Hunter ran inside to have an after-school treat with Tyler. Momma was making slice-and-bake cookies again. This time they were blond sugar cookies with the silhouette of a pink rabbit inside and sugar sprinkled all over them. Pink was all they had at Publix. They were out of green and blue.

Soon, Archie’s car pulled into the driveway, so I stood to greet him.

“Hi!” I said, popping up from behind the boxwoods like a jack-in-the-box. “The boys are inside with the queen. How was your day?”

“It was a good one. Yours?”

“Another day in paradise,” I said and crossed the road to greet him. “Archie, can I ask you something?”

“Sure!” he said. “Anything.”

“Do y’all observe Easter?”

“Most years, yes. But since Carin’s been gone, I don’t think we’ve been to church at all.”

“Well, this Sunday’s Palm Sunday, and down at Stella Maris they have an egg hunt for the kids on Saturday. I’d be glad to take the boys, if you’d like me to.”

“Oh, that would be so nice of you. Gosh, I’m glad you reminded me about Easter. I’ve been so focused on the wedding, I forgot all about it. I’d better get Easter baskets for the boys, too.”

“We have great ones at Publix. If you want, I can bring home two nice ones and hide them at my house until Easter morning.”

“Would you do that? Oh, that would be great! Thanks!”

“Sure! Somehow the holidays seem to have a way of sneaking up on us, don’t they?”

“Yes, they do. And this wedding’s sneaking up on me, too.”

“It’s okay to get cold feet, Archie.”

“I couldn’t do that! Sharon would kill me.”

We stared at each other for a minute. I could see I had confused him then. Was I telling him once again that he shouldn’t do this? He had told Leslie and me in no uncertain terms that he intended to marry Sharon. Well, then, if Sharon was the right girl for him and his boys, why hadn’t she offered to fix Easter baskets for the boys and for all of them to go to church together?

I knew I was an old-fashioned girl who still did things like go to church and plan for holidays. And I wasn’t reminding him about it because I thought I was a better Christian. All I cared about was the boys being overlooked and their not being included in a holiday that most of their friends and their families celebrated.

“Well, we’re making a traditional Easter dinner for after church. You know, ham, string beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, red rice—all that stuff. Biscuits. Anyway, we’d love for y’all to join us.”

Y’all did not include Sharon unless it had to.