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“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Browne.”

Ma smiled at her, and even through everything she had going on, I could tell she was taking Penelope in.

“It’s nice to finally meet you too, baby. I’m sorry it had to be like this.”

“Please don’t apologize. MJ told me about his dad.” Penelope’s expression softened. “I’m really sorry about what happened.”

“Thank you.”

Ma’s eyes moved briefly toward me before returning to Penelope.

“You stayed with him last night?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Something softened in my mother’s face. She reached out and gently touched Penelope’s arm. “Thank you for coming when he needed you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“I know.” Mama smiled. “But I appreciate it anyway.”

I shook my head slightly because I could already see the beginning of whatever relationship these two were eventually going to have. Penelope glanced at me, and I knew the finally in my mother’s earlier statement hadn’t gotten past her either. There would definitely be questions about what exactly I’d been telling my mother once life calmed down enough for us to worry about normal shit again.

“You want some coffee?” I asked Penelope.

“Please.”

I looked at Mama.

“Water. And before you start, I’ll eat in a little while.”

“I wasn’t even about to say nothing.”

“You were thinking it.”

She knew me well. I headed toward the kitchen, but before I made it far, footsteps sounded upstairs. I stopped and looked back toward the staircase. Maylee appeared a few seconds later wearing one of her camp’s oversized T-shirts and shorts. Her hair was all over her head as she rubbed sleep from one of her eyes. She started down the stairs without seeming to notice anything unusual until she spotted our mother standing near the living room.

“Good morning, Mama.”

The happiness in her voice immediately made my chest tighten. Ma’s face softened.

“Good morning, baby.”

Maylee hurried down the remaining stairs and went straight to her. Ma wrapped her arms around her as best she could with her stomach between them and kissed the side of her head. I watched them for a moment, knowing exactly what was coming and wishing there was some way to give my little sister a few more hours before yesterday reached her too. When Maylee pulled away, she finally noticed Penelope standing near the couch. Her eyes moved over her curiously before sliding toward me.

“Who is that?”

“Penelope,” I said with a slight smirk.

Maylee looked back at her, and recognition immediately crossed her face.

“Oh.”

There was way too much meaning packed into that one little word.

“Don’t start, Maylee,” I urged.

“I didn’t say anything.”