I still had no idea what was inside the package. Grandma sat under the shade of the apple tree with my daughter, Lily, balanced on her lap. My husband, Mark, had one hand behind Lily’s back because Grandma no longer had the strength to hold her safely by herself. She didn’t seem to mind. She kept looking down at Lily as though the rest of us had disappeared. « She’s got your ears, » she said.. I LAUGHED.
« That’s not exactly a compliment. »
« They’re good ears. » « They stick out. » … « So did yours. »
« Exactly. » … GRANDMA SMILED. Then she touched one finger to Lily’s cheek. « Worth waiting for. » That nearly undid me.
Mom came out carrying the cake knife. « What are we doing? » GRANDMA POINTED TOWARD THE PACKAGE.
« Sit down. »
Mom frowned.
« Why? »
