My first day of fifth grade was terrible. Luke, my best friend since kindergarten, had moved away, and I didn’t know anybody else in my class. My mother noticed how lonely I was and asked one of her coworkers for advice. She suggested that I get a pet. My mother explained that I was allergic to animals with fur and feathers, so her friend thought and thought until she came up with a great idea. The following week, my parents took me to a store that only sold fish and reptiles. They let me walk around looking inside all the tanks. I saw lots of colorful fish, turtles, and lizards. Near the back corner of the store, I came across a tank with a beautiful red and orange corn snake. It was about as thick as a pencil and twice as long. He looked like he was smiling, and sometimes he would stick his tongue out as if to say hello.

The man who worked there took the snake out so I could get a better look. It was strange to feel his cold skin against mine, but I liked how smooth and shiny it was, his scales glistening like tiny, wet stones. I told my parents I had found my new best friend, Sammy the Slithering Snake.

On our way home, I thought about how I would feel if I were Sammy. I wanted him to feel comfortable and welcome in his new home, so I did some research about how to care for corn snakes. I made him a little pool of water so he could swim when he wanted to, and I set up a light bulb in the tank to make sure he didn’t get too cold. Every day, I fed him tiny frozen mice. I also let him slide along my arm and up onto my shoulder. I talked to him and told him stories of things that happened throughout the week, and he seemed to really listen.

One day, our teacher asked each one of us to talk about our pets. Everybody else in the class had dogs, cats, or hamsters. When it was my turn and I said I had a snake, the other children gasped in disbelief. I told them all about Sammy. Afterward, during recess, they gathered around me to ask more questions. For the first time that year, I felt happy at school!
Problem:
In what way are the narrator’s mother and her coworker alike?