Denise was working the weekend with us to help cover my absence. They must have had that one all planned out, because as soon as I entered, Mrs. Sunshine ushered me through the back and onto the couch. I looked up to the peaceful look of Jesus and wondered what plans he had in store for me. No matter what came at me, I was the better for it here than anywhere else in the world.

She handed me a soda from the fridge and stirred her coffee. “I’m fixing to ask you something, and I want the truth. You hear me?”

Her voice wasn’t harsh, but it had that matter-of-fact tone that let me know she didn’t play.

I crossed my legs, nervous. “Yes, ma’am. I don’t lie, Mrs. Sunshine.”

She nodded. “Of course you don’t. Now tell me. Has this ever happened to you before?”

I frowned. “What?”

“About yesterday. Sweet Potato, Ray was right. You go blocking punches. One day life is going to knock you down for the count if you don’t stand up from your corner and fight. Child, you tell me the truth, now. Has yesterday ever happened to you or one of them kids?”

But I did fight. I did fight back, the best I knew how.

“No. I knew that it could happen, though. That’s why we never stay alone. We slipped up, that’s all.”

Mrs. Sunshine buried her face in her hands. “It’s all my fault. I was pressuring you to go and get ready for the date, and you were trying to tell me that you were already ready. And Sweet Potato, you looked beautiful. The day could have gone about its business, and you could have gone on with Ray to the music festival and that big fair. And Bell could have …”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Mrs. Sunshine, I’m fine. I’m telling you the truth. I’m right at fellowship with the Almighty right now, because the last time I checked we are better off now than we were yesterday. Don’t you see that? Those kids got to swim in a pool, eat steaks, and sleep in these pillow-top beds. I didn’t even know they made those things.”

“Blocking, Sweet Potato. You’re blocking again. What happened to you? Were you hurt?”

Tears coursed down her face, and I hated I’d made her cry. She was such a strong tower of a woman. To see her crumbling down was hard.

“No. I told you I was fine. I’m sore as all get out, but that too shall pass.”

I rubbed my back and neck at the thought of it. If I’d had a scarf, I would have wrapped it around my neck, because the skin looked so bruised. I prayed nobody would ask me questions.

“Physically, that is all. Mentally taken care of, too. I told Satan to get out my way, and I didn’t think another thought about it. That is the truth. As soon as my head hit the pillow last night, I was gone, with all my fears prayed away. Ray told Daddy to pray through all things. I’m really good at taking other people’s advice when it matters, and that was an ordeal that needed praying through.”

Definitely so.

“If something like that would’ve happened to me at your age—shoot, at my age—I don’t know how I’d handle it, Sweet Potato.”

She held her arms out, shaking me lightly. “And you see something positive out of it?”

“Yes, ma’am. I do. I wasn’t hurt. God showed me how He could get me through the next fire trial. My feet weren’t even singed. I’m blessed, Mrs. Sunshine.”

She patted the chair corner. Somehow, I managed to squeeze next to her. She put her arms around me and gave me a big, old hug. She could’ve been my very own chiropractor, because she cracked me right.

“I misjudged you, child. I thought I knew you, but you surprise me at every bend in the road. What I do get is that you’re a fine girl that deserves the best this world has to offer. You sure you don’t want to stay here with us to finish out your school year? If I have to call that contractor, I’ll be adding an extra room on here for the kids, too.”

I hugged her back. “Daddy has us covered. The youngins are beside themselves with joy. Daddy said that Ray deserved to take me out by myself. Them youngins deserved the night they had, and today, and the next day after that. It’s all working for good. We know how to take care of each other.”

She clapped. “A date tonight, then?”

I nodded, biting my lip. Tonight. Another night with Ray? Thank you, Almighty. I wished that I had a way to call Ray to see if he had made any plans.

“Oh, Mrs. Sunshine. I hadn’t even thought of that phone up to now. I’m going to pay you back somehow. I’m sorry I left it behind.”

“Hush up now. You got more important things to think about than a blessed phone.”

“About Ray. Where is he, anyway?”

“He’s out with his Uncle Clarence, Denise’s daddy. They went off to get him a car, and Clarence knows an honest dealer in the city that went to school with him. So, I let them handle that today.”

When the Pattersons set their minds to something, they didn’t waste any time. “I told him not to worry about the car thing. He doesn’t need to go and spend his money now because of me. Daddy is going to taxi us back and forth until he decides his next move.”

Mrs. Sunshine laughed. “Honey, Ray didn’t need no reason for the car thing. He’s been wanting one for a while now. He’s a man, after all. And poor ol’ Clarence loves to help and needs any distraction of good he can get. It makes him feel worthwhile.”

“It must run in your family.”

“Helping is all we’ve ever known, I guess. It’s our godly purpose.”

Denise was lounging at the counter, drinking a chocolate shake. She was rolling her eyes like she was getting a pure taste of heaven through a straw. She giggled when she saw that we’d caught her. “Okay. Don’t even joke me. I’ve had cafeteria food only, people. I’ve missed this goodness, and I’ve sure missed this place.”

Mrs. Sunshine swished her hips. “Well, you’ll get a set of these in no time, if you keep drinking chocolate shakes all day long.”

“That’s all right with me!” Denise swung her hips right back.

We worked together all morning. She was truly a nice girl, easy to be around. Her talk about college with all the customers had them all ’bout asking me at least fifteen times what I wanted to pursue after graduation, or where I wanted to go. They all knew I was a senior, so they were laying the pressure on thick. They were taking bets on which alma mater I would choose, trying to sway me to their school. The Virginia Tech faithful rambled on about Hokie sports. It was a lot of hokey-pokey to me, ’cause I hadn’t once thought about my future. I had more pressing concerns than college dreams, and I was reminded of that when Ray pulled up in a big, red SUV.

His momma hollered through the window, “You gonna be real safe with all that metal around you, boy!”

Ray was as ecstatic as a farmer with a higher-than-expected yield. Clarence was showing off the SUV to Mr. Joe, giving the whole salesman pitch, as if it was his duty to recreate the whole scene for us—right down to where he ended up with a dealer discount. I stood watching how Ray’s face shone in the light. Could anyone else see the simple beauty of that man? There was a touch of God in everything he did. I studied how he danced around his Momma and had a private handshake hello with Denise. He came up to me last, and the way that he dropped his head shyly sent shiver-boats sailing down my spine.

“Do you like it?” He waved the keys in front of me.

“Well, I absolutely think it’s fine. Not as fine as you, I tell you that, but fine just the same. Let’s call it Big Red.”

His momma came up behind him as he took my hand. “Ray, what you need all that room for?”

“Think about it, Momma. We got each other and all the kids.”

Her hands were on her hips, sizing him up. “That was a man’s choice you made at that lot. If I do say so myself, I’m proud of you. To think of them all, and not just yourself—I shouldn’t have even thought any different.”

Ray turned to me. “I can’t wait to take you on our date tonight.”

I bit my lip, wondering how I could say this to him. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be alone with him, but I couldn’t help but think of Bell and her pink dress.

“Ray, um … I …”

His smile let me know that he understood me. “You want them to go with us tonight, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “Well, I know they were looking forward to it, and Bell needs to wear her pink dress.”

He put his arms around me. “Whatever to make you happy. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The festival is through the weekend. I was taking you to the Blues and Gospel Festival at King-Lincoln Park. Would that be okay for a date? I wasn’t sure.”

I snuggled up close to his neck, not caring in the least that we were in broad daylight right beside a busy intersection. “I’d feel like a queen in that place. Sounds perfect.”

“You know the kids will love it.” He pulled away. “Speaking of kids … um … there’s your daddy now.”

I blushed. I hadn’t quite figured out how to hug up to Ray in front of Daddy without feeling uncomfortable. I put some distance between us.

“Hey, Daddy. Hey, guys.”

Bell was skipping and singing. Maize and Bean were passing a basketball back and forth.

I asked, “Where did you get that ball?”

Maize spun it on the tip of his finger. “When we were down at the church, we were playing with a group of the other guys there for the pancake breakfast, and this guy said that we could have it, since we liked to play so much. He came up from out of nowhere and was really cool.”

Bell chimed in, “And because I sang so good, I get that stand-up solo in church tomorrow morning, after all.”

Daddy nodded. “And because I am such a good Daddy, I ain’t going to say nothing about you making a spectacle of yourself in the middle of the street.”

He pointed at the SUV. “This is it, huh? Ain’t it a little flashy?”

But it wasn’t, really. It had regular tires and rims. It was fire-engine red. My color, because Bell had told him so. “Daddy, can the kids go with us tonight on our date? Please?”

He laughed heartily as he pulled open the restaurant door for everybody and did his signature ringing of the bell. He had promised the kids anything they wanted from the menu. I was sure that meant pie and more pie. I questioned this endless money he kept throwing around. Something was unsettling about this whole thing, for sure.

“It would be you to ask to bring them along, after I broke down and got up enough nerve to say you could go out by yourself.”

I shrugged, smiling at him. “I thought they’d have a good time when I found out that Ray was taking me to a music festival.”

Bell clapped. “A festival. A music festival. Please, Daddy, please, please, please.”

Daddy rolled his eyes. “Of course you all can go, and I like it right fine like that myself, anyway. Not that I don’t trust you, Ray, but …”

Ray pulled his apron on. “Don’t worry, sir. I know what you mean. I’ll take good care of them.”

Daddy nodded. “I’m sure you will. Now, Sweet Potato, are you going to take our order or what?”

It was my turn to shake my head, laughing. “For what? Pie? Please. I already know.”

Daddy shrugged. “How did you get so smart, child?”

I said, “It runs in the family, it seems.” And it did. Daddy was a smart man for bringing us here, for accepting the past, and for moving us forward. It was right brilliant of him, if I did say so myself. Smartest move yet.