French Braid

Candle Lainey, the daughter of Alice and Kevin, is the protagonist of Chapter 6, set in 1997. Candle turns 12 on January 8 and announces a series of changes: She will no longer wear a ponytail, she will pierce her ears, and she will stop answering to “Candle.” As a toddler she could not pronounce “Kendall,” her given name, instead calling herself Candle, which her friends and family quickly adopted. Because no one in her family can remember to call her Kendall, she regretfully drops that request.

That summer, Candle attends a camp in Maine. Her art teacher is a young tattooed woman who changed her name from Tamar to Tomorrow. She tells Candle she has real talent as a painter. When Alice arrives, Tomorrow says Candle should try her hand at oil painting. Alice says her mother works in acrylic paints. When Tomorrow asks if Alice’s mother is an artist, she responds, “In a way” (177).

Alice arranges for Candle to visit Mercy. On Alice’s suggestion, Candle takes some of her paintings for Mercy’s assessment of her talent. Mercy opens the door as soon as she reaches the top of the stairs, calling her Kendall, and the girl feels a rush of gratitude.