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railing.
    “This isn’t my fault, Tallulah. And I—”
    “Hush up before Cecelia hears you,” she scolded. “This is a tragedy we might never come to understand. I knew something wasn’t right years ago when Camille stopped answering my letters. She never even cashed the checks I sent for Cecelia’s birthday. Then, when Taylor passed away, I was so grief-stricken that I just wasn’t thinking straight. But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t call and tell me about all this.”
    “What could you have done, Tallulah? Nothing.”
    There was a long moment of silence, and the little woman’s voice softened when she said, “All right, let’s put all that aside for now and get back to Cecelia. That poor child has had twelve years ripped out of her life. There’s no telling what she’s seen and endured. It breaks my heart just to think of it. So please, give my offer some serious thought, Carl. That’s all I’m asking you to do.”
    “Okay, I’ll call you tonight. Where are you staying?”
    “Portman Inn. I’ll be expecting your call by eight o’clock. I mean it, Carl, what’s done is done—we’ve both got to let it go or it’ll eat us alive. All that matters now is that Cecelia is taken care of properly. This is your chance to do right by your daughter. Without love and guidance there’s no telling what will become of her. I certainly hope you’re wise enough to understand exactly what I’m saying.”
    They stepped out to the front porch, and a moment later I heard the roar of the car’s engine. I raced down the steps and arrived at the front window just in time to see her vanish around the corner.
    Dad walked inside the house, his face as red as a beet. Beneath his arms circles of sweat stained his shirt. When he saw me standing by the window, he pointed toward a chair. “Cecelia, sit down. We need to talk.”
    I sat and clamped my hands between my knees as he walked across the room and stood by the fireplace. “Your great-aunt Tallulah was just here. She’s your grandmother’s sister, on your mother’s side.”
    “Tallulah? I’ve never even heard of her.”
    “She and her sister, Lucille, came up here once when you were a baby, but you were too young to remember. Your grandmother had a falling out with both of her sisters. She stopped talking to them before I met your mother.”
    “Why?”
    “All I know is that your great-grandfather owned a jewelry store. When he passed away, Tallulah and Lucille wanted to keep it in the family, but your grandmother, Bernice, wanted to sell it. Things went downhill after that.”
    Why haven’t I heard of these people? Why had Momma kept them a secret?
    “Cecelia, I want you to listen to me.” Dad looked out the window and took a long, slow breath. “With your mother dying and me traveling for my job, things have got to change. All your grand-parents are gone, and other than my cousin Judd, the only relatives left are Tallulah and Lucille.”
    Every nerve in my body snapped to attention. “So what does this have to do with me?”
    He never even looked at me when he said. “Tallulah asked if you’d like to go down to Savannah, Georgia.”
    “For how long? You mean for summer vacation?”
    Dad rubbed the back of his neck and began to pace. “No, I mean . . . I mean to live with her. Permanently.”
    My stomach dropped. Time stalled. A rush of blood thundered in my ears. He’s sending me away? Momma’s gone and now he wants me gone too?
    I looked up at him. “Live with her?”
    “Tallulah’s a fine woman. I think it’ll do you good to get out of this town and have a fresh start. This is the best solution for everybody. And—”
    I shook my head. “No. I’ll go live with Mrs. Odell.”
    Dad pushed his hands into his pockets. “I know she’s important to you, but think how hard it would be on her if you moved into her house. Mrs. Odell is over eighty years old. Besides, in Savannah, you’d have a new school and new friends.”
    What