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but he did get all their holidays off work.Whens aunt petra coming? liam asked.when she gets here, rose replied. eat your toast.liam picked up a piece that was mostly crust. he ownedroses coloring and her large eyes, brown like hers. emoryalso had brown hair, wavy and thick like roses, but hereyes were gray like her father and his name.they were slightly precocious, growing up around so manyadults, most without children. emory and ham were spoiledon the side of affenction, but unlike their peers, were nottechnoloyically savvy. they preterred playing outdoors toocomputers games and their time on either their father ormothers machines was strictly monitored rose felt toomany children were couch potatoes due to pcs andlaptops, as well as television. gray had bought the plasmafor baseball, a sport liam was just beginning to appreciate.otherwise it sai quietly in grays side of the living room,asif an empty fish tank. People always asked why they ownedit for all the good it did.if they were home and there wasnt any baseball, musicfilled the house. either gray was practicing in the garage orthir bedroom, or the stereo played. rose might sing, shewas always singing,but around her offspring it wasnt forpractice. only pleasure, and once both emory and ham

were in school and rose wasnt traveling to see an ailingrelative, she would spend those few afternoon hoursworking on her instrument. rose only sang, but she wasvery good at it.as good as her husband on guitar, no one downplaying hervocal abilities gray was gifted, able came from her mother,judith hoffman robinson a soprano with a three~octaverange. petra couldnt hold a note to save her life, as if alljudiths talent had seeped into her youngest child. rosehadnt wanted to do any more with her own three~octaveendowment than sing rock and roll, causing her mothersome disappointment that rose was still doing it eighteenyears later was a testament to the bands longevity and her

husband both.ham ham nibbled until only the crust was left, and rose lethim go, hearing emory brushing her teeth. school began ateight fifteen and it was a quarter to eight. petra wasnt amorning person and if she was late, they would leavewithout her.let me take some pictures of you. rose hoped to distract herchildren emory could tell time and either child could lookat the microwave or stove.rose snapped photos emory with a mouth full oftoothpaste, then a wide, toothy grin. she had lost her frontteeth dominated. their dentist had told rose both childrenwould need braces, but rose only considered her firstborn

wasnt tiny anymore.is aunt petra coming? emory spat into the sink on lasttime.rose scrunched the ends of her daughters hair, bringing aspring to the wave. almost a curl, but not quite, and shekissed the top of emroys head. wellemory spat again, but it was only saliva. its okay. well seeher tonight night?uh~huh.shes going with you to see aunt margaret and then is

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having dinner with us, right?rose wanted to sigh, hearing emorys delayed anticipation.right.emory moved away from her mother, then returned for aquick hug. i love you mommy.they waited as long as rose could stretch it, and as shelocked the front door, emory already to the next housewith ham in between, rose heard screeching, herdaughters thankful, excited voice. aunt petra! aunt petrashere! she made it!rose skipped to the street, her sisters car idling in front ofthe house petra didnt out, only rolled down thewindow. listen, if i drive, we can use my placard. and thenwell have time for pictures.