“I loved him when I was a girl. He was the son of my father’s best friend, so my brother Sebastian and I played with Louis a lot. I cared about him, but he stayed away from me. I tried to kiss him once when I was a freshman and he was a senior.” Cricket’s eyes went teary, but she gave them a smile. “He said I was too young.”

Sylvie turned to her husband.

Rene’s hand squeezed hers. “Dre thought you were too young. I was willing to take the risk.”

It was good to know she wasn’t the only one rewriting history.

“She was too young,” her mother said from the kitchen. “If you tell Dre I said this, I’ll put a whammy on you, but he was right. My Sylvie needed some seasoning, if you know what I mean. I want you to think about what your family would have done to her back then.”

Sylvie still thought she could have handled them, but she was willing to let it go. “The point is Louis didn’t come back for Cricket the way you did for me. In fact, I think it was Louis’s idea for Cricket to marry your father.”

The front door came open and Dre walked in, Louis following behind him. Dre carried a bag of groceries, and Louis stopped at the sight of Rene.

“Rene, I’m sorry. I was dropping off Andre. I’ll head home.” Louis looked tired, like he’d stayed up worrying all night.

“Come on in, man,” Dre said, walking through the living room toward the kitchen. “Rene got some loving last night, and he’s in a much better mood. He’s not going to punch anyone now. Well, except Charles. We’re going to take him out and feed his nasty ass to Otis. That way at least the bastard has done some community service.”

“By teaching Otis to eat human flesh?” It sounded like the start of a horror movie to Sylvie.

“Bad guy flesh,” Dre countered. “It has to taste different.”

Her mother’s eyes rolled. “You are not teaching that gator to eat your enemies.”

They were getting off topic. “Come and join us, Louis,” Sylvie said. “We’re going to sit down and have a lovely breakfast, but Cricket was explaining how you two managed to find your way back together. I think knowing that history would help Rene.”

Louis closed the door behind him and moved to sit next to Cricket. “She was my best friend’s sister. I cared about her, but she was off limits. It felt disrespectful to her brother.”

“Preach,” Andre said. “I should not have to watch my best friend horn in on my sweet, innocent sister. I hear you. Oww.”

“Next time I will use this spatula on your behind,” her mother promised her brother. “You know what I’m saying next.”