Marta traced each note with her fingertip, smiling at some, laughing softly at others. But then she noticed something else—a second set of markings. Tiny asterisks next to certain dates, and at the bottom of the calendar, a small key: ★ = Festival he would have loved.
Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day. Dad burned the toast again. Jan. 6 – Three Kings’ Day. Found the Wise Man from the nativity behind the sofa. Feb. 4 – Lunar New Year (Year of the Monkey). Made dumplings with Grandma. Feb. 25 – Mardi Gras. Ate too many beignets. Purple, green, gold. Mar. 17 – St. Patrick’s Day. Uncle Pat wore the silly hat. Apr. 19 – Easter. Egg hunt in the rain. Lily hid one in Dad’s shoe. May 5 – Cinco de Mayo. Tried to learn the Mexican hat dance. Failed. June 21 – Summer solstice. Stayed up late. Fireflies like little lanterns. July 4 – Independence Day. Sparkler burns on two fingers. Worth it. Aug. 15 – Feast of the Assumption. Church picnic. Best potato salad ever. Sep. 16 – Rosh Hashanah. Tasted honey cake at Rachel’s house. Oct. 31 – Halloween. Costume: a ghost made from an old sheet. Tripped on the stairs. Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving. Aunt Margie fell asleep in the cranberry sauce. Dec. 25 – Christmas. Got a red bike. Rode it in the living room. 1992 calendar with festivals
Marta hung the calendar on her own kitchen wall, 2024 now, and took out a pen. Marta traced each note with her fingertip, smiling
She added a tiny star in the margin.