“They aren’t.” Mack unfastened his seat belt and turned to face her. “Dad hated it at first, but now he doesn’t remember living anywhere else until he comes to visit me, and then he thinks he’s back on his own little goat farm. He doesn’t know who Mama is some of the time, and he thinks Adam and I are still teenagers. He loves it when Mama brings him up to the farm, though. That’s what we call your place. He’ll sit for hours and hours and watch the baby goats romp around. It’s the only time I’ve seen him really happy lately. Just be prepared. He may not know you at all.” He got out of the truck and hurried around the front end to open the door for her.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling.

His mother, Nora, met them at the door. A tall, rawboned woman with more salt than pepper in her hair, she looked just like she had the last time Lily had seen her. Tonight she wore jeans and a pretty light-green sweater that matched her eyes. She gave Mack the first hug, and then she hugged Lily and whispered, “Orville is having a good day. I’m so glad y’all came.” Then she raised her voice. “I’ve got dinner ready to put on the table. I hope you still like fried chicken, Lily.”

“Of course she does,” Orville’s gruff old voice said from the living room. “I remember she always loved your fried chicken at the church potlucks. Come on in here and let me look at you, Brenda.”

She looked up at Mack, who shrugged. “Just play along with him.”

The house was laid out with what real estate agents called a great room—dining room, living room, and kitchen all combined. Lily left Mack’s side and went to give Orville a hug. He had always reminded her of a bulldog—a wide face with drooping jowls, broad shoulders, and big biceps. Mack had gotten the best features of both his parents—his height and those big, broad shoulders from Orville, and his face shape from his mother. Adam must have been a throwback to a past generation, Lily thought, because she couldn’t see a blessed thing about him in either of his parents.

Orville hugged her and then took a step back and looked down at her with a frown. “Where’s Adam? I thought he was coming with you. Why is Mack bringing you to dinner?”

“I just arrived at the same time he did, and we came in together,” Lily told him.

“Did I hear my name?” Adam came into the room with a big smile on his face.

“There he is,” Orville said. “I knew he’d be along soon if you were here. Nora, is supper ready? The kids are all here now. Brenda’s here, too. Seems like forever since we’ve seen her.”