Janae passed her wiggling infant girl over to David, who kissed her forehead. “It was a weekend of activities. Everyone could choose what they wanted to do. You didn’t have to go pick apples.”

“Oh right, just so I can be the mom sitting everything out?”

Janae expertly steered her mother away from this topic. “The reception is beautiful, Ma.”

David shook his head enthusiastically. “The food is fantastic. Seems like everybody took a plate.”

“Damn right. I haven’t even had a chance to eat. Brides never eat at their wedding, they say.”

Dorsey’s cool voice made everyone at the table turn. “Are you happy, Beverly?”

“That’s First Lady Beverly Bennett Jones now.” She smiled.

“I think your mother would have been very proud of you.” The table stilled. Everybody loved their grandmother, but Liza had really loved her grandmother and had taken her death hard.

“Thank you, Dorsey,” Bev said.

Never one to sit too long in sadness, she clapped her hands briskly. “And my first job as First Lady is to get this basement clean before Bible study tonight. Up! Up, all of you. Maurice, you take those chairs! Liza, you fold these tables!”

Dorsey came behind Liza. “Whoa, whoa. What do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s not going to hurt me to fold some tables.”

“What if one of these tables fell over and crushed you?”

Maurice sidled up and pointed to his sister’s stomach. “You sure you want to be handling those tables, big sis?” Maurice was astute. She had never given him his due.

“How did you know?” Liza asked.

“You’ve just been unconsciously touching your stomach a lot. Kind of protective. And Mom had to let out the dress she made for you just three months ago.”

Dorsey raised an eyebrow. “I see those private investigator courses have paid off.”

“Yeah, I’m saving up money to open a storefront in PG County. I’m going to call it Ear to the Street Detective Agency, or E2S—‘When you don’t trust the cops but you got to get answers.’ ” He said the last part wistfully. Dorsey nodded approvingly and Liza clapped him on the shoulders.

“You’re going to do well, bro.”