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Tirrell beamed, examining his grandmother. “You cut your hair. It looks good on you.”
    Betty delicately ran her hand over her tapered silver coif. “Tasha did it. I think it makes me look twenty years younger.”
    â€œNoonie, you ain’t never gonna get old.”
    Betty smiled. “Tell that to my aching back and feet.”
    Guilt swept over Tirrell when he thought about the money that he would no longer be sending her from his military stipend. “I’m gonna take care of you, Noonie. I promise.”
    She caressed his cheek. “You are doin’ too much already. You need to be savin’ your money and not sendin’ it to me. Besides, I can retire if I wanted. I’m just not ready.”
    The walkie-talkie on the desk buzzed. “Betty Ellis, you’re wanted in the front office.”
    â€œI gotta get back,” Betty said as she hustled to the desk and picked up the walkie-talkie. “Are you headed over to the house?”
    â€œNot yet. Me and Tasha are gonna hang out for a while.”
    â€œHave you talked to your brother?”
    â€œNo. Other than you, Tasha is the only one who knows I’m here.”
    â€œYou should call him.”
    Tirrell balked. “For what?”
    â€œI’m sure he’d wanna see you.”
    He looked at his grandmother. She knew better.
    â€œI don’t want him to know I’m back yet. And I don’t want you to tell him either.”
    â€œWell how about I have the family over for dinner on Sunday? You can surprise him at church.”
    â€œChurch?”
    â€œTirrell Ellis, you can at least go to church with your ol’ gran’mama.”
    He nodded. “Yeah, I guess that would be as good a place as any to drop the bomb on Kevin.”
    â€œTasha, I want you to come too. You know it’s about time for you to become a member. You’ve visited enough times.”
    â€œI wouldn’t miss it.”
    Tirrell shot Tasha a side-glance.
    Betty took Tirrell’s hand. “Lord, it’s so good to have my baby home.”
    Tirrell kissed his grandmother’s cheek and she darted from the office and up the corridor.
    His lie about being on leave wasn’t going to hold up for long. Hopefully, by the time it unraveled, he’d have a job to help soften the blow.
    â€œTirrell, are you ready to go?”
    â€œYou know what, can we run by and see Marquis real fast? I need to holler at him for a minute.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI just need to see him, a’ight?”
    â€œTirrell, I didn’t mind bringin’ you here, but I took the day off so we could spend time together, not to run you all over Atlanta.”
    â€œWe are spendin’ time together, ain’t we?”
    Tasha sucked her teeth and folded her arms across her chest. “You know what I’m talkin’ about.”
    â€œI didn’t ask you to take the day off, Tasha.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Tasha scoffed. “What the hell was I thinkin’?”
    She pushed past him and headed for the door. He grabbed her arm and spun her around and tried to kiss her. She pushed him away.
    â€œStop, Tirrell.”
    â€œBaby, I’m tryin’ to say I’m sorry. Look, I just need to see Marquis for a couple of minutes, and then we can have the rest of the day together. I promise.”
    Tasha hesitated. “All right. Fine. Let’s go.”
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    Marquis Crawl practically grew up with Tirrell; his mother, Anne, lived across the street from the Ellises. The two were closer than brothers until Tirrell made the decision to sign up for the Army and Marquis, who had just been promoted to assistant manager of his father’s automotive repair service, decided to stay behind.
    The pudgy young man immediately recognized Tasha’s Toyota as it pulled onto the lot of the service center where he worked. He was elated when he saw Tirrell step out of the passenger side.
    â€œYo,