chapter 16

Two months later, Today is the day, the last inspection to decide whether all our hard work has paid off. Macey, Zoe, and I watch from the balcony as Valarie talks to the health and safety inspector. He had walked around the entire building with his measuring tape and flashlight, clipboard tucked under his arm, and pen behind his ear as he went over every nook and cranny in the place. We secretly call him 'the birdman'; his nose looks more like a beak and his beady little eyes are too far apart. Macey snorts when a gust of wind has him clutching his toupee. It's chocolate brown and not even close to matching the graying areas on the sides of his head. Down on the front lawn, Valarie watches over his shoulder as he makes notes on his clipboard, giving the place one last scrutinizing look before shaking his head in disbelief. Finally, he tears off the piece of paper and hands it to Valarie. He walks over to his red sedan and takes off while Valarie stares at the form. “Come on, we should