The bakery smelled like warm bread. But today, the big flour bin was empty.
Lira stepped inside. 'We're out of everything,' said the baker, pointing at a calendar.
Lira counted three cups and two cups. The bin stayed empty. She scuffed her shoe.
Lira ran home. She came back with her notebook and knocked on three doors.
Mrs. Chen had two cups. Mr. Davies had three. Little Tom had five.
'We all have a little,' they said together. Lira's eyes went wide.
Back in her kitchen, Lira pushed the cups into groups. 'Two groups of five!' she shouted.
The baker looked at her paper. Then he looked at the empty bin. He nodded.
Lira held up the paper. The math filled the bin on paper, and it felt like a win.
The neighbors came to the bakery with their cups. The baker handed out flour.
Festival music drifted in from the square. Breads rose in the ovens.
Lira tapped her pencil on the counter. She smiled. The festival would go on.