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at his wife and give Jay the opportunity to pay his respects. That’s all.”
    “I understand. I’m trying to understand. Just please don’t do anything you’ll regret, Daisy.”
    “I already have. I was with Jasper.”

    Daisy held Jay’s hand as they entered the church. An attendant directed them to sit in the balcony. She wanted to protest, to inform the attendant that Jay was Jasper’s son, but Jay insisted that he didn’t want to sit among the congregation. Relief coursed through her as she smoothed his wavy hair. The last thing she wanted was to sit among Jasper’s friends and family. “It’s okay, baby. Don’t worry about it.” She kissed Jay on the forehead, leaving a faint smudge of red lip-gloss. Whispering in his ear, she assured him that he didn’t have to do anything that he wasn’t comfortable with.
    “Thanks, Mom. I just don’t know all those people. Who are they?”
    Daisy shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll find out…who a few of them are.”

    Daisy peered over the railing and found the lower section filled to capacity. She hadn’t realized that Jasper had had so many friends. There had to be more than two hundred people.
    After they’d risen for the prayer and the choir had sung “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” the minister began the eulogy. Daisy held Jay tightly and listened intently, not wanting to miss a word.
    “Jasper Stevens was a good man, an honest man. He loved his mother, his father, and his wife. But most importantly, he loved his heavenly Father. Jasper walked in the way of the Lord and did what was right. He died doing what was right and what God would’ve wanted…”
    All lies. Daisy tuned out the rest. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears down her cheeks. Then she looked at Jasper’s casket, and everything became a blur. She’d been with him seven years, but she was sitting in the church balcony, instead of in the front pew.
    Ming Li tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “Are you ready? You don’t want to go say good-bye, do you?” Ming Li pointed to the people lined up waiting to pay their last respects.
    “No, I don’t even want to be here. But I do want to see his wife,” Daisy whispered to Ming Li and Gigi, careful not to let Jay overhear.
    Gigi put a hand firmly on her shoulder. “From here, okay? See her from here.”
    “What about Jay?”
    Gigi nodded. “I’m going to pay my respects. I’ll take him.”
    Daisy turned to Jay and wiped his tears. “Go ahead, sweetie. Say good-bye to your dad. Don’t worry about the people. No one will bother you, and I’ll be right here. I promise.”
    Jay shook his head and squeezed Daisy’s hand as if he were holding on for his life. “I don’t want to go without you. Please don’t make me. Only if you go.”
    Daisy swallowed and looked away. She had to go. She couldn’t rob him of his last look at his father.
    “From here, it doesn’t even look like Dad. He’s not smiling. I don’t want to see him like that.”
    “It’s okay, baby. It really is. I’ll stay right here with you.” She kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand. “We’ll wait until everyone leaves.”
    Gigi smiled faintly and waved to someone below. “I see Adonis made it. Glad someone else from the family is here. I bet it’s because of my aunt that no one else showed.”
    “Adonis is here? Where?” Adonis was the last person Daisy had expected to see at Jasper’s funeral. She wanted to see him, almost had to. But first she needed to see her unknown opponent: the woman who carried Jasper’s name.
    Ming Li pointed out Adonis, then turned Gigi’s chin in the opposite direction. “No, Gigi. Look over there.” Ming Li pointed at Marcus.
    “Wait, just wait. I’m going to slap fire out of him. I can’t believe he acted as if he didn’t know my aunt. Look at him. I never introduced them.”
    Daisy rubbed her pounding temples and popped a pill to calm her nerves. She swallowed hard, forcing it down her dry throat. Jasper had