I looked at Tuck. He put his arms around me and gave me a big smile. I looked at Renee and Eddie and thought, They're so happy! I couldn't help but feel a little envious.

After everyone had left, and the sun was rising, Tuck and I walked down to the river, to our pier. We kissed for a while, then just lay back on the dock, our legs dangling over the edge. We watched the thin dancing wisps of clouds change from peach to pale yellow and eventually to white in the soft early-morning sky. Tuck's arm was under my neck, making a perfect little pillow, and he had his tux jacket rolled up under his head.

"When I come home at Christmas," he said, "we can come right back to this spot. It might be a little bit cooler, so you might need a sweater. Or I could give you my coat, Calla. If you were cold, I'd give you my coat. If you ever need anything, I'll give it to you." He paused, then said, "This Christmas, and every one after that. If you want, Calla Lily."

"Yes, I do want that."

"I'll write you every day, Calla. We'll be together on holidays, and every summer. I promise."

A little breeze rippled across the water and broke the still air. Tuck noticed it too and said, "As a matter of fact, I think I better give you my jacket right now."

"No," I told him, "I don't need your jacket, it's not that chilly." Then I sat up, gave him a mischievous little smile, and said, "Give me your shirt, though. Your shirt would be just right." That made him throw back his head and laugh. Then he unhooked his cummerbund, took off his tux shirt, and wrapped it around my shoulders.

Then we lay back down and stared up at the sky again, and I could feel it protect us. The rays of the morning sun worked their way over the trees behind us and lit us up with warm gold light. I leaned in close to Tuck and watched his bare chest rise and fall with each breath. I was happy, and I knew it. Knowing that I had someone who loved me, someone who might be leaving but who would come back to me, seemed as beautiful as the La Luna sunrise.

Chapter 16.

1971.

June 4, 1971

La Luna, Louisiana

Dear Tuck, You're off! Summer school at Stanford. Seeing you off this morning as you got on the bus, I remembered the first time I saw you arrive in La Luna. When the bus pushed off today and I smelled the Greyhound smells, I saw you as a little kid again. It's funny, huh? Memories, I mean.

By now, you are in the air to San Francisco, California! I can't wait to hear all about it. Flying across the country and everything.

I'll mail this first thing in the morning and look forward to receiving your letter.

Your girl,

Calla

P.S. I put a surprise in your duffel bag, so look! xo Right after graduation, I got a job as a waitress at Meloncon's Cafe in Claiborne. I figured it would take me a year to save up the money for three months of living expenses in New Orleans, the car that I'd need there, and my beauty school tuition.

M'Dear and Papa first took me to Meloncon's Cafe, and I always loved it. Its double doors are old, varnished wood with heavy, wavy glass in them, and the floors are shiny black and white tiles-a traditional Louisiana place where you feel comfortable right away. It was not a big restaurant-people sometimes had to wait in line-but it was elegant, with real linen tablecloths and sterling silverware.

And the food! We served all kinds of Louisiana seafood, like shrimp, oysters, crabs, and catfish, but our specialty was crawfish. We made them any way you'd want-spicy-boiled or in etouffee, in boulettes, boudin, bisque, casseroles, and cornbread-but our crawfish pie was famous. I mean, it was written up in the Times-Picayune. People from all over Louisiana came to Meloncon's for the crawfish pie.

I took a lot of pride in making sure that my tables were clean, that the baskets of Saltine crackers were full, and that my napkins were folded just right. I liked to fold them into a fan shape to suggest a scallop shell. The owners, the Meloncons, who made me part of their family, loved this idea. It was a little extra effort, but I felt that our customers should enjoy every bit of their dining experience, right down to the napkins.

June 5, 1971

La Luna, Louisiana

Dear Tuck, I bet you are there, now-Stanford! I try to picture where your dorm might be, but the brochure you gave me doesn't say much. So I'm going to just imagine it all. I know you said there was an early orientation for honor students. I just wish I could be there cheering you on!

My job at Meloncon's Cafe is going to be even better than I'd thought. The Meloncons are going out of their way to welcome me.

Well, I better go now. Just know that I'm loving you from La Luna!

Love,

Calla

Since I felt that I represented Meloncon's Cafe, I always made sure that my nails were short and painted with a light pink polish-something that looked neat but didn't stand out while I was serving the food. My uniform was always perfectly ironed and starched. It was a shirtwaist dress, blue-and-white checked, and over it I wore a cotton pinafore-a real apron, not those plain nylon jobs that the other places made you wear.

I got some very good shoes, too, thanks to Aunt Helen. But my hardest decision was how to wear my hair, which was halfway down my back. People told me it was beautiful when I let it flow loose with its waves cascading down my shoulders. Most of the time I wore it in a long braid, but I felt Meloncon's called for something more fluffy. So I ended up wearing it in a high ponytail. It's funny, I always thought about other people's hair but I rarely thought about mine, even though folks told me that it was lovely. I took my hair for granted most of the time except when I looked at it in the mirror and thought of M'Dear.

Anyway, since we were near the courthouse in Claiborne, I'd gotten to know a lot of lawyers who came for lunch. They'd call over, "Calla Lily! How are you blooming today?" I'd go on over there, and often it would be Randall S. Beaumont III. "Hey, the Third!" I'd call him. "How're you doing?"

"Miss Calla Lily, I'm doing fine. Why don't you bring me two of those good crawfish sandwiches? Tell Mister Meloncon that his grandson will be okay. He wasn't driving under the influence; he was just driving fast. And I'm going to get him off before you know it."

One Sunday the cafe was closed so that the Meloncons could celebrate their thirtieth anniversary. I helped serve, and there was so much laughter and kissing and hugging between Mister and Mrs. Meloncon and their seven children and all their grandchildren. It was so inspiring to see such history and family in one room.

Renee and Eddie came in a few times to visit while I worked there. One night they came just for cocktails. Just to look at them you could tell they were married, the way they easily held hands. "Calla," they said, "tomorrow night, on your day off, could you come over for dinner?"

"Sure," I said. Now, I didn't know why they were making this dinner so special. I was at their house all the time, a darling little house that Renee was fixing up in the most colorful way. They had saved money for it by skipping a big wedding and getting married at city hall.

So the next night we had dinner in the small breakfast room that Renee painted so pretty with buttery tan walls, to match the kitchen. She had cooked a great meal, and for dessert we had carrot cake. I was already on my second cup of coffee and piece of carrot cake.

"Calla," they said, "we wanted you to be the first to know, after our family."

"Know what?" I said.

They held hands, and Renee gave me a big smile and bit her lips for a moment, just like she always did when she was about to burst out with something. And she said, "We're going to have a baby!"

"Oh!" I said, getting up and giving Renee a kiss. "That's so wonderful!"

"Hey," Eddie said, smiling, "don't I get a kiss? I did have a small part in this, you know."

I turned to Eddie. He suddenly seemed so much more-oh, I don't know how to put it-substantial. They both seemed so grown-up.

"Of course you deserve a kiss," I said, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

He smiled at me. "Renee's lucky to have a friend like you."

"Oh, I'm the lucky one," I replied. "I'm lucky to have both of you."

We all finished our desserts and chatted about the baby. That was the evening when I missed Tuck the most.

June 7, 1971

La Luna, Louisiana

Dear Tuck, You will simply NOT believe this! Get ready, 123! Renee is pregnant! They had me over for dinner last night to tell me. Here you and me are, just starting out after graduating-you at Stanford University, and me still getting ready for beauty school. I guess it's different strokes for different folks, right?!

You are probably as bowled over as me, so sit down, drink a Coke, and start studying!

You are my sweetheart!

Calla

On my days off from Meloncon's, I would do hair. I knew I would miss the customers once I moved, so I was greatly relieved that Aunt Helen and a friend of hers had agreed to keep the Crowning Glory open and alive. This made it so much easier for me to follow M'Dear's wishes for me to go out into the world. After she died, people had started going to Claiborne to get their hair done, but there were some older people who couldn't make the trip. So, that first Saturday after Tuck left, I had Miss Mildred, who lived across the road from us, out on the Crowning Glory Beauty Porch as my first customer. Miss Mildred had never married and had retired from her job as a social worker in Claiborne, working with the mentally ill.

She needed a wash and set. So I sat her down in the chair, tipped her head back, and began to drizzle her hair with warm water. I put some shampoo in my hands and then began to massage it into her scalp. I could feel the tension, but as I rubbed the shampoo in, I felt her scalp relax.

Then I felt it. Suddenly there was a warmth under my palms. I felt a strong wave of tenderness toward Miss Mildred, and I realized how lonely she had been since retiring. I kept my hands in place, massaging, until the warmth moved down her scalp.

"Ohhh, Calla, honey, this feels so good, to be touched like this right now. Oh, I just can't tell you."

I lifted my palms up off her head, but the warmth was still there. I could feel it moving under my hands, down her neck, over her shoulders, then down her back. As my hands moved, I was overcome with visions of the feelings Miss Mildred was releasing-missing her clients but also feeling exhausted from all those years of giving. I was shocked by the power of these revelations and by the fact that my hands could sense and soothe the way they were doing, entirely on their own. It was a strange and intimate connection that was kind of frightening.

Then, as suddenly as it came, the warmth passed. Soon I was just standing there with shampoo on my hands, ready to give Miss Mildred a rinse like nothing happened.

It struck me that this was what M'Dear meant by my having healing hands. Somehow she knew. But I'd never felt that kind of power within me before, and I wasn't sure if I wanted it to come back.

June 15, 1971

La Luna, Louisiana

Dear Tuck, How are you, sweetie pie? I thought we were going to write every day, but for now, I'll just keep writing you until you've had time to settle in. We are all doing well down here. I am busy with my job at Meloncon's, but the really important changes are happening while I do hair. It's like M'Dear is with me sometimes, do you know what I mean?

It's humid as can be. The figs are getting larger. As soon as it's time to pick them, I'll can fruit like M'Dear taught me. Then when you come home, you'll taste summer at Christmas.

You must be very, very busy not to write me. If you'd just drop a short note in the mail, it would put my mind at ease.

Your Calla Lily I didn't know how to describe the strange warmth, so I didn't tell anyone about it-not even Sukey, when she came from New Orleans to visit. She had moved right after graduation, and had already gotten a job. I just about fell on the floor when my girlfriend since the third grade told me that she had become a Playboy Bunny.

She never told us this was what she was planning. While we were still seniors she actually sent away for a Playboy Bunny kit! She had passed the test, so now she was an actual Bunny.