But there was also a sadness that Joan could not name. A disappointment, perhaps. Maybe a reckoning. Certainly a recognition. She had tried so hard to have faith in Barbara. Now it was clear that Barbara was never going to put in much effort to be worthy of her faith.

Barbara had shown who she was. If Joan continued to not see it, well, that would be Joan’s fault.

“Listen, babe,” Joan said, over a plate of french fries that neither of them were eating. “Some stuff has happened.”

“I figured, since you said I’m not going back to school.”

“Your mom and I talked, and I finally got her to come around,” Joan said. “On something that I think could be very exciting.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think about coming to live with me?”

“For the weekend?”

“Permanently.”

“Live in your house?”

“Yeah. I’ll have to get a two-bedroom, obviously. So at first you’ll be on the sofa or we will get a mattress. I’m not sure. But I’ll figure that out quickly.”

“I don’t care where I sleep,” Frances said. Her face started to bubble up, the tears coming to the surface quickly. “You’d…want me there?”

“Oh, honey,” Joan said. She reached across to hold her hand. “I want you with me more than anything.”

Frances put her face down into the crook of her own arm and her body started to shake. Joan moved to her side of the booth and held her. Eventually, when Frances’s crying did not stop, Joan put cash on the table, stole the silver tin holding the strawberry milkshake, and led Frances to the car.

“I’m going to re-enroll you in public school, okay?” Joan said once they got to the car.

Frances nodded.

“And I don’t know exactly how it’s all going to work, but you and I, we will figure it out.”

Frances nodded at that, too. “Joanie,” Frances said. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, babe. I should be thanking you, for the gift it is to be around you.”

Frances leaned toward Joan and Joan pulled her in, across the gearshift. If Frances had spent the first ten years of her life unsure of where she belonged, Joan knew she would spend the next ten knowing she firmly belonged to her.

“Listen, Frances Emerson Goodwin,” Joan said, holding Frances by the chin and making her look at her. “I will love you until the day I die, do you hear me? There is nothing you could do or say or think or feel that would change that. I am yours to fall back on, forever.