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Savannah found her daughter lying across one of the thick branches directly over the decrepit greenhouse and back stone wall of the property The girl had only been up two hours and the new red silk pajaht back from her cruise in the Far East were covered in dirt and leaves

“Found you!” Savannah cried “You’re doing dishes”

“Shh!” Katie hissed, not turning away fro on

“What’s up?” Savannah whispered, cli out over the courtyard on her belly

“Margot,” Katie whispered Savannah watched her daughter push the red tangle of curls behind her ear, revealing her freckled face, her wide lips and long nose Not pretty, her little girl—even through her mother’s eyes, Savannah could see that But Katie was so h Independent Beautiful in her oay Pure at heart

Everything, Savannah thought, I am not

“I think she’s crying,” Katie said

Savannah tore her eyes froant fors beneath them

“Back wall,” Katie said “So on the stones”

Not again, Savannah thought She saw Margot, wearing her white linen, pu at the back wall The letters—O’NEILL SLU—

“I can hear you girls up there!” Margot yelled without turning around

“What are you doing, Margot?” Savannah called

“Conte bear traps,” she said and threw the thick yellow sponge into the bucket of water at her feet Margot turned and faced Savannah in the heat of theas the diauess she was pushing eighty

But right now Margot was one pissed-off anized And cleaned And worst of all, changed

Savannah’s heart leaped into her throat

Change was the devil Change had to be avoided at all costs

Savannah went into instant dae-control mode

“Every year,” Savannah yelled, shiance into at least acting like an adult “You know this happens every year As soon as school gets out for su to prove to their friends how cool they are”