6. THE LIBERTY

The one about Freedom

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The morning we went in for my procedure, we were in Lexington, Massachusetts. That weekend we had been in Concord for my stepmother's surprise sixtieth birthday. It was a sixties-themed party, and everyone was rocking John Lennon sunglasses, tie-dye tee shirts, and hippie printed Amazon bought dresses that looked great in a photo but would probably completely unravel if you pulled a string from the sleeve.

 I had shown up out of a sense of duty—the whole clan was to be there: all five of my siblings, and a hundred family members and friends. We were at the Concord Country Club, where my sister had been married ten years before, and just a few months ago we had held my sister-in-law's baby shower there. She was now carrying her little flower child, and everyone passed her around and lifted her to the light like the lion king. 

My sister Sanna was not only celebrating her tenth anniversary that fall, but also would be welcoming her fourth child in the following May; she was already four months pregnant. God bless my sister Sanna! Three children at the party, one on the way, and she still managed to organize most of the event while working full time and finishing her forever home, which would be completed later that month. She was one of those enigmas of a woman: one who did it all. 

I showed up with my partner, even though my family hadn’t thought I would be able to make it. I had been on the Cape for the week before, healing after my CVS test and finding out we wouldn’t be moving forward with the pregnancy.