Your uncle Thomas is a fisherman, spending all of his days catching whatever he can off the banks of the Chesapeake river.

You’ve only been in Virginia for a few hours, but you already know you’re going to love it. Your aunt Lilly’s home isn’t huge but somehow you all fit- eleven people in all. Your mama said you may have to share a bed with your cousin, but you don’t mind. You’ve always wanted a sister anyway.

You hear your uncle’s truck pull up into the gravel driveway, and he tumbles out with three wire baskets filled with live crabs. “Lilly!” he yells out, “Come on out here and get these crabs, so you can boil them!“ He walks over to you and holds the basket out so that you can see the crabs clawing at each other, trying to get out.

Your aunt Lillie lays out yesterday’s Virginian Pilot newspaper on the kitchen table and directs each of you to take a seat. Your uncle Thomas carries a pot that is almost as big as he is over to the table, dumping the cooked crabs onto the newspaper.

You watch your cousins dig in, but you have never had crabs before, so you don’t know what to do. Your cousin leans over and shows you how to crack the crab leg, and before long you are an expert.

At bedtime, your aunt Lilly comes into the living room, and gives you a blanket and pillow. She tells you you can sleep on the sofa. You are surprised, because she would not even let you SIT on the sofa earlier.

As you fall asleep, you think about your mama. Will she miss you while she packs up your house to join you? Will she REALLY be here in a few weeks? Will you be able to make friends at your new school? The questions swirl around in your head as you doze off to sleep. You decide to believe everything will work out.

And it does.