Stand Tall

“Curtis said he’d seen the breakup coming.

Larry knew Mom was going to leave Dad, too.

Tree sure hadn’t. It was like watching floodwaters burst through a dam he’d always expected to hold.”

As Tree remembers when his mother moved out, he recalls that his brothers expected the divorce. Tree’s surprise emphasizes his innocence—he viewed his parents’ marriage as indestructible, like a strong dam. Floodwaters suggest a catastrophic event for Tree, but for his brothers, the water levels had been rising for years. This simile also foreshadows the literal flood that happens later that winter.

“It’s getting harder for me to sneak up on people.”

When a nurse changes Grandpa’s bandages after his surgery and asks how he is, this is his response. Grandpa’s words demonstrate his light-hearted nature, which in turn highlights his positivity. Instead of complaining about losing his leg, he makes a joke that being sneaky is now a challenge. In saying this, Grandpa models for Tree how humor can lighten the burden of adversity.

“Tree took the weight. If there was ever a reason to be a too-tall seventh-grader, it was so you could help your grandpa get walking again.”

Even though Tree dislikes his height and the expectations that come with it—specifically that he should be good at basketball—he acknowledges its benefits. He loves his grandfather, and his size provides support for the man as he relearns how to walk, first with one leg, and eventually with his prosthetic. This is the first time Tree views his stature as a positive.