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note saying she was going to explore and would be back by seven-thirty.”
    Just as the clock in the hallway struck the half-hour, Annie appeared in the doorway. I hadn’t heard her footsteps in the hall.
    â€œSorry I startled you, Mimi. I went out to check around the marsh grass by the old hotel.” She looked at Donald. “Not a trace of a ghost anywhere.” Her hand rumpled his hair. “Am I too late for breakfast?”
    She wore jeans, sneakers, and a cotton shirt in stripes of primary colors. It was an exceptionally bright outfit, something that surprised me. I’d expected a more demure palette.
    â€œNot a bit.” Berta lifted pancakes hot from the skillet and put them on a plate in front of her. She tore into them as if she hadn’t eaten in at least a week.
    Berta and I smiled over the top of her head. Nothing is more gratifying to a cook than someone who enjoys food.
    Margo entered the room dragging a dark cloud behind her. She took a seat at the table and waved away the pancakes. She wasn’t a cruel girl, but she was sixteen, a time when independence had to be won no matter the cost. She hadn’t yet realized she didn’t have to kick free of Berta and Bob. They were willing to let her go, because they understood it was their job. They required only that she engage her brain and keep herself safe so they could drop the reins with some degree of confidence that she wouldn’t harm herself.
    â€œJuice?” Berta asked, ignoring Margo’s frown.
    â€œJust coffee.”
    I began to clear the table. “Today we’re going over to Paradise Inn. We’ll identify some plants and discuss the local ecosystem.”
    â€œI’m not going. It’s too hot. I hate sweating and the mosquitoes are as big as wrens.”
    Margo dared me to contradict her, but I didn’t have to open my mouth. Berta loved her children, but she brooked no impertinence.
    â€œYes, Margo. You will go and you will be polite, courteous, and obedient. If I hear otherwise, you won’t drive for two months.” Berta stacked the plates on the table. “Annie, would you please take the garbage outside?”
    When the door closed on Annie, Berta rounded on Margo. Before she could say anything, Margo lashed out.
    â€œWhy are you so mean to me?” Margo pushed back so hard, her chair flipped over when she stood. “Everyone else is perfect, especially Annie. I’m the one who’s always at fault. Why is that, Mother?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “We’ve been to the hotel a hundred times. This is for Annie’s benefit, isn’t it, Mimi?”
    Corporal punishment wasn’t a part of the Henderson family, but I itched to slap her face. Margo had no idea how lucky she was, how much I’d give to be loved and coddled as she was. “I want to make sure Annie understands the dangers of the snakes and alligators. This is a dangerous place for someone who isn’t aware.”
    â€œIt wouldn’t hurt my feelings if an alligator ate her,” Margo said. “The entire house has turned upside down to make Annie feel good. What about me?” She turned to Berta. “What about your real children? We don’t count for much anymore since you have Perfect Annie and Mimi the Do-Gooder.”
    Berta wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Margo, put on your boots and go to the front porch, where you’ll wait for Mimi and the other children. Not another word. I’ll discuss with your father an appropriate punishment for your behavior. You will learn to control your emotions or you will become a social recluse.”
    Berta had struck a deathblow. Margo had hard-to-get tickets to the Black Oak Arkansas concert in Biloxi. If Berta grounded her, she would miss out on an event she’d planned for weeks. She paled and left the room. The front door shut softly.
    â€œShe must learn to think before she speaks,” Berta said.