“Fun!” Tilly does a cartwheel on the lawn on her way over to me. She sits next to me on the step. I snap a few pics before she skips off. I glance at the picture. My hair is up in a messy bun, and I have no makeup. But I like my smile. Tilly looks a lot like me, except she has darker hair and she has braces.
Without overthinking it, I send the photo to Liam, followed by another text.
Lettie
Have you ever seen fireflies?
Liam
A couple times. They are??
Lettie
Haha
I’m about to text more when my dad interrupts me.
“There you are, Lettie!” He sits on the porch next to me. “It’s good to have you back.” It’s obvious he wants to chat for a while, which is probably for the best. Not sure what I’m doing texting Liam. He lives 1700 miles away. And after driving every single one of those miles, I know exactly how far that is.
***
A few days later, I film someextra bright fireflies. I try to send the clip to Liam. But the video is too large to go by text, forcing me to send an email.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Thoughts on Fireflies
Liam,
I caught a group of especially bright fireflies under a pine tree tonight and filmed them for you. This is an exciting event on two counts. First, because fireflies are often gone by this time of year. We rarely see them after the Fourth of July. And second because even the brightest fireflies are tricky to catch on film. Their particular magic is best experienced in real life. However, this batch was so bright that I was able to get some footage just for you. Keep in mind that they were even more enchanting in person.
My sister Gretta (short for Margaret) always catches a few in a jar. (Photo attached.) She never keeps them for more than an hour. I don’t like catching them since it seems cruel, especially considering fireflies have such a short life. Also, they lose some of their mystique if you look too closely. They’re just brown bugs.
When she was little, my sister Tilly (short for Matilda) swallowed several fireflies with the hope that they would make her glow in the dark. She was sorely disappointed. But my dad told her he thought eating the bugs gave her an extra spark in her eyes.
Okay, I’ll stop now. That’s probably more than you ever wanted to hear about fireflies.
Wishing you only the best.
HAGS,
Lettie
From: [email protected]
Subject: Your name?
Lettie,
Your sister’s name is Margaret and goes by Gretta. Your other sister is Matilda and goes by Tilly. Does this mean Lettie is short for something?
Yours with burning curiosity,
Liam
