Will hidden wounds mar the meaning of the day?

Anna is relishing her carefree vacation in a small southern town, miles away from the pervading influence of HALEY. So much so that when the old-fashioned Independence Day festival beckons, she's willing to sacrifice her own self-consciousness to join in Lev's wholehearted recognition of all the holiday stands for. But neither has imagined just how the noisy customs will strike a heart still wounded from the tragedies of the past. Can they find the true significance of the Fourth beneath the roar of its celebration?

A short story, previously published in Seize the Fight