We were at dinner a week from the accident at Calvin’s when Dad announced that he was planning on attending the picnic that one of Mother’s charity club benefactors was organizing in Crystal Lake.

Of course, needless to say that the only motive capable of dragging my father to one of those things was fishing. And there would be much fishing.

Mother, on the other hand, who was always so excited about helping out at these functions from lack of anything else to do, now recoiled from the idea at the mention of the location. Like me, Renee wasn’t exactly a nature person. And sitting on damp grass all day did not sound particularly appealing.

“Abigail Miller asked for you when I ran into her at the bank the other day.” Charlie turned to Renee with an expectant gleam in his eyes that I bet she barely noticed. “She’ll be attending the picnic. It’s been awhile since you’ve seen her, poor thing, she hasn’t gone out much since her husband’s paralysis. Wouldn’t it be nice to see her again?”

“Hmm..” was the response.

I glowered at her from across the table but she only glowered back.

“How is he?” I asked Charlie.

“Oh, he’s recovering slowly, from what there’s left to recover anyway. Blasted war.” Charlie muttered the last bit. I recalled how on the day that he read in the papers about the end of the war in Europe Charlie practically combusted with joy.

It all made me consider how blessed our family was. At least my dad hadn’t been drafted.

Doris pranced out of the kitchen with a giant bowel of steaming something that she immediately dumped a spoonful of on my plate without asking if I even wanted some.

“You’ve lost too much weight.” She chided when I pouted.

“Have not.” I mumbled and shifted the string beans around with my fork.

“Actually, I think she’s right.” Renee said as she touched a string bean to her lips. “You are looking very thin.”

“And you look very boring.”

Thus, being the cause for my next words.

“I want to go, Dad.”

Naturally, Charlie glanced up from his plate, utterly perplexed.

“Really, Bells?”

I nodded with fake enthusiasm. “I think maybe Angela will be there.” Slowly I glanced at Renee from the corner of my eye. To my horror, her mouth was slightly agape.