Chapter 1 - Susie

I was always partial to Papa.

I was the youngest, the wild one, Papa said. He let me do things that other girls in town didn’t get to do, like fishing, and hunting sometimes. Mama would argue that I wasn’t supposed to be doing those things, that I should be more like Lanie, delicate and ladylike and defined. But I never liked the same things Lanie did, and I think Mama knew that.

One time, I remember we went down to go fishing. I loved fishing, especially when Papa could catch them with his bare hands. We were always careful to stay on the banks of the river, but that day, I decided to jump in, see if I could catch one with my bare hands like Papa could.

When I left the water, defeated, there were leeches all over my legs. He had to pull them off, but we kept it a secret. Mama never knew.

Papa was good at keeping secrets. But I haven’t seen Papa for ages. He’s up in Heaven, probably. Mama, too.

I don’t know what happened to Lanie. Maybe she's got children, and grandchildren, and sits by the fire sewing quilts all the time like Granny used to.

Or maybe she's up in Heaven, too.