On Saturday, Mrs. Carl was ecstatic when eight children showed up to help with posters and handouts and dirt-filled pots for demonstrations. One of the kids was the principal’s daughter and she coaxed her dad into having an assembly so Pauly could tell everyone about fruit trees.

The big nursery in Ottawa lent four apple trees, and a parent offered a truckload of horse manure.

Kelly said no to the manure, but her mother took it for her roses.

Pauly’s presentation was intelligent and interesting, well thought out and made every kid in school tell their parents they wanted an apple tree for Christmas. “One that’s been grafted,” they stipulated.

The local nursery took out a full-page ad in the Ottawa Herald offering 40 percent off on apple trees. “Buy now, give a gold-rimmed certificate for Christmas and the trees will be delivered in the spring.”

After that day, Paul was still a bit different but he was accepted, and he and Kelly were forever considered a twosome. In high school, when the girls played “Who will you marry?” for Kelly it was “When will you and Pauly get married?”

Smiling at the memories, Kelly turned to Xander. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be happy. And excited. I’ll soon be a full-fledged veterinarian. Dr. Carl is going to expand so I’ll have my own space to work in and I’ll see clients. Pauly and I will marry and move in with Mom and...” She couldn’t go on. The truth was that she’d miss her sister very much. Vera was interesting. There was never a second when she wasn’t creating something, coming up with ideas, and she was always passionate. Every moment, Vera was in a frenzy about some injustice. Every nightly newscast sent her into anger.

Kelly walked around Xander and hoisted herself into the saddle. She wanted to get to Dr. Carl’s and check on the animals, see if he needed her.

As she rode, she thought that sometimes it was as though she could see her entire life in front of her. It was a perfectly straight road, with no side roads, no paths, no surprises anywhere.

She patted Xander’s neck. “Wonder where Vera is now? And what she and Adam are doing?” She grimaced. As if everyone in town didn’t know about their trysts in Adam’s grandmother’s hideaway. People in town said, “Bet Burke Hatten never foresaw that that place would become the Sex Shack.”

Kelly told herself Vera and Adam’s shenanigans were shameful. Embarrassing. She turned red when she heard the gossip, but sometimes... Sometimes she envied her sister. She and Pauly had had sex but it wasn’t anything that would cause giggles and blushes.