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is Tatum Selby. She sits next to me in school.” Maddie put her arm around her friend. “And she’s the fastest bike rider in the third grade. Plus she’s good at gymnastics.”
    Cole sized her up. “Really?”
    “Yep.” Maddie stuck her chest out. “She’s so fast you won’t see her ride past you.”
    “Let her tell me.” Cole looked at Tatum. “Are you fast?”
    Tatum giggled and shrugged one shoulder. “I guess so.”
    Ashley kept an eye on the conversation. Tatum was darling, shorter than Maddie with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
    “‘I guess so’ means you’re not that fast.” Cole cocked his head, studying her.
    “Actually . . . it’s true. I’m the fastest bike rider in my class.” Tatum flung her hair over her shoulder. She was missing a few teeth, and her smile never quite left her eyes. But when she talked about her bicycling skills, a mix of determination and compassion colored her expression. “Anyway, I’d rather sing.”
    “There you go.” Ashley scooped Devin into her arms, shut both doors, and joined Kari and the children. “Tatum can sing and be athletic. So you’re right, Cole. Your sister can probably do more than one thing.”
    Kari raised her eyebrows. “A sister? I thought your ultrasound was in two weeks.”
    “It is.” Ashley laughed. She pulled Devin’s stroller from the back of her van. “We’re assuming here. Cole wants a basketball player, and I was saying maybe the baby will be a girl.”
    Cole crossed his arms and made a face. He met Tatum’s eyes. “A boy would be better.”
    “Not always.” Tatum didn’t blink. “Girls can do everything boys can do.”
    “Yes.” Kari had her stroller out now too. “Our friend Tatum is living proof that you can’t put little girls into a box. She’s trying out for the next CKT show.”
    They opened their strollers and began moving toward the track. The whole time, Maddie chattered on about how Tatum was going to Hawaii for spring break and had been to Bulgaria five times and had a poodle named Princess.
    Every now and then Cole looked over his shoulder and shot Ashley a look that said he wasn’t interested in the girl talk and couldn’t understand why Maddie felt compelled to keep reciting details about her friend. Even so, he kept his steps even with Tatum’s.
    When they reached the track, Tatum turned to Cole. “Do you have Jesus in your heart?”
    Cole looked taken aback. “Yeah. For a long time.”
    She grinned, and her missing teeth became more apparent. “Then I guess the bike race doesn’t really matter.” She patted his shoulder. “Right?”
    Cole’s cheeks grew red. If Ashley didn’t know better, she would’ve thought maybe Cole was enamored with this little girl, a girl who could play sports and dance and find the compassion to talk about Jesus.
    He opened his mouth, and for a few seconds nothing came out. Then he quickly looked away and hurried to his bike. “Enough talking.”
    The three of them climbed onto their bicycles and peddled off, with Cole shouting something about a few warm-up laps.
    Ashley watched them go. “Interesting.” She zipped up her jacket and fell into step beside Kari. “Almost looked like my little boy had a crush for a minute there.”
    “Apparently lots of little boys have crushes on Tatum.” Kari looked thinner than usual and pale. Pregnancy was always hard on her. She smiled. “Brooke told me that Tatum and Maddie sort of lead the pack when the boys start chasing the girls at recess.”
    “Makes me feel old.” Ashley found a steady pace and kept her eyes on Cole and the girls. “Like I better not blink or he’ll be calling to tell me he’s getting married.”
    Kari laughed. “I think we have a few years.”
    “Still . . . they grow up too fast.”
    “They do.” Kari’s laughter faded.
    They let the conversation drop for a few minutes. The air was crisp, the sky above them bright blue with only a few puffy white clouds on the horizon. Already