It takes so much out of me and the family getting ready for a visit, hiding our own troubles. Always finding a way to ball it up during our visits so we don’t put that stress on Daddy.

The men size one another up until one’s distracted by his son yelling, “Daddy! I see Daddy!” He turns to mush, then gives the guy a dap.

A grin takes over my face when I finally spot Daddy in line. He’s tall, with broad shoulders that are covered by his white jumper. His beard is grown in a bit, and he’s kept his Afro about two inches. He used to keep his hair lined up before prison. Considering everything, he still looks the same to me, which gives me comfort.

Daddy scans from corner to corner until he finds me at the table. I warm over at his matching grin. I tap my fingers nervously until Daddy takes a seat in front of me.

“You came,” Daddy says.

“What do you mean?”

“I thought your mama might’ve locked you up after that stunt you pulled. What were you thinking?”

I put my head down.

Daddy flicks at my hair, then shoots out a bellowing laugh.

“You should’ve seen your mama’s face on television. Eyes all bugged out. It’s probably the one time in my life I was glad to be locked up, so I wouldn’t be on that car ride home or have to stay up listening to your mama talk my ear off all night about you, girl.”

I laugh with relief. “I’m sorry. I know you said not to.”

“You wrong. This was Jamal’s day today. My baggage don’t need to follow him to college.”

“I know, but we gotta catch Innocence X’s attention.”

“You’re a fighter. I love that about you.” Daddy brushes my hair back. “But you need to start preparing yourself—”

“Never.” I glance away.

A bald-headed, muscular white guard watches us; the way he’s looking at us bothers me. Daddy follows my gaze.

“Don’t pay them no mind.”

Daddy rubs his hands together, callused from the three-hour daily work outside. He gets one hour in the library, another break from his concrete sixty-square-foot cell. In his cell, he reads five hours a day. That’s where Daddy picked up studying the law, after being filled with disappointment with each appeal. This is what we share between us on visits. Our ability to swap facts back and forth and all my letters to Innocence X. Mama tells him everything going on with us kids. Jamal fills the visit with things Daddy likes. Like his working hard, his track practice, Mama, and all the notes Jamal’s left for Corinne that week. Daddy loves that the most.