I couldn’t stop thinking about watermelons. I’d saved all y money to buy one. One giant, juicy   wonderful watermelon all for me. I was going to eat it all up, for the seeds.

At the store I searched carefully, looking for the biggest, juiciest, and most wonderful one I could find. There it was. I picked up my dream watermelon and put it on the floor. I rolled my treasure to the checkout line and waited for the cashier to weigh. Fifteen pounds!

After   paying,I rolled it out the door , then along the sidewalk, three blocks to my house. Sweat fell in drops from my forehead onto the watermelon. in drops from my forehead onto the watermelon.

＂Lucy! What are you doing with that watermelon?" Mom asked in surprise.

“I saved   up my money and bought it at the grocery store. I’m going to eating it all by myself.”

Mom frowned,and warned, “You'll get sick.”

＂Please,” I begged. “I've been saving all my money for it.”

Mom thought for a while, and then smiled meaningfully as if she knew something.She asked me to roll my giant,juicy,wonderful watermelon out the back door to our picnic table in the yard. She brought out a knife and some paper plates. My sister followed her.“Oh,watermelon,"she exclaimed with joy. “I want some.”

“Sorry,”I told her. “I'm going to eat it all by myself.”“Mom!” she cried,deep disappointment in her eyes.

“Your sister saved her money and bought it herself. She decides what to do with it.”

My brother came out next.“Watermelon! Can I have some?” he asked eagerly.“No way,"I refused him without hesitation. “I'm going to eat it all by myself.” “Mom!” my brother protested loudly.

“It's your sister's watermelon. She decides.”

“You can't eat that all by yourself," he challenged.

“Yes,I can!”I declared firmly.

My father came out. “Oh,watermelon!” he said, seeing it.

＂Don't even ask,”said my brother.

“She won't share,” my sister added.

Mom cut the watermelon into eight pieces in total.I reached for my first piece and took a bite.Red juice ran down my chin(下巴）.

The four of them stood together around he picnic table,Watching me.

Suddenly felt I was greedy as I was the only one having fun.

When Micah was a child, I used to do many things with her. Later, I got promoted and was always on constant business holidays. 3 years' devotion to work resulted in my absence from her life and now she was a teenage girl. Recently, I eventually managed to have abundant time to accompany her.

For the last few weeks, Micah had watched mockingbirds make a nest in a tree and lay eggs there. Sometimes, I came to accompany her without being invited. But whenever I made an attempt to break the ice, “I'm good” was about all she said to me. Code for “Leave me alone”.

“Why doesn't she want to do things with me?”I thought as I set the table for dinner one evening, hoping for an emotion bridge to reappear between us. Did she feel hurt with my long absence or feel ignored ? Lost in thought, I was seeking to mend the relationship.

“Mom!” Micah yelled suddenly. “Come quick!”

Surprised, I rushed out, only to find a little baby bird on the ground, weak and helpless. My eyes went to the branches above.

“The wind must have blown him out of the nest,”I said.

“No, it was Mr. Whiskers -our cat. You let him go outside!” Micah said, a bit annoyed.

Looking at the nest without the parents, “I'm sorry,”I said and put the bird in my palm cautiously and gently. She didn't respond, but did not refused my offer to help, either. Deciding to take care of the little baby till it became independent, I placed it in its nest. “What should we do next?” I asked. No response again. Instead, Micah went inside and hopped on her iPad. “Bird videos?” I asked. “Yes, I'm finding out what to feed it,” she said seriously.

Christmas Eve, my husband and our three children gathered in the living room. The presents were wrapped under the tree. Everything was perfect except one thing was missing the star on the top of the Christmas tree.

Lilly and Brandon were born first, and decorating the tree soon became the focus of our Christmas traditions. We would lift one of the kids up high to put the star on top. “The star that shone with promise,” I told the kids. The two kids took turns to do this important job.

Then Finn was born. He was a happy baby, until Matt and I noticed something odd when he was 14 months old. He didn’t interact with us anymore. Then, his autism (自闭症) diagnosis came out. How to be the family Finn needed us to be? In so many situations, I didn’t have an answer.

Finn turned three years old, and I hoped he was ready to take part in adding the final touch to our tree. It would be his first time, a chance to connect with us through this tradition. Matt took the older kids’ hands and stepped back to give us some room. I took the star from its box. “Here, Finn,” I said, putting the star in his little hand. “It’s your turn to put this on the top of the tree!” I went to pick him up. Finn didn’t seem to understand. He threw the star on the floor and twisted in my arms.

“Finn,” I said, “It’s okay, honey.” Still, he fought me. Finally, I put him down. I wanted to try again, but he ran away. “Finn!” I called after him, but he ignored me.

“Give him time,” Matt said. It didn’t feel right to let Lilly or Brandon place the star instead. It was Finn’s turn, and I didn’t want to leave him out. So, the tree remained starless that Christmas. The next Christmas too. And the one after that. waiting for Finn. This Christmas, however, I simply gave up trying and left the star in the box somewhere in the basement.

Matt brought some presents to the living room for the kids besides the starless tree.

“You want to put the star on the top?” I asked, looking where his finger was pointing.