The List of Things That Will Not Change

Bea and Angus were hanging out at the restaurant a few days before the class colonial breakfast. They learned from Jesse that oysters used to be plentiful in New York before the waters were poisoned, and that colonists in the 1600s learned to eat oysters from local Indigenous people. Bea wondered if oysters might be a good addition to the colonial breakfast, and her teacher agreed, so Bea convinced her dad to contribute some. At school, Bea and her friends practiced making butter again. Angus accidentally dropped his jar and smashed it, so Bea shared hers.

While making invitations for Jesse and Daniel’s (Bea’s dad’s) wedding, Sheila came to help, and Sonia joined in over Skype. When Sonia asked about Jesse and Sheila’s brother, Mission, Jesse sadly reported that he wouldn’t be attending because he didn’t approve of Jesse marrying a man. Sonia seemed uncomfortable at the thought of being at the wedding without her uncle, and she left the Skype call almost immediately afterward. At bedtime, Bea wondered if families could divorce each other, and her dad explained that families do sometimes abandon one another.