The blare of the fire engine’s siren startled me. The red light started to spin, and all those that had gathered broke into a cheer. The parade was starting and ending at the Sun Bowl, and while the loop was only a mile and a bit, it would take about an hour and a half to do the circuit with kids on Big Wheels and tricycles and getting pulled in wagons. We were there from the start. Ellen had ended up decorating one of our bikes as well with Meredith Hunter, back from her vacation, and was cycling along. My job was to stay close to Peter and push him on the Big Wheel when he needed it. Of the twenty or so cyclists that had arrived at the Sun Bowl, Peter’s bike was by far the best. Ellen had done both sides of the poster board so you could read I Am Sam, Sam I Am from behind and from the front. The streamers fluttered red, white, and blue from the top hat and handlebars. Ellen had put white face paint very lightly across Peter’s face and drawn the flag hearts on each cheek. He wore a white T-shirt and the vest Ellen had sewn. Around his neck was a giant red bow made from crêpe paper, with matching bows on his sneakers. The rest of the bikes were just covered in streamers, crêpe paper, and glittery pinwheels, but Peter and Ellen stood out. She had traced matching hearts on her own cheeks and was also wearing a white T-shirt and a tiny vest made from the leftover fabric.