As Raven let herself get excited about her date the next day, she realized Mama’s peculiar endorsement of sex gave her an advantage to ask for something more.

“If we do want to do it, we would need a place to go,” she said. “May I go to his house afterward if he invites me?”

“Aha, you do want to sleep with him,” Mama said.

“I might want to.”

“Well, don’t bring him here.”

“I know. What about his house?”

“His mother would allow that?”

“We could sneak.” She felt awful even saying that. But getting Mama’s permission to go to Jackie’s house was well worth the lying and guilt.

Again, Mama laughed and coughed.

“Yes?” Raven pushed.

“Yes, go to his house.” Mama grinned at her. “You’ve always liked to sneak around. You have more than a little of the raven’s roguish spirit in you.”

“When do I sneak?”

“That summer when you were little. And with Chris Williams.” She looked into Raven’s eyes. “And last night.”

She was afraid to say anything. And that made Mama laugh again. She hadn’t seen Mama this jovial for many weeks, even months.

“Yes, I’ve figured it out,” Mama said. “I know you were gone for many hours last night. And now you ask for this date. You met him during the storm, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“That must have been fun,” she said.

Raven sensed envy in her tone. “It was.”

Still chuckling, she patted Raven’s arm. “My dear Daughter of Raven, go and have your fun while you’re young. Your papa would want you to.”

How easy it had been. Like how it had been with Jackie the night before. And what a relief that Mama was glad about it. Maybe her father’s spirit was influencing the situation. Her father, after all, had led her to Jackie. The raven had left one nestling jay alive and had given it to Mama to give to her. Baby had brought Raven to Jackie at the stream that day, and Raven had felt something deep inside from the moment she looked into Jackie’s hazel eyes. Perhaps a premonition.

The next day, Raven met Jackie on the road at five thirty. He was as stunned as she had been when she told him Mama’s reaction.

Raven had the best winter vacation of her life. She went to Jackie’s house on Christmas Day and opened presents. New Year’s Eve was a party at one of Huck’s friend’s houses. Raven had her first drinks that night, but Reece made her stop when she got too giggly. She didn’t mind. She knew he didn’t like drinking because his mother was an alcoholic. Jackie was tipsy, too, and they danced and joked around.

When school started, everyone knew they were a couple and started inviting them out. They went to movies, parties, and restaurants. Mama gave her a credit card to pay for everything. There were jokes about “Rich Raven” and her credit card. Raven learned how to act like Jackie in those situations. She just teased them back.

But shadowing the fun was a vast, creeping darkness. Mama was getting sicker. And she wouldn’t let Raven take care of her. “I don’t want you to see me like this,” she would say. “Go out with Jack. Seize the joy of youth.” Raven protested, but Mama would get angry and become sicker from being upset. Raven had to do what she wanted and leave.

When Raven got home late on Valentine’s Day, she found Mama on the floor. She wasn’t in the spirit world; she was very sick. Raven wanted to call an ambulance, but Mama wouldn’t let her. She reminded her of her promise. So Raven sat by Mama’s bed for the rest of the night, watching every ragged breath. She didn’t go to school the next day. She missed another day the next week and two days at the end of February.

One cold March morning, Mama woke her earlier than usual. She sat on her bed and caressed her face. “I love you, Daughter of Raven,” she said. “You are my miracle. You have been the best sixteen years of my life.”

“I’m not sixteen yet,” Raven said sleepily.

“You began as a beautiful dream long before you came to me. It’s been sixteen years and more.”

“You’re feeling better today?”

“Yes. Very well. Are you going out with Jack after school?”

“I don’t know.”

“I want you to. Stay out and have fun. Now that I’m old, I see that I should have done that when I was your age. I was always too serious. I’m glad you have your father’s lively spirit and not mine.”

“I have both. I love your spirit.”

Tears grew like dewdrops in Mama’s pale eyes. She put her hand on Raven’s cheek. “You will have my spirit with you always, dear one. You need only look at the beauty of the earth, and I’ll be there.”

Raven didn’t like the sound of that. She sat up and held Mama’s hands. “I need only look at you right here in front of me. You’re getting better. I know you are.”

“I am,” she said. “I talked to the spirits. They will give me what I need. Now get up and go to school. And then have fun with Jack.”

All day, Raven couldn’t stop thinking about Mama. After school, Jackie wanted to meet some of their friends at Bear’s. Raven went, because Mama said she should, but she only wanted to go home. While she drank her Coke at an outdoor table, a raven perched in a tree over the parking lot. It stayed there, calling and calling. A terrible, sickening gloom fell over her. She was afraid she might vomit.