It was hot and humid that day, stickier than usual, but that could be said for most days in the Bayou. Still, a cold drink would have been perfect right about then, but Cora had a thing about me running in and out of the kitchen, which I had already done twice. So I suffered in silence and went outside to see what my other sister was up to.

I didn’t get very far before Cora yelled out my full name, "Leanna Christine Belle." I had left the screen door open. She had a thing about that too.. . .

It was hot and humid that day, stickier than usual, but that could be said for most days in the Bayou. Still, a cold drink would have been perfect right about then, but Cora had a thing about me running in and out of the kitchen, which I had already done twice. So I suffered in silence and went outside to see what my other sister was up to.

I didn’t get very far before Cora yelled out my full name, "Leanna Christine Belle." I had left the screen door open. She had a thing about that too.. . .