Luna had some crazy ideas about the origin of the trunk and the measly contents, but she had been busier than usual, probably because she was taking a weekend off and had to cram in more time during the week. Plus, she had to shop for her trip. Cullen smiled, thinking about her and Marshal Gaines. Individually they were fun, funny, and interesting, but when they were together, it grew exponentially. And it was contagious. Even during serious conversations, the four of them would find a silver lining. He once joked “that silver lining is a bolt of silver lightning.” That fueled a conversation about old adages with a twist. “Even at its lowest ebb, the tide will turn . . . and swallow you in the undertow.” Then there was “Tomorrow’s another day . . . hope it’s not your last.”

Cullen wondered what dinner alone with Chi-Chi would be like. He tried not to think too much about it. He didn’t want to talk himself into sabotaging it and hoped Luna wasn’t doing the same thing in her situation.

On the drive to the center, Cullen turned on the radio to get the local news and weather. He almost drove off the road when the song “Smooth Operator” by Sade came on. He had known Chi-Chi for about a year, and it finally hit him. That’s who she reminded him of! Sade Adu, pronounced Sha-day. She, too, was Nigerian. “I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I missed that,” he muttered under his breath. “Maybe because I haven’t heard it in a long time? That song came out around the time we were born,” he said to no one. But it reinforced his opinion about music and reminded him of the conversation he had had with Chi-Chi and Luna about contemporary music. He smiled to himself, anticipating the coming evening. He wondered if it was going to be awkward without the crew. He also wondered if there were any subjects that were off-limits. They rarely discussed race. Culture? Yes. General politics? Yes. Religion? Often. Luna considered herself a “spiritual” person but not tied to any particular religion although Christianity had a lot of good points, she concluded. Chi-Chi also had a Christian background with a smattering of traditional Nigerian beliefs in higher beings. She once compared them to saints. Each one covered a particular subject, idea, or territory. Cullen considered himself a Christian and attended church on holidays and other occasions. At least he knew religion wouldn’t be a problem. He was learning more about Chi-Chi’s culture and upbringing, which seemed to be strict but loving. He smirked, thinking about the time he had driven Chi-Chi to her car and told her men needed an invitation to kiss a woman. He now realized it was a bit of an exaggeration, and perhaps she might have misinterpreted what he had said. He’d find out soon enough. He hoped. In a good way.

* * *