"Well go on," I told Johnny, giving him a verbal nudge.

He looked down at his dress and shoes, exhaled, and began to take steps, slowly towards Mama's grave.

He stopped and looked back at me, "You coming," he asked.

"No, I think it's better if you go alone. I'll set up our lunch. Go ahead."

I watched as Johnny turned back around and again slowly, nervously advanced. Aside from facial recognition, there was nothing about him at this moment that indicated I was seeing  anything other than a pretty little girl.

"Mamma," I barely heard him say as he continued towards her tombstone. "It-it, it's me, J-Johnny . . . Do you like my d-dress . . . Kerin said y- . . ."

I could now, no longer make out what he was saying, but I continued to watch as he stopped next to Ma's grave site, his hands clasped together in front of himself.

I finished spreading our lunch on the blanket and settled in, continuing to watch Johnny. He was now down on his knees, his head dropped forward.

After a few more minutes he stood up and began to twirl, making several revolutions before stopping when he noticed me watching him.

"Don't mind me," I called out to him. "You continue talking to Ma. When you're done we'll eat."

He was quite cute and seemed rather comfortable talking to Mama, excitedly showing off his dress, and showing her his shoes.

A couple minutes later he came skipping back to me.

"So, how did it go," I asked, anxious to hear what he would say.

"I think she likes my dress, especially the shoes and my pretty earrings. Yoy were right. Thank you, thank you, thank you for my outfit and for bringing me here today. This is the best birthday ever."

"Well, it's what you wanted . . . the outfit, I mean, and I knew you'd enjoy getting to wear it out and not just trying it own for a few minutes."

Johnny threw his arms around me and gave me a long, warm hug.

Once he released the embrace, he sat back up and took a bite of his sandwich.

"Yum, this is delicious," I exclaimed after taking my first bite. "You're a natural at make delicious sandwiches. "

"I just did what you told me."

"Yes, but you put them together. They are the perfect ratio of mayo to mustard. I couldn't have done better myself."

Once lunch was finished, and everything was back in the basket, we both walked back over to Mama's headstone and told her we loved her and would see her again soon.

Johnny bent over  and kissed her headstone just before we turned to head back home.

"Wait. Take your shoes off and put the boots back on, Johnny."

With the shoes in one hand and the boots in the other he took a few steps forward.

"Come on,  I'm going to walk barefooted."

As boys, it's what we did almost all the time, go barefooted, that is, so I didn't have an issue with it.

"You know what, sis? Not only does Ma like my outfit, but Pa approves too."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"I think so too. I think he approves of both of us. After all, he has to, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How does that make you feel?"

"Happy! Very happy!"

About half way back to the house we began to hear the sound of a tractor coming towards us.

Oh, crap, I thought. That's old man Johnson.

I quickly looked around. The left side of the road was the open fields where he grew his crops. The right side was trees.

I grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him into the woods just as Mr. Johnson came around the corner.

The trees weren't thick enough to really hide well, but we did the best we could.

Mr. Johnson approached on the other side of the road, pulling a trailer full of ears of corn behind the tractor, a large cloud of dust billowing up behind him.

He saw us, and slowed to a stop.

"Hello there, boys," he called out to us.

He knew who we were, even if he couldn't see us well. It was our land and we were the only ones who would be back here any ways.

"Whatcha hiding from? Come on out."

We couldn't continue standing there awkwardly, and knew we'd eventually have to show ourselves, so I when ahead and stepped out.

Johnny was a couple of terrified steps behind me.

Mr. Johnson had removed his thick classes and began cleaning the lenses with the tail of his shirt as we emerged.

"How are you boys do-o-o-"

He looked up as he spoke and that's when he really saw us.

"Why, you aren't Ms. Martha's boys at all, you're girls. This is the late Ms. Martha's land and the only people ever out here is me and her boys. I'm Mr. Johnson, I rent this land, to farm, from Ms. Martha's boys. Who are you?"

It was at this point that he placed his glasses back on his face and got a clearer look at us.

His facial expression changed to one of shock and confusion.

"J-Johnny, "he began to stammer, obviously recognizing Johnny, since the tinted chapstick and earrings were the only thing different about his face and didn't disguise it enough to make him unrecognizable to someone who knew him well.

"What are you wea--," he stopped himself from asking what he was about to say and changed the thought mid sentence. I-I mean uh, t-that sure is a pretty dress."

"Thanks, M-Mr. Johnson."

"Who's your pretty friend there, boy?"

"I'm Kerin," I replied.

He took a closer look, inspecting me from head to toe before responding.

"Kerin?" A look of uncertainty crossed his face. "Ah, oh yes. Kevin?  Is that you? Daisy told me about you. You're so made up all girly and pretty-like I didn't recognize . . ."

Mr. Johnson stopped mid-sentence and there was an awkward pause before he finally spoke again.

"I ah, I'm sorry I wasn't at ya Ma's funeral. I was at the doctor's office getting my hand looked at."

He held up his right hand, completely wrapped in an ace bandage.

"I cut my hand pretty bad and I had to get it looked at. They put nine stitches in it. Can't even bend my fingers with this mess on'um."

"It's okay, Mr. Johnson. We understand."

"Anyhow, I uh, I-I need to get back to work. See you, ahh. . . boys later" he announced as he restarted his tractor and began to pull away.

"Oh, no," Johnny cried out. "Now everyone's going to know."

"Calm down. I don't think he'll tell anybody."

"Really?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, I hope not, I don't want Jessie, Jimmy, and Timmy finding out. Get me home before anyone else sees me. I wanna get this stuff off as soon as possible."