"Wake up, Kathryn!" Someone yanks my blanket off of me, and I shriek like I've been murdered. Alex stands over me, in his thermal pants and an 'I loved my husband before it was legal' shirt.

"This is a bad dream. This is only a nightmare," I whisper to myself, squinching my eyes shut. Alex has no respect for sleeping teenagers.

"No, it's family bonding time! We're going to take a sunrise walk, so get dressed." He hits me with a pillow, and I yelp and tumble out of the bed.

Five minutes later, I schlep downstairs, trying to pull my flannel as tight as I can. John is falling asleep standing up, and he has a shirt that matches Alex's. He's got a mug of coffee pressed against his cheek, and his eyelids are fluttering.

"Come on, you two! Don't just sit there!" Alex tugs his sweatshirt on and grabs John's hand. "This is going to be so much fun!"

The world is cold at four thirty in the morning. The blue darkness surrounds us, but there's a faint blush of grey creeping along the horizon. I do like the sunrise, even if I never wake up early enough to watch it.

"I'm tired," I whine, voice cracking a little.

"I'm cold and hungry," John adds, yawning.

"Oh, buck up, you two." Alex smiles. "It won't be long now."

I climb up into a tree, my limbs still sluggish. John helps me steady myself, and I perch about six feet up. Alex holds one of my hands, John holds the other, and the two of them meet in the middle.

The sunrise is absolutely breathtaking. It tints the whole world gold, and everything looks shimmering and magical and perfect. I tilt my head up and let the thin rays of sun wash over my face. The gold is followed by rosy pink, then orange, and very slowly, blue. My stomach rumbles, and I laugh, hopping down from the tree.

John tackles Alex with a giant kiss, and the two of them land on the ground. I roll in the grass, giggling.

"Yay! Grass!" I cheer, and then crash into a tree. "Whoops. Sorry, Mr. Tree."

***********

I'm attempting to nap on the couch, and John is sitting on me watching cartoons. Alex is puttering around in the kitchen, and I don't know who let him- he's worse at cooking than I am.

John's phone is in his back pocket, and it starts vibrating- right on my stomach. I yelp and sit up, giggling like a crazy woman. "Answer your phone, Daddy, before it vibrates a hole in me!"

John pulls it out after some difficulty and answers it. "Hey, Margarita." There's a mumbling from the other side of the line. "I know, I know, don't call you that. Anyway, what's up, sister? Yup. Okay. I can do that. I'll tell them. They'll be really excited. Bye, little girl."

"Was that Aunt Peggy?" I try to wiggle out from under John.

"Yes it was. She wants to know if we can meet up with her for dinner tonight. Some important news or something." John stands up, and I smile in relief.

There's a loud bang, and a nasty smell of smoke comes from the kitchen. Alex begins to curse in French, fanning the smoke with a pan lid. John sighs, then walks in and begins to help Alex douse whatever fire he's started.

I run in, waving a wet dish towel and trying to help. I accidentally hit Alex on the arm with the towel, and the towel hits the stove and lights on fire. John screams and sprays us both with a fire extinguisher. I'm covered in white foam, and there's still smoke gushing everywhere, but at least the fire's out.

Alex looks a little embarrassed. "So, should we order in for lunch instead?"

***********

I'm wearing a new dress to go to dinner. It's black, with little white polka dots. I have pink socks and a pink headband, and I feel like a girl from the fifties. I keep twirling, just to watch my skirt poof up, then settle.

We're not the only ones invited to dinner, it turns out. Lafayette is there, and so are Hercules, Angelica, Eliza, and Maria. Peggy sits at the head of the table, grinning at Maria, who looks vaguely uncomfortable. Somehow, we make her feel shy.

John kisses Peggy on the cheek. "Hey, little sister."

Peggy laughs and hugs him. "Hey there, Johnny boy." She looks nice, in a black dress with a yellow scarf. Her hair is pulled back, and her face looks like it's glowing.

Alex and Lafayette exchange kisses- one on each cheek, as is French custom. I hug Hercules, who towers above me.

"Hi, Uncle Herc."

He grins and picks me up in a bear hug. "Kathryn! My favorite fake niece!"

"What about Lafayette's girls?" I giggle.

"They don't like me quite so much," Hercules sighs. "It's a shame."

Maria is standing there awkwardly, shy. Angelica and Eliza are talking in low voices, but Angelica keeps giving Maria looks that clearly say she's not welcome in the club. I walk over and sit next to her.

"Hi, Miss Maria," I say cheerfully, grinning at her. "You look beautiful tonight." It's true, her red dress looks perfect on her, and she's smiling just a little.

"Hello," she says softly, fiddling with her hands. I notice a tiny diamond ring glittering on her left hand, and I'm a little surprised. Maria doesn't usually wear jewelry that I've noticed. She keeps spinning it around, as if she's not used to wearing it.

"That's a pretty ring," I encourage. Maria seems incredibly shy, but with a little coaxing, she's incredibly nice.

Peggy hits her fork against her glass so hard, I'm afraid she's going to smash it. "Attention! Attention! It's Peggy, and I'd like to mention- I have some big news for all of you."

Angelica smiles weakly at her little sister's antics. "What is it, Peggy?"

Peggy pulls Maria to her feet. "So, as you know, Maria and I have been dating for some time now. She makes me incredibly happy, and I'm really lucky to have her. That's why, last night, I asked her to marry me!"

A gasp of excitement goes around the table. Lafayette claps his hands, and Eliza looks absolutely thrilled. Hercules is patting Peggy on the back with one of his giant hands, and she's practically falling over with every pat. Alex and John are whooping and jumping up and down, and I give Maria a shy little hug.

"Bonne chance with your new life together!" Lafayette raises a glass.

"I always knew the two of you would make a great couple." Hercules smiles. "As my early gift to you, I'm going to make outfits for the entire bridal party." Knowing Herc, he knew this day would come months before it did, and already has designs for everything.

"We're so proud, Peggy," John says, running over to hug her.

"My little sister's getting hitched!" Eliza jumps up and down. "Aren't you excited, Angie?"

Angelica is looking straight ahead, unmoving. When Eliza speaks to her, she blinks a few times, and seems to return to reality. "Congratulations," she manages, her voice a little hesitant.

"Let us celebrate," Alex proclaims. He lifts his glass of wine. "To our lovely ladies!"

All of the adults have wine, Peggy has a Shirley Temple, and I have apple juice. We raise our glasses anyway, and chorus, "To our lovely ladies!"

We eat for a little while, but then I (inconveniently enough) have to pee, so I walk around to the bathroom. When I'm in a stall, I hear people enter, and see Angelica's high heels and Eliza's fancy boots. Eliza's fancy boots swing up onto the sink counter, but Angelica's heels stay standing.

"Angie, you've got to tell me what's wrong." That's Eliza's voice, normally a happy one. She sounds unfortunately serious.

"I just..." There's Angelica, her voice even more serious than usual as her heels pace back and forth across the bathroom linoleum. "She's my little sister, you know? I know we've got Catherine, and Cornelia, but they're still living with Dad, and Peggy is our baby. I don't think-" Her voice is cut off as Eliza runs water in the sink.

"They're going to be fine. I know they're young, but so were Mom and Dad, and they turned out fine."

"It's not that-" The hand dryer roars over Angelica's words.

"If that's really what you think, get it off your chest. Tell her."

"And risk losing her? I can't, Eliza, I can't." Angelica sniffles a little.

"Peggy loves you, Angelica. She'll forgive you, if she knows you're just looking out for her." Eliza's fancy boots hit the floor.

"Alright. I'll do it- but her heart will break." The door swings open, and then closed. I carefully unlatch my stall and walk out. I wonder what Angelica wants to say.

Back at the table, we're all sitting down and eating when Angelica stands up. "Peggy, will you come into the bathroom with me for a moment? I need to speak to you in private."

Peggy sighs. "I just got my food, Angie. Can't it wait?"

Angelica grits her teeth and then hisses, "It's about Maria."

"If it's about Maria, you can say it in front of both of us." Peggy stands up, too, and folds her arms across her chest.

"I can go, if you want me to," Maria whispers. Peggy grabs her hand.

"Stay here, baby. Go ahead, Angelica. Say what you want to say."

Angelica takes a deep breath. "Fine. Peggy, I don't think you should settle this easily. You're nineteen- you should strive for the best. Go to college, find someone you love more than anything, and wait a while."

Peggy glares. "I'm not settling. Settling implies that you're stooping below your level and giving up. I love Maria."

"Yes, but you are stooping below your level." Angelica shakes her head.

"Excuse me?" Peggy takes a step forward.

"Peggy, you're a fantastic girl. If you wanted to, you could rule the world. Frankly, I don't approve of this."

Peggy looks more than a little taken aback. "Is this because I'm lesbian? I thought you were better than this, Angelica."

"It's not because of that! I think you should aim for someone a little better than Maria Lewis, that's all."

"What's wrong with her?" The Maria in question has tears welling in her eyes, and her lower lip is trembling slightly.

"Do you know how many people she was dating in one year before she met you? There was James Reynolds, and John Jay, and that Benjamin Franklin, and more that I forgot the names of. She's a bit of a loose character."

John and Alex are eyeing each other nervously. Peggy's face is red, her fists are clenched. She's absolutely furious. "Weren't you a bit of a wild character yourself, back when you were my age? You got in some interesting trouble back in college- I'm sure if I asked Dad, he could tell me stories."

Angelica looks angry, too. "This isn't about me, Margarita! It's about you! Maria's not good enough for you!"

Maria's chair screeches back across the floor. She runs out of the restaurant so fast, she leaves the door swinging back and forth. Peggy grabs her purse and runs out into the night after her.

"Maria! Wait, love, please come back!" Her boots pound down the sidewalk after Maria, who might have gone anywhere.

Angelica sinks back in her chair and runs her hands through her dark, kinky hair. She looks tired, and as if she's feeling her age for the first time. "Oh, Eliza...what have I done?"