The Strange Beautiful Woman

She sauntered into grandma’s house Wearing her hair like Veronica Lake That sultry, sexy forties look no one knows about now Grandpa and Uncle Tommy remembered. They grinned at each other. She began to apologize almost immediately Because she had meant to bring a gift of liquor But her boyfriend told her grandma’s policy at the last second. She had stopped to get flowers, but they were out. We have flowers out back, the girls told her. She looked uncomfortable, and none of us knew who she was. We surmised she might be Harry or Dickie’s girl But they had not arrived yet. We never guessed she was Lizabeth all grown up. A distant cousin who had been adopted out. When we figured it out, the men stopped ogling and Grandma cackled with her witch laugh