Shocked, I turn to Dell to see what the hell he’s thinking. But judging from the look on his face, he’s just as shocked as I am. Ms. Harris gives us the mother of all side-eyes. She folds her arms over her chest and waits for the sense to ooze back into our skulls.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Harris, that’s not what I was gonna say,” Dell says.

“Well, tell me what you meant to say.”

I’m not sure he’s ready, so I chime in: “Ms. Harris, Nai really needs you. We thought maybe you’d come by and take her home now that . . .”

She shakes her head. “This neighborhood got a big mouth.”

“So you two really are over?” Dell asks.

“Boy, what you do’n in grown-folk business? Have you lost yo mind? Do I need to go see your father? If you think you finna sit up here and disrespect me—”

“It’s not like that, Ms. Harris, I promise. It’s just that Nai misses you,” I tell her.

She relaxes her combative expression and looks down at the Bible in her hand. “I miss my baby too. But I can’t just come and get her.”

“Why?” Dell and I ask in unison.

She’s taken aback by how firm we are. “I know you all care about her. And you coming here is really nice. Although I know you are missing a class, because school don’t get out for another half hour,” she says, giving us yet more side-eye. We avoid her gaze.

“I’ve wanted to come get her, but what kind of mother would make the decision I made? I didn’t know how to show up to your house, Ayo, not after choosing a creepy fool over my baby. Nai deserves someone like your mom, someone who’d stand up for her.”

“But that’s not what she wants,” I say. “She wants you. You’re the one that held down three jobs so she could take dance classes and go on school trips. You taught her how to wrap her hair and keep her outfit game tight. That’s not a little thing. You gave her confidence to step out the door, knowing she was fire. My mom didn’t do that, you did.”

She snorts. “Your mom. I went to go see her yesterday. Humph. That woman looks strong even when she’s in the hospital. How does she do that? She was always like that, you know? Uppity,” she says bitterly to herself.

I think Ms. Harris has long since left the room and is now living inside her own thoughts. There is a clear moment when she remembers that we are here and that my mom is fighting for her life. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say . . . Your mom is a lovely—”