A hard knock on the door startled Liza out of her mirror stare. Janae had done her hair in the most intricate box braids she’d ever had. The baby hair was immaculate. LeDeya had polished and plucked and powdered her face until she looked . . . well, beautiful. She wore a cream maxi dress in gauzy woven chiffon. The ruffled short sleeves swept into a plunging V-neckline and a matching V-back. When she moved, the cascading maxi skirt showed off cinnamon brown thighs through a high front slit.

Janae clucked her tongue. “No one could say no to you tonight, Liza.” When she stepped out of her room, the silence told her everything. When even Bev didn’t criticize her for too much or too little of something, she counted herself lucky. She had now seen Dorsey’s Instagram ad seventeen times, and it was trending in DC, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and Philadelphia.

In the Lyft, her palms itched, and her heart pushed against her chest like it wanted out. What on earth was he thinking? He must be nervous himself. Now that she knew him, she knew crowds exhausted him.

The ride was quick, but since the entire family piled up in one car to save money, Janae insisted on bringing her battery-operated steamer to straighten out the folds in Liza’s dress. Her sister fussed behind her until Liza slapped her hand away. LeDeya shoved a fist-sized puff into her face, and silicate power momentarily clouded Liza’s vision.

“For the shine,” she said, absently chewing gum and adding gloss to Liza’s lips. “You look good, sis.”

Maurice massaged her shoulders like a corner man in a boxing match. “Sis, the local news is out here. Don’t do that thing with your face in the pictures. The RBF is real.”

The white bridge overlooking the Anacostia River was positively teeming with people. Liza wondered how she would ever find Dorsey. So many people stopped to take photos with her. She was getting dizzy, whirling around and smiling.

Bev took Liza’s hand. For a moment, with her eyes misting over, it looked like her mother was about to say something beautiful.

“You better get pregnant. Fast.” Bev wiped a tear from her cheek. This was (Liza knew) the best she could expect.