Her dad blew a kiss at her mom.

“Or a woman,” Lillian said, holding out her bowl as well.

“Of course,” her mom and dad said at the same time.

“I want to get married in Costa Rica.” Marianne pulled her hair to the side and started a braid. “Did you know that Costa Rica doesn’t have a military? They use their money for schools!”

“Absolutely not,” her dad said, pouring himself a second glass of wine. “I’m against destination weddings. You shouldn’t make your guests travel that far. It’s insensitive and classist.”

Her dad loved to argue.

“Dad, you’d miss your own daughter’s wedding to make a point?” Lillian challenged him.

Lillian and her dad were a lot alike.

They debated Marianne’s imaginary wedding until dessert ended.

As they cleared the table, Marianne told her mom that Vi was going to come by that weekend for some studying sessions.

“So she can do my math homework with me,” Marianne explained.

“I think we need to stick to our schedule,” her mom insisted.

Marianne didn’t fight back. She wasn’t like Lillian. She didn’t always have the words to explain why she disagreed. But for some reason, work with Vi was so much better than work with her mom, which was funny because her mom loved her and Vi didn’t even like her.

That Sunday, Vi came to her house on foot.

She not only had on her heavy backpack, she carried a large stack of books as well.

Marianne looked up and down the street for a parent’s car.

“I walk everywhere,” Vi explained.

“Spring finally feels real, huh?” Marianne said, taking in a long breath of the warming air. In front of her porch, the daffodils were in full bloom. It made everything better.

Vi looked like she had no idea what Marianne was talking about, and she also seemed to be waiting for permission to even come up the steps.

“We can’t be inside,” Marianne said. “Not on the first truly warm day. Park? I’ll bring some snacks. One sec.”

She ran inside to find Lillian sizing up Vi through the window.

“I see what you mean about ‘sad,’” Lillian said.

Marianne grabbed her backpack and a towel in case the park was wet, and she led Vi the five blocks to Roseway Park. She lay the towel on a bench and they pulled out some folders.

“Flash cards first?” Marianne asked. “Then homework?”

“Which is more fun for you?” Vi took off her sweater and tied it around her waist.

“Definitely the Vi lectures. Flash cards,” she said, reaching in her bag for them.

“Then we start with homework.” Vi grabbed Marianne’s papers and searched through them.

“Oh man,” Marianne groused.

“This is great,” Vi said, looking over Marianne’s English work. “This will really help you,” she said. “It’s largely a review of concepts you should know by now, anyway. Symbolism. Imagery. This won’t take long.”

They went through the comprehension questions and definitions together until a suspicious Vi asked Marianne, “Have you read the book?”