Lemons

Tobin is the deuteragonist of Lemons and Lemonade’s new best friend, as well as a part of her new family, when she moves to Willow Creek. Tobin is outspoken, demanding, and particular; he tries to figure Lemonade out by asking as few questions as possible. He runs his own Bigfoot Detectives Inc. agency, is dedicated to investigating Bigfoot sightings in the area, and almost immediately instates Lemonade as his assistant. On the outside, Tobin is abrasive and lacks patience, but his actions indicate that he understands Lemonade better than he lets on, and he’s willing to give her a chance to show a different side of herself. Tobin also gets bullied for being a Bigfoot investigator, but Lemonade helps him overcome the bullying by making friends with the kids instead. Tobin defends his agency and the reality of Bigfoot, as well as the rights of Bigfoot to be treated with respect and understanding.

Like Lemonade, Tobin has a volcano inside him that occasionally causes him to act in undesirable ways. Ever since his father went missing after the war, Tobin is worried but hopeful that his father will return. He reacts with anger when Lemonade questions Bigfoot’s existence and doesn’t want to talk about his father or what happened to him. Tobin plays a major role in Lemonade’s recovery and healing, as he becomes like family to her. They spend the whole summer together, and Tobin and Lemonade bring out the best in one another. He is also named after Melissa Savage’s son, who died in 2012.

Lemonade’s grandfather, Charlie, is a dynamic character that appears to be gruff, awkward, and introverted at first but actually is a loving, warm person who is nervous to open up to his granddaughter. Charlie is always clearing his throat when he gets emotional and often remains silent during times of tension or when Lemonade brings up the past: “Charlie’s eyes are on me again in the rearview mirror. They have a lot of questions in them” (79). His body language, mannerisms, and facial expressions are his primary mode of communication. Charlie used to be a doctor, which surprises Lemonade, who thought he always owned the Bigfoot souvenir shop. Like Tobin, Charlie is passionate about investigating Bigfoot and claims to have seen one himself while driving one night.

Charlie’s wife and daughter both died, and he is still in the middle of navigating his own grief when he takes in Lemonade. He stays strong for her, but at times, he is unapproachable as he sifts through his emotions. Charlie reaches out more and more to Lemonade, revealing the reasons for his falling out with Elizabeth, making her warm milk in the middle of the night, buying her Twinkies, and talking to her about Elizabeth’s childhood. Charlie slips on some rocks while looking for Lemonade after she runs off, and seeing him in the hospital makes Lemonade aware of how much she cares about her grandfather. Charlie tells Lemonade he loves her and would follow her anywhere and expresses his gratitude for having her in his life now: “Lemonade Liberty Witt, you are what I’m most thankful for every day” (275).

Mrs. Dickerson is an elderly woman who lives in Willow Creek. She is first introduced when she calls in about a recent Bigfoot sighting in her yard that frightened her enough to cause her to drop her cookies. Mrs. Dickerson is always calling in about sightings, but the kids never seem to find anything when they investigate. She bakes them cookies and gives them tea, and Lemonade enjoys hearing stories from Mrs. Dickerson about when her mother was a child. Tobin’s patience for Mrs. Dickerson frequently runs thin, but Lemonade commonly turns to Mrs. Dickerson when she feels lost or needs comfort. Mrs. Dickerson taught Elizabeth in elementary school and can provide Lemonade with new memories of her mother through the stories she tells her. Mrs. Dickerson also provides Lemonade with essential advice to help her understand her own grief process and the grief processes of those around her: “Sad feelings can take control of us and make us choose things we wouldn’t normally choose” (201). Mrs. Dickerson also tells Lemonade that gratitude is an essential component of healing from loss because although Lemonade’s mother is gone, she can still be grateful for the time she had with her, as well as her new family. Mrs. Dickerson also discovers the shelter in her yard that turns out to be Tobin’s father’s shelter.

Debbie is Tobin’s mother. She works as a nurse and is gone six days a week, so Tobin spends most of his time at Charlie’s house. Debbie gets angry when Tobin and Lemonade run off into the woods during the storm. She is protective of Tobin and also Lemonade, in part because Debbie was friends with Elizabeth in high school. Debbie becomes a motherly presence in Lemonade’s life, and she helps Lemonade come to terms with her grief. She and Lemonade share memories of their loved ones, and Debbie demonstrates an unwavering optimism in her husband’s return. When Debbie finds her husband in the woods, she embraces him.