"You better rub on some more sunscreen, Gwyn," Daddy muttered. He tossed the bottle at my five-year-old self and started lathering another white glob into his blue-veined skin. I was redheaded, light-eyed, and hopelessly freckled just like he was. The sun would crook its rays into sinister claws and scoop both of us into its fiery mouth within minutes if we didn't slather ourselves in gallons of sun goop. Pale people have to be pro-active about protecting their complexions.

My father inspected his arms, worked the excess sunscreen into his elbows, and then glanced at me. "Put some on your ears."

"Yes, Daddy." I placed a dot on each ear.

"No, Gwyn," my father said, smiling. "You'll need more than that." He knelt before me and squirted a puddle of sunscreen into his fingers and then massaged my little ears until they tickled. "Perfect. No skin burn for you." I nodded, like I always did when words were unnecessary.

"You better rub on some more sunscreen, Gwyn," Daddy muttered. He tossed the bottle at my five-year-old self and started lathering another white glob into his blue-veined skin. I was redheaded, light-eyed, and hopelessly freckled just like he was. The sun would crook its rays into sinister claws and scoop both of us into its fiery mouth within minutes if we didn't slather ourselves in gallons of sun goop. Pale people have to be pro-active about protecting their complexions.

My father inspected his arms, worked the excess sunscreen into his elbows, and then glanced at me. "Put some on your ears."

"Yes, Daddy." I placed a dot on each ear.

"No, Gwyn," my father said, smiling. "You'll need more than that." He knelt before me and squirted a puddle of sunscreen into his fingers and then massaged my little ears until they tickled. "Perfect. No skin burn for you." I nodded, like I always did when words were unnecessary.