“You two should think about having a picnic. Seaside Meadows Park is a great spot for that. And there’s a beautiful lake there. In fact, your grandfather and I used to have our picnics there all the time.” Nana laughed softly, as if recalling one of those special moments. “That’s how I got him. Made him some fried chicken, baked beans, corn on the cob, and my homemade biscuits on our very first date. He said it was the best food he’d ever eaten and told me right then and there I was going to be his wife.”

Gabriel smiled, watching her blush like a schoolgirl.

She pointed her fork his way. “If you find that one special young lady, don’t let that blessing pass you by.”

He didn’t know how to answer, so he ignored the comment. But the way she looked at him made him think she had someone specific in mind. “You never told me that story before. I guess Grandpa was serious. How long did it take for you guys to get married?”

“A month. And after fifty-five years, he was still the love of my life and I was his. Ooh, I miss that man…” She smiled wistfully and forked up some spaghetti.

What she described had been the same thing he’d seen with his parents. They’d met in college—his father a senior and his mother a junior—and had gotten married right after she graduated. Gabriel was born nine months later. Even after more than two decades of marriage, he recalled moments of them stealing kisses, laughing about some intimate secret, or just sitting quietly together with contented smiles. In a way it had been a blessing that they’d died together. Apparently, his grandparents had shared the same kind of love. But somehow Gabriel had gotten it wrong. None of his relationships had ever mirrored that kind of deep, passionate love Nana had described. Some parts of him envied that experience, but he had come to accept that, for him, some things, or blessings, weren’t meant to be.

*  *  *

Serenity walked into the Embassy Suites in downtown Sacramento late Saturday morning and searched the lobby for her sister. She and Chandra spotted each other at the same time. The two women let out screams of excitement and ran toward each other, gaining the attention of more than a few people, but Serenity didn’t care. She hadn’t seen her big sister in months and had missed her tremendously.

“Oh, I’m so glad to see you, Serenity.” Chandra and Serenity hugged, rocked, and cried, then hugged some more.

When they finally stepped apart, Serenity wiped her eyes. “Girl, I’ve missed you so much.” While both women had similar skin color and features, Chandra had inherited their mother’s trim five-feet-six-inch height, while Serenity’s curvy body barely reached five three. “How was the conference?”