Dad was home a lot to feed the baby and even buy food for Nola and Mom. He made Nola get up every day and not miss the school bus to Smithtown Elementary. Nola loved school, but she never knew when the school bus would arrive at the estate gate because Mom was against clocks, just as she was against a TV and a phone. The year before, there had been some business about a caseworker, and Nola knew that if that woman ever knocked on the door again, she must wake Mom up real quick and make her wash her face and comb her hair before she let the woman in.

When Dad went on tour, Mom got irritated with this baby who wouldn’t stop crying even though Mom yelled at her to stop. Nola felt bad for Jenna, whose little fingers and nose and eyes were one big miracle. Sometimes, when Mom became upset, Nola would take Jenna for a walk even though it was winter and the baby had the sniffles. She would first pinch a stub of cigarette with a roach clip and light it to make Mom feel better and then she and Jenna wouldn’t have to stay outside for too long.

The best part of it was that when Nola returned, Mom would hug her, tell her what a responsible, good daughter Nola was, and then she would kiss Jenna, too. Mom said this baby would be beautiful, which made Nola happy, because in case Jenna wouldn’t be able to sing, she should be beautiful.

By summer, Mom felt better because she spoke about “No-Nukes” and explained that in the Cold War, the government kept inventing new ways to endanger our small planet and its inhabitants. Now it was nuclear weapons and submarines.

One day, Mom and Dad left baby Jenna home with a visiting friend and took Nola on a long bus ride to Washington, D.C. Thousands of people gathered in a rally against the dangerous weapons the U.S. was pointing at Russia because the Russians had their missiles directed at America’s shores. Nola hadn’t seen any cannons or missiles from across the Sound, but liked the thrill of the protest. Everybody camped around, carried signs and sang songs. Once, a man streaked naked across the stage, and everybody cheered. Nola was terribly embarrassed to see that penis flapping as he ran, but she couldn’t take her eyes off it. It looked like the head of a dead turtle and probably felt like one to the touch.

Carly Simon was there, and Bruce Springsteen, and Bonnie Raitt, and James Taylor, and the Doobie Brothers. Dad performed, then Mom sang solo, while Nola stood in front of the stage with their friends, jumping and dancing along. She couldn’t imagine feeling more a part of something big and important until Dad invited her on stage and Mom handed her the microphone.