The week before the family reunion, I’d noticed my daughter Hannah acting off.
She was quieter, clutching her little savings jar more than usual, as though afraid someone might take it.I thought it was just a phase.
Kids get strange attachments to things.
I had no idea what had really happened.So, when I walked into that barbecue on Saturday, I thought the worst thing I’d face was my dad burning the burgers.
I didn’t realize I was stepping into a performance.
My younger sister, Trisha, had always been the dramatic one, but this time she outdid herself.She called everyone over as if she were hosting a press conference instead of a backyard cookout.
I stood to the side with my husband, Neil, balancing a paper plate, wondering what on earth she was up to.
And then she started handing out gifts.
