CeCe walked in carrying a Barbie doll standing in the center of a dome of cake and frosting. The doll wore a silver top and crown. Pink candles stuck out of the cake, which was only big enough to feed about four of the forty-plus people who were present. Not that he really wanted to eat cake that had been pressed up against plastic doll legs, anyway.

Hadley Jane crouched on her knees on the chair at the head of the table. Her silver-and-white dress matched the Barbie’s. She stilled, wide-eyed, as everyone sang “Happy Birthday.”

She blew out her candles. Sebastian clapped along with everyone else, then took the long way around to the kitchen. He found CeCe there, cutting the cake skirt, surrounded by her sister, a daughter, and a son-in-law. Holding a knife covered in frosting, she paused long enough to give him one of her assessing looks before hauling him down into a one-armed hug. “I saw your face in there when I brought in the cake. You were thinking that it’s too small for everyone.” She clucked her tongue. “As if I’d feed this whole group a little itty-bitty cake! Those—” she waved the knife in the direction of two enormous sheet cakes—“are the cakes for the family.”

“I deeply apologize for my doubt. I should have known better.”

“You missed lunch, so it’s not good enough at this point for you to stand there apologizing and looking pretty as a mess of fried catfish. Come over here and start delivering cake.”

He’d missed lunch because he’d been buying supplies for tonight’s dinner with Leah. He served cake until everyone had the size of slice they preferred.

“Sit down, Sebastian,” CeCe ordered. “I saved you a plate.”

He settled at the kitchen table, which overlooked the back deck. A meal of pot roast, carrots, and mashed potatoes landed in front of him.

“Thank you.” His mouth watered, and he remembered how hungry he’d been the first time he’d come to this house and she’d fed him. Starving, really. For much more than food.

Ben and several others took the remaining chairs and made progress on their cake. After a time, CeCe demanded, “Eugene! Where are you hiding? Don’t think you’re going to get away from here without playing your saxophone for us!”

“Yeah,” Hersh seconded.

For CeCe, no Coleman event would be complete without one of Eugene’s mediocre sax solos. Everyone responded with enthusiasm larger than Eugene’s talent. The older man retrieved his instrument and played something that sounded like it might be the soft jazz hit “Just the Two of Us.”

Hadley Jane appeared at Sebastian’s side. He pushed his chair back so she had room to climb onto his lap. “Thank you for the dollhouse,” she said just loud enough for him to hear.

“You haven’t even opened your gifts yet.”