AllFreeNovel
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“Not quite a person, though, are you?” Nana remarked.
I refused to respond or even look at her. I didn’t want to have this conversation. I needed no reminders of who I really was. I knew perfectly well; I’d been running from it my whole life.
“I didn’t give you permission to enter the house,” I told them. “If you keep breaking the rules, you know what happens.”
They exchanged fearful glances.
“You wouldn’t,” Nana said in a low voice. “We’re friends now.”
I didn’t respond. I returned to my work, stopping occasionally to eat and drink. When I finally finished, I treated myself to a homemade cheeseburger and a beer. I gobbled down the food, polished off the beer, and swiped a second bottle from the fridge to carry to the front porch. Darkness had fallen. The show was about to start.
I spotted the blackbird on the iron finial of the gate, standing sentry again. I raised my beer bottle in salute. The bird cawed and turned to face the town.
I sat on the front step, drinking my beer, and watched as fireworks exploded in the sky. Red, white, and blue to mark the occasion. I pictured the parade below; the children riding their bicycles along the main street. The marching band following behind them playing patriotic tunes. I wasn’t one for nationalism, but I enjoyed the existence of traditions. It made people feel safe and comfortable, like they belonged. I got that.
“They sure are pretty,” Nana Pratt remarked, appearing beside me.
“It’s a good show this year,” Ray agreed, appearing on the other side of me. “Last year, Ronnie Whittaker lost two fingers setting off the fireworks. I thought we might not have them this year.”
“They hired someone to coordinate the parade this year,” Nana Pratt said.
“You should’ve gone down there, Lorelei,” Ray said. “Would’ve been a good opportunity to meet more of the locals.”
“She’s met plenty,” Nana Pratt shot back. “She must’ve met half the town looking for my Ashley.”
“I’m all peopled out,” I told them. “I’m perfectly content to watch the theatrics from here.”
I leaned back against the step and admired the colorful display. The last time I watched fireworks was Bonfire Night in England two years ago. I’d been huddled in a crowd, feeling stifled but warm in my heavy coat. It had been an exceptionally cold November night. I’d enjoyed myself until the spirits found me, as they always did.
I swilled the last of the beer. The fireworks resembled stars raining down from the sky.
“Happy Independence Day, Lorelei,” Ray said.
I set the empty bottle beside me. I wouldn’t say I was free, but I was close enough.
* * *
