French Braid

Lily is the protagonist of Chapter 4, which records events over a few weeks in the spring of 1982. Lily now manages the supply store. David calls her and asks if he and his friend Greta can come from Philadelphia for Easter lunch with the whole family. Because he scarcely contacts any of the Garretts, this startles Lily. Lily is certain everyone in the family will attend this meal.

Though he is 30 and a well-established high-school teacher, David has never brought a girlfriend to any family event, choosing to keep his personal life private. Lily calls Alice. The sisters engage in a lengthy, speculative conversation about Greta. Alice insists the meal must be at her house; Mercy has not prepared a meal in years. Alice and Kevin can easily serve the dozen who will attend. Lily offers to help, but Mercy says Alice should host. Her mother’s behavior causes Lily to feel she is not really Mercy’s daughter: “Or more accurately, she didn’t feel that Mercy was any kind of mother. She felt Mercy was like those cats who fail to recognize their own kittens after they’ve grown up” (113).