“We’re giving her another fifteen minutes, and then let’s eat,” Paris says.

All I can say is, Charlotte is just as stubborn as Viola. My long-distance bill gon’ be sky-high from listening to her go on and on about her and Paris’s differences. At first, I thought I was doing a good job convincing her that everybody can’t see eye to eye all the time. That folks ain’t gon’ always agree about the way thangs is, was, or should be. But regardless of everythang, when you blood relatives, somehow you need to figure out a way to overcome all these differences and remind yourself that you part of a family. You ain’t gon’ never have but one. In this case: y’all sisters. And all this not-speaking mess is ridiculous. I told Charlotte this, and I sat in that kitchen all morning with Paris and repeated the same thang.

Charlotte swore I just didn’t know what it felt like always being made to feel like a outsider in your own family. I said ain’t nobody taking sides. We ain’t laying blame. This is why thangs don’t get put right. Everybody wanna blame somebody else. Do you wanna be sisters again, or do you just wanna be right? Paris said she wanted her sister back. Charlotte didn’t answer me, so I said, Somehow, some way, everybody gon’ have to step up to the plate and accept responsibility for this nonsense. It might not never get solved, but so what? Get the hell over it and let’s move on. She kept on ranting, so finally I just said, outta all the times she need to put her pride aside, this is one of ’em. It wouldn’t kill her to try it. Plus, I told her to show some respect for her mama, me, and the other kids, and have her black ass sitting at this table with the rest of the family come Thanksgiving Day. I cursed her. Sure did. And I told her I didn’t care how she got here either. I was steaming mad. ’Cause this don’t make no kinda sense whatsoever, which is why I did something that probably shocked the heck outta her—something I understand she very good at doing: I hung that phone up before she had a chance to say another word. Even still, I been sneaking and calling the house for the past three days and ain’t got no answer. Suzie Mae said she ain’t seen ’em or talked to Charlotte in going over a week.

And even though it’s gon’ hurt everybody if she don’t show up, one monkey don’t stop no show.

It’s nice out here. I been watching these orange fish just a-swimming away in they own pond. I ain’t never been in no house quite this grand before, and Brenda is sho’ ’nough impressed. At first she didn’t thank her and the kids—and especially our new baby girl, Chanterella—would be welcome, but Paris set her straight real quick and told Brenda that since her and the kids is part of my life now, that makes ’em part of our family.