Despite the rain, it was a respectable turn out. It rained hard all morning. It was a summer storm with gusts of winds and heavy lightning. Billy almost cancelled, but Marie convinced him to wait until noon. She was right. Warren Bigsley, dressed in a pinstriped three-piece suit (the stripes, he thought, were slimming), stood at the entrance of the showroom of Miske Motors flanked by Billy and Marie. There was a break in the sky long enough to make a quick speech and begin the celebration of christening the new dealership.

Marie’s mother held baby Douglas in her arms while Billy Junior shuffled his feet in boredom next to her. George was there along with Jack and some neighbors from Billy and Marie’s street. A red velvet ribbon hung across the entrance.

“And it’s my privilege to congr...

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