When her parents got divorced, Auset (Black) “got split / in two / too.” She doesn’t feel “lucky” to have two homes, two birthday parties, or two Christmases. School is hard, too, for different reasons; kids think her clothes and voice are too boyish, and Auset feels bad after hitting a classmate. She finds comfort in song lyrics by Sweet Honey in the Rock and Bob Marley, in her science class, and in playing the piano (“I can accompany / Myself / So I don’t need / Mom & Dad / To be / In harmony”). Her therapist “wasn’t good at / sewing kids back together,” but her stuffed dolphin is a good listener. And even though it’s hard to talk to her mom about her feelings, she “keeps it real” with her dad; like him, she does her best to “choose joy” every day, “Even though / Divorce / Makes Joy / A hard choice.” She knows that “one day” she’ll “be okay for reals,” and until then, she has music to get her through. Polished, deliberate text verges on stream-of-consciousness. Clear-eyed, emotionally intelligent Auset expresses strength and hope, but she’s also honest about her heartache and current challenges. Vibrant paintings depict an emotional Auset spending time with each parent, and Bob Marley makes an appearance to place a steadying hand on her shoulder.