Chapter 12

Carey Eggers received the news at breakfast that she was being released today. They were getting her release papers ready, and all she needed now was a ride out of town. She was so excited she quit her food and called Johnny immediately to give him the news. When he answered on the first ring, the familiar rumble of his voice was in her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Johnny, it's me. I have good news. I can go home this morning."

Johnny let out a whoop. "Best news ever, sweetheart. It won't take us long to pack up and check out. I can't wait to get you out of here."

"Me too," Carey said. "Love you. See you soon, and thank you for the new going-home clothes you brought me yesterday."

"You're welcome. See you soon," he said, and disconnected.

An hour later, she was finally dressed in blue shorts and a blue and white T-shirt with Jubilee written across the front. As she waited within the silence of her room, the gravity of her situation fell in on her again.

She was going home to a brother in the morgue and the hopes that there was no one left who wanted her dead. Being hunted down like a wild animal had shaken her to the core. Detective Gardner had assured them again that he'd publicly announced Billy Eggers's sister had neither seen the person who shot him, nor had any idea who'd tried to kill her. She couldn't identify anyone, or know anything of value to the case, and that was all the reassurance she had that she was off the shooter's radar. She also knew that they'd issued an arrest warrant based on DNA found under her brother's fingernails during the fight, so she had no reason to doubt Gardner's word, but the whole debacle was still horrifying.

Then the door to her room opened, and Tom and Johnny came in. She eased herself down from the bed and hugged the both of them.

"You two are my angels. Tommy, I will never be able to repay you for all the days you've sacrificed for us. And Johnny never quit believing I'd survive. I just want to go home, talk to Billy's lawyers to see what I have to do, and find out when I can bury him."

"He's still in the morgue, but I think they'll release him for burial now that you're able to claim the body," Tom said.

Her eyes welled. "He wanted to be cremated. I'll have to find a funeral home for that. I've been so focused on me that I haven't had time to grieve his absence in my life, but I will. I will miss him. So much. He was the last of my family."

Johnny took her hand. "We have each other, and good friends like Tom. We'll make our own family, baby. Just don't cry. Not today. Today is pure joy that you've healed enough to leave."

She nodded. "I'll have to check in with my regular doctor once I get home. They're sending my medical records to his office so that he'll have the full picture, but it's standard practice until I'm released to go back to work."

"We'll figure it out," Johnny said. "Together, we're unstoppable, darlin'."

Then an orderly came in with a wheelchair, followed by a nurse with Carey's release papers and prescriptions.

"Look at us," Carey said as she settled into the wheelchair. "We have our own handicap convoy. Breaker, breaker, Cowboy Cop. Take us home."

Tom laughed and wheeled Johnny into step behind the orderly who was pushing Carey, and as he did, he realized he hadn't laughed once since learning of her disappearance. It felt good to do it again.

***

It took over an hour for Tom to get them home, and then he helped them inside. The house was hot and musty. Most of the food in the refrigerator had gone bad, and he spent a few minutes cleaning it out while Carey made a list of what they needed. After Johnny forked over some of the money from Billy's gift, he took off to do their shopping.

Word had spread among their friends as to what had happened to Carey, and they'd all donated enough money to get their truck repaired and out of the garage. It was sitting in the driveway, washed and detailed and ready to ride.

They found the truck keys on the floor when they walked in the house. Someone had shoved them through the mail slot, along with a get-well card to both of them, a sympathy card for the death of Carey's brother, and an envelope with three hundred dollars in cash.

Carey cried. Johnny wanted to. But they were home and Carey was upright and mobile, and Johnny was getting there. He still had the cast on his leg, but it was due to come off, and they didn't know if the police were anywhere near closing the case of Billy's murder.

Tom returned about an hour later with fresh groceries and put them up. "I hate to leave you two like this," he said.

"We'll be fine," Carey said. "Tomorrow I'm contacting Williams and Williams, the lawyers you mentioned, to see where I stand, but today, Johnny and I are going to just take it easy and rest."

"I'll talk to Detective Gardner and let you know what I find out, and I'll swing by after I get off work every day to see if you need anything, okay? If you have doctor appointments, use that extra money you were given and call an Uber. Do not try to drive until your doctor releases you, or you'll be liable if you have an accident, understand?"

They both nodded.

Then Tom patted Casey's shoulder. "And no walking a freaking mile to get somewhere, either. This time, you ask for help, girl."

She sighed. "Message received."

"Okay then. I'm headed home, and then I'll probably be back on duty tomorrow. I'll call when I know something," Tom said, and then gave Johnny a quick hug. "You're the toughest guy I know. You bit the bullet for your girl, and dealt with a level of pain I can't imagine, just to be near her. Now figure out what your next move is going to be, because your days as a lineman are over."

"They've already offered me a desk job," Johnny said. "It will be an adjustment, but I'm not going to be unemployed."

"Good deal, buddy. So, I'm leaving now, but promise you'll call if you need me."

"I promise," Johnny said, and then Tom was gone.

Johnny turned his wheelchair toward Carey. "Well, we're home, darlin'. Nobody said life would be easy, but neither of us ever saw this coming. What you need to know is that I'll never quit you. You're my girl, now and always. I thought I'd lost you, and I will never take life for granted again."

Carey moved across the room, then leaned down and kissed him.

"The drive home was exhausting. I missed our bed. I missed lying beside you and listening to you sleep." Then her voice broke. "I thought I would never see you again."

"I can't make love to you yet, but I can hold you in my arms. Come to bed with me, love. You need to rest, and I want out of this chair."

She wheeled him into their bedroom and steadied the chair as he moved himself onto the bed. Then she laid his cell phone by the bed, pulled off his shoes, then kicked off her shoes and eased herself down onto the bed beside him, and groaned.

"Home at last," she said, and reached for his hand. His fingers curled around hers.

"Love you," Johnny whispered.

"Love you more," she said, and closed her eyes.

***

It was a quarter to five when the cake from Granny Annie's Bakery was delivered to Wiley's house, and the food he'd ordered from the local caterer was already on the counter and in the refrigerator, just waiting for guests to arrive.

Ava was playing in her room and didn't know the cake was here and that it was what was in the big box on the counter when she came into the kitchen.

"Bubba, is it time?"

He glanced up at the clock. "They should be arriving soon. I need to change my shirt. Wanna come with me and help me pick out a good one to wear with my jeans?"

She nodded and ran ahead to his bedroom.

The simple sight of her curls bouncing and the fact that she felt comfortable enough to lead the way gave him hope that she was happy, or at least trusting that he wasn't going to give her back.

"Do you have pink shirts?" Ava asked, when he pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it in the laundry.

He grinned. "No. Pink's not my best color." He opened a dresser drawer. "These are my good T-shirts. I'll wear any color you choose."

She leaned over, eyeing the array, then picked a pale-blue one. "I like this, Bubba. It's the color of the sky."

"Good choice," he said, took it out of the stack, shook it out, and pulled it over his head. "How's that?"

She studied his appearance seriously, then nodded. "You look pretty."

"Girls are pretty. Boys are handsome," he said.

"My Bubba is pretty," she stated, and crawled up on his bed to watch as he went to the bathroom to comb his hair. "Are you gonna wear the good smelly stuff, too?"

He laughed. She paid more attention to what was going on than he realized.

"A little, okay?" then he sprayed a little cologne into the air and walked through the mist and picked her up. "Do I smell good now?" he asked, and kissed her cheek.

She giggled. "You smell pretty."

He grinned. "You're something else, Miss Ava. So, pretty it is." He swooped her off his bed, carried her across the hall and into her bedroom, and plopped her down on her bed. "Now you need to put on your shoes."

"For the party," Ava said.

"Yes, baby. For the party," and he picked up her sandals. He was fastening the last Velcro strap when their doorbell rang.

She gasped. "Is that company?"

"I think so. Let's go see."

She slid off her bed and grabbed his hand, but as they were going down the hall, she went quiet.

"Don't be scared, baby," Wiley said.

"If they don't like me, will you still keep me?" she whispered.

"Nobody can take you away from me, so stop worrying. Besides, I know my brothers. I know my mother. They will love you, like I do."

She looked up at him, but said nothing, and then they were at the door. Wiley swung it open to see his entire family standing on the porch.

Ava took one look at the giant people before her and froze. This was where she usually made herself disappear, but Wiley was here, and so she silently moved behind Wiley's leg instead.

Wiley didn't react other than to welcome in their guests. "Come in, everyone. Let's sit for introductions. Ava thinks I'm a giant. Four of us is probably a little intimidating. Right, sugar?" he said, then scooped her up in his arms and held her while everyone walked in carrying gifts.

Ava felt safer in Bubba's grasp, but she was silently staring at all of the bows and colorful wrapping, almost in a state of disbelief that they could be for her, but everybody who walked past said hello and said her name.

As soon as they were seated, Wiley shut the door and headed for the spot they'd left for him on the sofa. He sat, still holding her, then put her down. She backed up between his knees, still watching.

But it was Shirley who broke the ice. She was looking at a beautiful little girl who was half the size of what she should be, obviously in a state of fear and flight. In that moment, she felt the bond every mother feels when they look upon their child's face for the very first time. Ava Dalton might not belong to them by blood, but she already belonged in Shirley's heart.

"Ava, I'm Wiley's mother, and I brought a present for you, but I have a cast on my foot that makes walking a little difficult."

Ava eyed the soft cast.

"I can walk," she whispered.

"Thank you. That is so helpful," Shirley said, and held out the package.

Ava glanced at Wiley. He nodded his okay, and she left the shelter of his presence to cross the room.

Shirley handed her the gift.

"Thank you," Ava said, and clutched it against her chest as she scurried back to Wiley, then sat down at his feet. "Bubba, can I open this?"

"You sure can," he said.

Ava ran her fingers across the shiny white paper with a perfect yellow bow, and just sat there. It was almost as if the box could have been empty and she wouldn't have cared because the wrapping alone was more than she'd ever had and would have been enough.

"You can open it, honey," Dani said.

"It will tear," she whispered.

When he laid his hand on the top of her head to reassure her, her curls clung and coiled at his touch, as if they were alive on their own. It was a sign. She already had him wrapped around her little finger.

"It's just paper, baby. Think of it like the shell of a peanut. You take off the shell to get to the good stuff, right?"

"The good stuff," Ava whispered, and tore at a corner, and then saw something colorful inside and ripped off the rest of the paper and gasped. "It's a puzzle, Bubba! I know how to do puzzles! Thank you, Bubba's mother!"

Shirley's eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, but she was smiling from ear to ear.

"You can call me Grammy," Shirley said.

Ava looked back at Wiley. "I have a grammy."

By now, everyone in the room was half-afraid to speak to her and all the way in love with her.

B.J. abandoned his chair and sat down beside her. "I'm your brother Brendan, but everybody calls me B.J. My brothers and I always wanted a little sister, and now we have one. Welcome to the family, Ava," he said, and handed her his gift.

Ava glanced up at Wiley again, and when he winked, she giggled and tore into the paper, revealing a small silver box.

"It's a music box," B.J. said. "Open it. There's something else inside."

Ava lifted the lid and saw a shiny chain with a little silver heart lying at the bottom of the box. She gasped.

"Bubba, there's treasure! It's a necklace with a heart!"

Brendan lifted out the necklace, leaned forward, and fastened the clasp around her neck. The little heart fell into the hollow at her throat. Then he picked up the music box and turned it upside down. "Watch me, and you'll see how to wind it up."

She leaned forward, intent on his instructions as he gently twisted the little key beneath, then set the box down and closed the lid. The moment Ava heard music, she froze, and then tears welled.

"It's singing to me," she whispered.

B.J. opened his arms, and to everyone's shock, Ava fell into them, laid her head on his shoulder, and sobbed.

"Don't freak. This is a good reaction," Wiley said. "I think she liked it…and you."

At that point, Sean and Aaron joined the circle, each carrying their own presents. Amalie and Dani stayed back. This moment was for the family reunion.

"Hi, baby," Aaron said. "We've already met, haven't we? I'm Aaron, remember?"

She turned loose of B.J. and moved toward Aaron. "Corina was mean to you. Mean is like being rude. Bubba says rude people were picking their noses when God handed out manners."

There was a moment of silence, and then Aaron burst out laughing and hugged her. "With Wiley for a Bubba, it will be a mystery as to what comes out of her mouth in the years to come. And yes, you're right. Corina was rude."

Ava nodded, then glanced back at Wiley, making sure she wasn't in trouble, and got a grin and a wink from her Bubba. After that, she was fine.

Aaron handed her his gift, then pointed at Dani. "You already know Dani. She helped me pick out this gift. Wanna open it?"

Ava gave Dani a shy glance and nodded, tearing into the wrapping on this gift with more force. With Aaron's help, she got the lid off the box and saw a treasure of another kind.

"Look, Bubba! Two coloring books and crayons. Colored pencils with paper to draw on. My own little scissors! I know how to cut paper! I learned how at school! I will be careful. I will only cut paper…just my paper. I am not a baby."

"I know that, darlin'. You are responsible," he said. "Do you know what responsible means?"

She nodded. "That I know how to behave."

"Yes, that, but it also means you know what's right and what's wrong, don't you?" Wiley said.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking about what he said, and then she nodded.

"Yes. I'm not a mistake, am I, Bubba?"

Shock silenced all of them as Wiley leaned over and ruffled the curls on her head.

"No, ma'am, you are not a mistake. What did I say you were?"

"A gift. You said I was a gift," Ava whispered.

"And you are a gift! To all of us," Sean said. "I'm Sean, and I brought a gift, too."

By now, Ava was into the swing of the moment, and the brothers all looked so much alike that she wasn't scared of them anymore, but still reserved the right to back off if the need arose.

She walked over to where Sean was sitting and sat down in front of him.

"Hello, darlin'," he said softly. "See that pretty woman with the white streak in her hair? That's Amalie, my wife. She's also your sister. She helped me pick out our gift to you." He slid the box toward her.

Ava glanced back at Wiley again, but this time her expression was lit from within.

"Bubba! I have another present!"

"I see that! Better open it to see what it is!" Wiley said.

She smiled shyly at Sean and then tore the paper off her gift and lifted the lid from the box.

"An iPad, Bubba, and it's pink! We used these at school. I know how! I know how!" she cried.

"I promise it's only for kids her age. I've vetted the programs and links. They're fun, but all geared to learning. Gotta make sure our little sister is up-to-date with the world she's growing up in."

"This is awesome," Wiley said.

"We use things like this at school," Dani added.

This time, Ava didn't need any urging. She stood up, hugged Sean's neck, and whispered, "Thank you," in his ear. Then went to where Dani and Amalie were sitting. "Thank you for coming to my party," she said.

Dani hugged her. "We wouldn't miss it for anything."

Amalie held out her hand, and when she did, Ava saw the burn scars on the back of it, and then saw the burn scars on her neck. But instead of the scars, it was the white streak in Amalie's hair that caught her eye.

"You have pretty hair. Thank you for coming to my party," she said.

Amalie had already seen herself in this child.

"Thank you for finding us," Amalie said. "I was lost when I was a little girl, and it took a long time for my real family to find me. I'm so glad we found you now."

Ava blinked. "You didn't have people?"

Amalie shook her head. "No. I didn't have people. And now I have a father and a whole mountain full of family, including you."

"I don't have a mother and daddy. Just Corina." Then she glanced back at Wiley anxiously, as if by even saying the name that she might have conjured her back up again. "Bubba's not going to send me back."

Wiley couldn't take it anymore. He got up from the sofa, picked her up in his arms, and hugged her. "No, way, baby girl. You're ours forever. Now let's get your gifts off the floor and go find the yummy stuff."

"Do we have cake?" Ava asked.

He grinned. "Oh, Sister! Do we have cake!"

"Amalie and I will get the gifts off the floor. Shall we take them to her room?" Sean asked.

"Yes, please," Wiley said. "Guys, you help Mom into the kitchen so she can oversee what's happening. Ava is going to help me get the yummy stuff onto the table."

"I'm helping Bubba," she said.

Within minutes, the kitchen was full of laughter and talking, and Ava had retreated from the forest of tall people with long legs and was at her spot at the table.

Shirley sat down beside her and patted her hand.

"Your brothers are a little loud, but they're always like that when they're together. They love each very much."

Ava nodded, watching her beloved Bubba interacting with the men who looked like him, then looked at Shirley.

"I have brothers and sisters, and a grammy, and two beds and two pillows, and gifts, and I'm having a party, and a cake. I've never had gifts or a party or a cake before."

Shirley hid her shock of the child's acceptance of her fate.

"This may be your first party, sweetheart, but it won't be your last. We celebrate the people we love."

Ava looked at Shirley's face and then back at the others in the room.

"Does that mean they love me?" she whispered.

Shirley nodded. "Do you know what love feels like?"

Ava shook her head.

"It feels like the best, biggest hug ever. It feels safe and makes you happy, and you never want the feeling to go away."

Ava stilled, listening to the words coming out of her grammy's mouth, and in the midst of a story she was telling, there was a loud boom outside, like an explosion, and Ava jumped. Had it not been for Shirley, she would have fallen out of the chair.

The moment Wiley heard it, he turned, looking for Ava. She was already afraid of drive-by shootings, and then he saw his mother pulling Ava into her lap.

"It's just fireworks at the campground, honey. Silly people being noisy. Nothing to be afraid of."

"Fireworks?" Ava said.

"Yes, like on the Fourth of July," Shirley said. "You're safe."

Ava was quiet for a moment. "I'm safe and Bubba loves me because he chose me."

"Bubba chose you because you're his little sister. Because he wants to keep you safe. We all chose you, darlin'. You'll figure it out in the days to come. Now…I think I need to go wash up before I eat. Will you show me where the bathroom is?"

Ava was suddenly all business. She slid out of Shirley's lap, then took her hand, and slowly walked her out of the room. When they came back, Ava was still holding her hand, but chattering away.

Wiley sighed. There are angels on earth, and tonight, one's name is Shirley.

We're ready to eat!" Wiley said. "We'll have yummy stuff to eat and then cake."

The kitchen island had become a buffet of little sandwiches and an assortment of mini-quiche, and chips and dips, and little wieners wrapped in warm, yeasty bread. There were two huge flat-pan pizzas cut in squares, and in Ava's honor, mac and cheese in the blue box, because it was familiar. But when it was time to make her plate, it was immediately obvious that she was too small to see over the counter, so Wiley sat her on a barstool.

"You point to what you want, I'll put it on your plate, then you can sit back in your spot at the table. How's that?" he said.

But her gaze was riveted on the cake, and Wiley paused, because there were tears rolling down her face. He put down her plate and picked her up. When he did, she tucked her face against his neck.

"Give us a moment," he said, then walked away from the island. "It's all a lot of fun at once, isn't it?"

She clung tighter.

"What are you afraid of, Ava…being happy?"

She nodded.

"Look, Sister, here's the deal. Corina is the reason you're afraid to be happy. I'm not Corina. She tied you into tiny little knots, and my job is to untangle them. Now you sit in your spot, and I'll bring you a little bit of everything, okay?"

"Okay," she said. "I can walk, Bubba. I want everything and cake."

"I can do that," Wiley said, then set her back on her feet and watched her scramble back to the table.

B.J. stared at Wiley. "If you didn't still have that face, I wouldn't know you."

Wiley shrugged as he began making her plate. "It was a knee-jerk reaction that turned into a rescue, that's turned on every father instinct in me."

"All you need is a woman to go with it," Sean said.

"He has one, and he's opted out of pursuing her to take care of Ava," Aaron said.

"She's already met her," Wiley said. "It was a chance meeting, but there aren't any problems other than priority, because right now, I save the one who's drowning."

After that, food shifted the party into fun and laughter. Ava had opinions about square pizza, scarfed down her mac and cheese with delight, took one bite of a chicken salad sandwich and then set it aside, and went for the little wiener roll-ups.

"Remember to save room for cake," Wiley said.

"I'm saving room right here," she said, pointing to her stomach.

And when it was time to cut the cake, they cleared off their plates and carried the cake to the table.

This time Ava was beaming. "Aunt Annie made my name pink!"

"Can you read what it says?" Dani asked.

"Yes! The big word is Ava. That's me. And then the other words are Welcome to the family . That's my Bubba and all of you."

"Right you are," Dani said.

"I have plates and forks," Amalie said as she carried a stack to the table.

Wiley moved up behind where Ava was sitting and leaned over her, with the cake knife in his hand.

"Ava, this is your party, so you get the first piece. Where do you want me to cut?"

"My name! I want to eat my name!" she cried.

Wiley grinned. "That's my girl. Jumping right into the middle of things." He cut from the edge all the way to her name, removed the piece as neatly as a surgeon, and put it on her plate.

Amalie handed her a fork, and there they sat, holding their breath as they watched the tiny blond take a bite. There was a smear of icing on Ava's upper lip, but her expression was one of pure ecstasy.

"What's the verdict?" Wiley asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "It's yummy, Bubba."

***

Long after the food had been eaten, the puzzle played with a half-dozen times, the books read, the new necklace replaced in her jewelry box, and she'd tried every color of crayon in the box, Wiley had her tucked in bed and she was sound asleep, with Pinky shoved beneath her chin.

He stood in the doorway to her room, looking into the shadows at the tiny child curled up in a ball beneath the covers, and saw his future. It was about as perfect as a man could want. The only thing missing was the woman who would lie with him and grow old with him. He sighed before turning around and retreating to his bedroom. He was tired but restless, so he picked up his phone and texted Linette.

We had a welcome-to-the-family party for Ava tonight. It was a success. Please don't feel abandoned. I miss you. But this child was wrecked, and we're still pulling her out of the debris.

He hit Send, then put the phone on the charger and went to bed.

***

Linette saw the text the next morning and sighed. All was well with her and Wiley, and he had his priorities in the right place. For now, it was enough.

Don't forget I love kids, too. Next date we have, it will be me and you and little sister make three. We don't leave her out of anything but our bed. She's right where she belongs.

***

Wiley read the text at breakfast and nearly choked on his coffee.

Ava looked up, frowning. "You okay, Bubba?"

"Yes, yes, I'm okay, sugar. My drink just went down the wrong way."

"Miss Mattie always says, ‘Slow down, girlie. You ain't goin' nowhere.'"

Wiley laughed. "I'm sorry I never got to meet Miss Mattie. She sounds like a smart lady."

Ava frowned. "Miss Mattie didn't like Corina, and Corina got mad at Miss Mattie for droppin' dead."

"Why didn't Miss Mattie like Corina?" Wiley asked.

Ava thought about it, took another bite of toast, and chewed. "Miss Mattie said Corina wasn't a nice woman. Miss Mattie said Corina was a witch. After that, I was afraid she would turn me into a toad."

Wiley sat there in shock again, listening to the matter-of-fact rendition of a day in the life of Ava and kept thinking, I will never know all the shit she's seen and heard, which means I will never be able to completely disinfect the poison that was Corina Dalton.

"Being called a witch doesn't mean you are one. Sometimes it means the same thing as being mean and sneaky," he said.

Ava nodded. "Like Corina," she said, and licked jelly off her thumb. "What are we gonna do today, Bubba?"

He pushed his plate back and grinned. "Well, I have a friend in Bowling Green who sells playground equipment, and he's coming over here today to put up a swing set in our backyard for you to play on."

Ava gasped. "Do you think it might have a slide?"

"Oh, it not only has a swing and a slide, but it has a little playhouse on top of it, and stairs to climb to the playhouse."

Ava squealed!

Wiley flinched and then grinned. He'd just gotten his first real kid reaction, and at a pitch high enough to shatter crystal. Life was good.

***

The crew arrived with the playground setup just before 10:00 a.m., and after a few words with Wiley, they began carrying everything into the backyard to assemble.

Ava was beside herself to the point that there was nothing for them to do but go to the back porch, crawl up in the porch swing together, and watch the progress. Ava went from sitting beside him, to crawling in his lap, to abandoning him altogether and sitting on the back steps, just to be closer to the action.

"Ava, honey, you're gonna sunburn and I didn't put any sunblock on you. Let's go inside a minute and do that. And while we're there, we'll get a cold pop to bring back out with us."

"Okay," she said, and followed him inside. "The little house has a blue roof! Did you see that, Bubba?"

"I did," Wiley said as he got a bottle of sunblock from his medicine cabinet, stood her up on the lid of the commode, squirted some of the cream in his hands, and started with her face and neck. "Gotta put some here, right? We don't want that pretty little face to get burned."

Her chatter shifted back to a whisper. "Am I really pretty, Bubba?"

He paused, cupped her cheeks, and looked her straight in the eyes. "Yes, you are. And even better, I love that you're my sister." Then he squirted another dollop into his hands. "Now your arms and legs," he said, and rubbed the cream into the skin. "All done," he said, and turned to wash his hands as she climbed down.

"You didn't do you, Bubba," Ava said.

"I don't burn," Wiley said, then held his arm up against hers. "See the difference in the color of our skin?"

"Mine's white. Yours is tan, Bubba."

"That just means the sun can't hurt my skin as fast as it can hurt yours."

"Why is our skin different if we have the same daddy?"

"Because we have different mothers."

He watched the understanding dawn and realized Dani was right. This little girl was smart and, it appeared, had a really good memory, too.

"Your mother wasn't an ass."

He laughed. "No, she wasn't, but we're not gonna say that word to anyone else. That's just a secret between you and me."

She nodded. "I can keep secrets. I know Corina's secrets about Clyde."

Wiley froze. He didn't know whether he wanted to pursue this or not, and reached for her hand.

"Ready for that cold pop now?"

"Yes!"

"I like orange," she said.

"I know, Sister. And what kind do I like best?"

"Coca-Cola in a can."

"I'll race you to the kitchen," Wiley said, then watched the delight spreading across her face as she took off running. He made a lot of noise coming up behind her, but purposefully lagged.

"I win!" she shouted as she reached the refrigerator first.

"You sure did, and the winner gets a cookie. We can eat them outside."

She danced around him like a puppy and then settled in the swing beside him with the cold can of orange soda between her legs, periodically breaking off a piece of cookie and stuffing it into her mouth. It would take longer than a couple of days to get past having nothing, to having it all.

They sat for a few minutes enjoying the treats, but after she was through eating, he heard himself ask, "What did you mean about knowing secrets about Corina and Clyde?"

"Corina made a mistake."

She made a whole fucking bunch of them, baby girl , Wiley thought, but he didn't say it. "What kind of mistake?"

"She gave Clyde bad pills. It made him do crazy things."

The skin suddenly crawled on the back of Wiley's neck. "How do you know this?"

"I heard Corina tell Janie when they were drinking too many beers. The pills made Corina see spiders in her hair, and Carl saw them, too, and cut it all off and ran away. She was bald for a long time until her hair grew back."

Wiley nodded, imagining the woman in a full-blown hallucination.

"And what did the pills do to Clyde?" Wiley asked.

"He tried to kill his old lady and made two people dead. They never got to go home again, and the police put him in prison forever."

The day was as still and hot as it could be, but in that moment, Wiley felt a cold wind blow through him. He set their drinks aside, pulled Ava into his arms, and held her, pulling her close. The words she knew. The life she'd witnessed, and now he was processing the answer to a question they'd had ever since Clyde Wallace nearly beat their mother to death, and why he shot two random people that day. They'd always known he was a mean drunk. And they'd always known he messed with drugs. But this put a whole new light on the why and how of it. Ava sat up, pointing. "Look! The man is hanging the swing, and the slide is there! Will I get to play on this today?"

"Yes, you will," Wiley said.

"Will you take a picture?

"I will take a picture and send it to all of your brothers and sisters, and to Grammy."

She shivered with excitement. She'd never been lauded before. Never posed for pictures for anyone. Never felt seen. Until Bubba.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Wiley smiled as he returned the hug.

"Thank you for such a good hug," he said.

"Thank you for my swing."