Lucy Mochi 〈Trusted〉

She drew a little mochi with a smiling face underneath.

That night, Lucy wrote in her journal: Sometimes you have to let people take a bite of your world. It’s scary. But if you’re lucky, they’ll find it sweet. lucy mochi

By the end of the fair, every last piece was gone. Ms. Alvarez gave Lucy an A. Leo gave her a high-five. And Obaasan, watching from the back of the gym, pressed her hands together and smiled. She drew a little mochi with a smiling face underneath

At the fair, Lucy set up her plate of pink and white mochi. Leo stood beside her, holding a sign he’d drawn: “Lucy’s Mochi: Sticky, Sweet, and Made with Heart.” But if you’re lucky, they’ll find it sweet

Lucy Mochi had a name that sounded like a dessert and a personality that was just as sweet—until someone touched her notebook. Then she turned sticky in a different way.

When the first person asked what mochi was, Lucy’s voice wobbled. Then she looked at Leo. He gave her a thumbs-up, his thumb dusted in starch. She took a breath and began: “It’s a Japanese rice cake. My grandmother taught me…”