door again."

"I'm not telling them that."

Darn. "It was worth a shot."