“Can’t we start a fire in the furnace?” said Reese. “For Mama?”

“No,” said Ruth. “Because someone might find us.”

“Don’t need a fire,” Paul said. “Your mama’s getting warmer with us beside her, just gotta give it time.”

“So what if we do get found out?” said Reese. “I’d rather be found than be froze to death.”

Eulah coughed. Her coughing gave way to hacking, then choking. It terrified Pete to hear his mother make that sound. Pete wrapped his scarf around Eulah’s neck and face. Her eyes began to close, and she seemed as though she were a hundred years old.

“Hey, know what?” Ruth said, breaking the silence. “If Lou were here, she’d be keeping us all warm.”

Silence followed this remark.

“No, she wouldn’t,” said Paul. “Old Lou’d be right in the middle, taking all our heat. Selfish thing thought the world circled around her.”

Ruth scooted until she was seated in Eulah’s lap. Eulah wrapped her arms around her. And everyone became quiet. The only sound heard was sleepy breathing beneath the blankets.

Vern whispered to Paul, “If someone find us, we gonna be in it, deep in it.”

“Will they kill us?” added Ruth.

“Hush,” said Paul. “Now quit that talk, Vern. You’re scaring the young’uns.”

“But what if we get caught?” said Vern. “Breaking in like this. You know what they do to black folk out here close to Jay.”

“Vern, hush,” said Paul. “Quit your worrying and let’s try to get some sleep. No use borrowing trouble.”

“Good night, Mama,” said Reese.

“Night, Miss Eulah,” said Vern.

“Good night, Miss Eulah,” said Ruth.

Paul kissed Eulah’s cheek and whispered, “Rest, sweetie. Just rest.”

“I love you, Mama,” said Pete.

*  *  *

When Paul awoke to the sound of a radio in the service station, it startled him. It was the sound of a preacher hollering, interrupted by crowds cheering. The volume was low but audible. He turned to see Vern in the dark with his ear pressed against a wooden desktop radio.

“What in the world?” Paul said. “Turn that thing off.”

Vern looked at the radio and said, “It’s J. Wilbur.”

“I don’t care if it’s the king of Siam, turn that thing off. Someone might hear.”

Vern clicked off the small radio.

Paul was still holding Eulah’s sleeping body. His arms were frozen around her. The rest of the family was still huddled around her too. Paul had been drifting in and out of sleep but fought it for as long as he could.

“Vern,” Paul said, “I wish you’d go to sleep. You’re worrying me half to death, moving around like you is.”

Vern said, “They’ll kill me if they find me. Be just like J. Wilbur say, be like judgment come down.”

“Nobody’s judging nobody, Vern.”