Emily is a twelve-year-old girl whose father begins to make fly ties after he has major back surgery. Emily and her family go to their summer house, and her father spends a lot of time at his fly-tying table. Emily is the only one of her siblings who is allowed to watch him work, because she doesn't fidget. Eventually, Emily's dad asks Emily to make a fly tie herself. After Emily and her father finish Emily's fly tie, Emily's father plans for Emily to make another one the next day. Emily makes several ties over the course of a few weeks; however, she never grows particularly fond of the activity. Emily's mother tries to get her away from fly tying; she takes Emily to the library more often. At the end of July, Emily spends much of her time with her friends. One night, Emily and her friends get their ears pierced, despite the fact that Emily's parents had forbidden her to pierce her ears until she was seventeen. One night, Emily decides to wear two of her fly ties as earrings. Her parents notice the earrings when she gets home, and her mother is upset. Her father is more calm, but he is still disappointed, and tells Emily that fly ties are not earrings, and they don't look good because they are upside down.