Lucy
Independence Day was the one day the lake families returned to town, to watch the parade down Main Street and listen to the bands play in the square. So by nine that morning, I was dressed in a blue-and-red-striped skirt and a white blouse, my hair pulled into a tail that exploded in frizzy curls behind a red ribbon. Lilith and Emily wore their patriotic best, too, and Mother warned Lilith and me not to get dirty as she packed our picnic basket and aired our blankets. Emily, of course, was at no such risk; Mother took her everywhere with her as though they were joined by an invisible apron string.
Father sat on the front porch, reading as he waited to drive us into town. His straw hat with the red band sat on his lap. At one point, Mother sent me to him with a glass of iced tea. As
