Waiting out a storm by the highway inspires a name for an unborn baby
sister in a tender, exquisitely observed tale from the incomparable Bob
Graham.
The rain is pouring down in buckets, and Francie and her mom are on
their way home from Grandma's. As the little red car pulls into a picnic
area to wait out the storm, the windows fog up, and Francie spells out
Dad, Mom, and Francie with her finger. But the back window is
waiting for another name, that of Francie's soon-to-arrive baby sister.
What should they call her? Francie and her mother ponder this as they
return to the road. Later, when they stop to fill up with gas, who will
notice one mother lost in thought and a small girl dancing? Once again,
as only he can, Bob Graham elevates a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment
into a sublime tale full of nuance and heart.