Quiver

Caroline

I remember

when I was six years old

I went down to Florida to see my grandma with my family for spring break

My cousins would come a few hours later 

after I arrived

And I knew what I wanted most

My cousin Caroline loved mermaids

So I wanted to make her a mermaid pool

so when she saw it she would smile and gasp and say

"Thank you, Vivien, thank you!"

So she would acknowledge her baby cousin

and love her

I decorated the hot tub

with strings and streamers of purple and blue

I drew pictures of mermaids and painted them with watercolors, too

I made a sign that said, "mermad pool"

I was so excited for her to come and see what I made  her

When she finally arrived

I showed her the mermaid pool

she smiled and said "that's nice"

and looked away without a second glace

my mother tried to explain

why Caroline loved my brothers but not me

but I didn't understand

why my age made me less

So I took down the mermaid pool

and accepted then at once

that 

Caroline would never love me.