“I’d forgotten that Dorothy is Polly’s daughter,” Lily said.

Sally set three bottles of soda on the counter. “Coming home is like riding a bicycle. Even if you haven’t ridden in five years, it don’t take you long to remember all the parts.”

“Amen to that,” Lily said.

Lily had talked more and used more words that day than she’d used in years, maybe even a decade. The afternoon was so busy that she seldom had time to sit down after lunch. Folks dropped into the shop to buy or just to look around, but they all wanted to talk. She was glad to get home to a few minutes of blessed silence that afternoon. She plopped down on the sofa, kicked off her shoes, and leaned her head back. She must’ve fallen asleep, because she didn’t even hear the school bus when it let the kids off. The front door opened, and she sat up so fast that the whole room took a couple of spins. She tried to get her bearings, but Holly and Braden had stormed into the room before she was fully awake.

“Did you like the flowers? I picked out the daisy because you’re always doodling them,” Braden said.

“They’re on the kitchen table if you want to see them,” Lily said.

“I wanted the pink rose since pink is my favorite color,” Holly said.

“It was so sweet of y’all to think of me.” Lily followed them to the kitchen, leaned forward, and smelled the bouquet. “They’re beautiful.”

Braden threw his arms around his mother and said, “It was Mack’s idea, but we each got to pick out one of the flowers.”

“Well, you all did really good, and that makes them even more special.” Lily hugged him back and wished that Holly would make it a three-way hug.

“So how did things go today?” Holly asked as she sat down beside Lily. “Did you sell any of Granny Hayes’s earrings?”

“Not today.” Lily took a chance and draped her arm around Holly’s shoulders. “But I did sell two scarves and a shawl.”

Holly clapped her hands and jumped up. “I can’t wait for her to teach me how to crochet.”

“How did your day go? Did Rose and Ivy like your braids?” Lily wanted her to sit back down, but she didn’t.

“No, they thought they were ugly and made me look like a little girl. But Faith loved them. I even braided her hair during lunch period. We’re going to wear them again tomorrow, and she’s got a pair of earrings like mine, so she’s going to wear them, too. What’s for after-school snack today?” Holly asked.

“The cookie jar and the fruit bowl are both full,” Lily answered. “Who’s Faith?”

“She’s my new friend. Faith Torres—Isaac’s big sister. And she’s real smart, like Isaac. She’s doing her history paper on her mama’s great-great-grandmother who came over here from Ireland,” Holly answered.

“So she’s Irish?” Lily asked.

“I guess a little bit, but she’s mainly Mexican like Rose and Ivy. There’s lots of Hispanic kids in the school, just like in Austin. Faith is real sweet, and I like her a lot,” Holly answered. “I think I’ll have a banana and some milk. Can I take it to my room and do some of my homework while I eat? I sure can’t do it with Braden around. He wants to argue about everything.”

One baby step forward, Lily thought. At least she asked before she went running off to her room, and she had talked to her about her new friend.

“Sure.” Lily nodded. “Is she your age?” Lily wanted her to stick around and talk some more.

“She’s a junior—she’s already got her driver’s license,” Holly replied, and was gone before Lily could ask anything else.

She heard the back door open and could hear Braden saying something about the flowers. Then he raced up the stairs. She started to get up and head that way when Mack came into the living room and sank down in the recliner in front of her. “It’s sure enough been a Monday. How did your day go?”

“It went fast, and I got a lovely bouquet. Thank you,” Lily answered. “They’re beautiful. It’s been years since I had flowers. How did you know that yellow roses are my favorite?”

“I didn’t, and this is going to sound corny”—he almost blushed—“but the yellow reminded me of all the sunshine you’ve brought into my life these past days.”

Lily felt her own blush rising, but she couldn’t do anything to stop it. “That’s so sweet.”

Mack shrugged. “It’s the truth, and you should have flowers often.”

“Thank you for saying that. Now tell me about your day.” Lily steered the conversation down another path.

“I broke up a fight between two girls,” Mack said. “Girls are meaner than boys, and they fight dirty. Then I had to take a student to the office for smoking pot behind the ag building. He’s got four weeks of in-school suspension, ISS. To top it all off, I caught another kid in my classroom with one of those vapor cigarette devices. That got him a week in ISS.”

“I guess kids are the same no matter where you live,” Lily groaned. “I was hoping that those things wouldn’t even be here in Comfort.”

“Honey, that sort of thing is everywhere, but we have fewer students, so we can control it a little better than they can in the big schools,” he said. “I’m getting an afternoon snack—an apple and a glass of sweet tea. Can I bring you something?”

“Just tea. I’ve been nibbling all day,” she answered.

“Prop your feet up and rest a few minutes,” Mack told her.

Lily swung her feet around so that she was stretched out with her back against the arm of the sofa. When Mack returned, he brought a tray with two glasses of tea and a plate with an apple and four cookies on it. He sat back down on the recliner and picked up the apple first.

“What do you know about Faith Torres?” Lily asked.

“She’s a straight-A student, but like her brother, she’s not popular. She’s tall, has dark hair, and wears glasses. She drives a flatbed pickup truck and brings her brother to school every day. She may be the brightest kid to ever come through Comfort High and will probably be the valedictorian of her senior class,” he said. “Why are you asking?”

“Rose and Ivy thought Holly’s braids were ugly today and made her look like a little girl. It must’ve offended Holly. She told me that Faith is her new friend.”