1973 – Luke

Luke would not be bothered by the world, not right now. He ducked around the tourists, glancing at their watches and jostling their children, then quickly sidestepped Babbete's lawn chair. He dodged his own parents; Charlotte pulling Bill's arms around her sweater clad body for warmth. Luke ran faster. Bootsie was small and dim witted, but he was swiftly catching up. The light post was only a few arm lengths away, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a dancing white light: swirls and flourishes of bright and a flash of blond. He heard his father shout and then the sparkler bearing child was in front of him and they were both tumbling to the ground with a crash. His hands and knees smarted as he pulled himself up. Bootsie was dancing around the light post singing.

" I'm the king! I won! I won!"

Luke turned to his sister, whose face was red and scrunched.

"What d'ya do that for?" he snapped.

"I wanted to show you my sparkler."

"Well I didn't want to see it."

" But I can spell my name with it Luke!" That might have stopped him, but Bootsie's voice was still ringing in his ears.

"Big deal Liz, I don't care. Leave me alone."

The tears that had been welling in the bottoms of Liz's eyes started to spill, running down her cheeks, as she took big messy gulps of air.

"Lucas," Charlotte had arrived, her braid swinging over her shoulder as she crouched, scooping up Liz, who buried her face in her mother's neck. Charlotte's hands smoothed over Liz's back as she turned to Luke, her voice stern.

"Apologize to your sister now."

Luke glanced at Bootsie, still swinging around the lamppost. His fists clenched.

"No, I was racing and I lost and it's all Liz's fault."

"Luke," He was looking at the lamppost again, but Bootsie was gone.

"Lucas," She grabbed his chin hard, turning him to face her.

" That doesn't matter."

Luke really looked at his mother. The skin of her face was pale and taut. Her brown eyes were watery. Had he done that? She stood as Bill approached, and turned to him.

"I'm going to take Liz in."

Bill's eyebrows lowered, his voice was low.

"They haven't even lit it yet. I can take her."

"I'll catch it next year. I'm a little tired, and I think Liz could use some girl time. Right Lizzy?" Liz's head, still buried in Charlotte's neck, shook up and down. Luke watched his father catch his mother's eye.

"Char?'

"I'm fine Bill."

She kissed him and Luke couldn't even muster an eye roll. Her hand slipped off Bill's face, she mussed Luke's hair, and then with a sad smile turned towards the house. Bill and Luke watched their girls walk away until all they could see nothing more than two blond blurs and blue jeans, before turning reluctantly back to the festival.

"Does anyone have a match? Anyone?"