CHAPTER SEVEN
Emma Explores the New Town
A week later, Emma's family was beginning to settle into their new home in Mapleton. Ben and Donny had delivered all of their belongings, and almost everything was unpacked and put in its place.
Emma's Mommy had helped Emma put up new blue curtains like she promised, and bought Emma three oversized blue pillows with white polka dots for her window seat. Her powder blue bed was all set up, and all of her toys displayed on the same shelf she had in her old home.
On Saturday morning, Emma woke up in her new room, sunlight streaming through her new blue curtains. She got out of bed and put on her favorite shorts and yellow tank top scattered with sunflowers. She hurried downstairs for breakfast.
Daddy was standing at the stove preparing waffles. Mommy sat at the kitchen table, leafing through a magazine. She turned around and smiled. "Good morning, Emma," she said. "Would you like to go explore Mapleton today?"
"Okay!" Emma agreed gleefully.
After her breakfast of waffles with bananas and maple syrup, Emma left with Mommy to see what Mapleton had to offer. Their first stop was the nearby park.
Emma ran up to the playground. There was a jungle gym, swings, a spiral orange slide, a sandbox, a see-saw, and monkey bars. Little girls and boys ran, climbed, shouted and laughed. Emma joined and began climbing on the jungle gym.
A little girl Emma's age began to climb up the other side. She had black hair twisted into two braids and big brown eyes.
"Hi! I'm Lisa," she greeted Emma. "What's your name? I haven't seen you before."
"I'm Emma," Emma replied. "I'm new here."
"Oh! Where do you live?" Lisa asked.
Emma continued to climb her way to the top of the jungle gym. "I live down that way." Emma pointed south down the street, holding onto to the jungle gym bar tightly with her other hand. "On Oak Avenue. In the white house with the red door."
