She held the baby away from her, the little girl's plump legs dangling. Amanda gave her aunt a goofy smile, and Cassie had to laugh in spite of the odor rising from the sodden diaper. Still holding the baby in front of her like a sack of dirty laundry, she carried her up the stairs. "Come on, sweetie. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure this out."

As Cassie lay the baby on the changing table, Amanda gurgled with a soft smile, making something in her aunt's chest tighten. The door behind them swung open with force, hitting the wall and bouncing against the doorstop. With a start, Cassie turned around and saw Madison leaning against the doorway, wearing a disgruntled frown. Cassie gave her the warmest smile she could muster, knowing that Madison was the only child who had been told about her mother's condition. The younger ones remained blissfully unaware.

"Have a seat, Maddie, and we'll chat while I'm changing Amanda's diaper."

"I'm not in the mood to chat." She shut the door harder than necessary, then stalked to the rocking chair before slumping into it.

Cassie untaped the dirty diaper and folded it down. Trying to hide her grimace at the diaper's contents, she turned back to her older niece. "How are you doing?"

Madison folded her hands over her chest. "Life sucks."

With one hand, Cassie reached into the diaper-wipe box, grabbing hold of a handful. She shook the wad hard, trying to separate one from the bunch. "Yeah, sometimes it does, Maddie." She searched her mind for the perfect words to say, remembering her irrational anger when her own mother had been ill.

The right words remained as elusive as an unbroken conch shell on the beach, so she spoke with the only words she could find. "That's why it's nice to have family and friends who care for you. You know we'll be here to help you through the rough spots." A clump of wipes fell to the floor, one of them sticking to Cassie's bare leg.

"Yeah, right. My mother's dying, my father's clueless, and you're leaving. Why can't this be happening to Lucy Spafford? Her mother is a witch, and she's only got the one child. It's . . . it's just not fair."

Cassie heard the catch in Maddie's voice but didn't turn to look. She was concentrating on getting the front of the diaper in the front of the baby. "No, Maddie. Life is rarely fair. But you can't start thinking so negatively now. Your mother is going to need your support. Remember, she didn't choose to get sick."

"But she's choosing that baby over us. It's like she doesn't even love us-or why would she take such a risk?"

With one hand pinned on the baby's squirming stomach and the other one trying to pry the adhesive off the clean diaper, Cassie tried to keep her voice calm. "There is one thing that you should never forget. Your mother loves you deeply, as only a mother can. She's only making the best decision she knows how. She could no more sacrifice that baby than she could sacrifice one of y'all. It's a mother thing. You'll understand it one day." The baby stilled for a moment, and Cassie recalled her words. When had she gained such wisdom? The same question that had burned in her mind somehow seemed easily answered and understandable when explained to Maddie.

As if sensing Cassie's peace, the baby smiled her sweet smile again, and it brought a sting to Cassie's eyes. Keeping her gaze on the baby, she said, "I lost my mother when I was younger than you. I can pretty much relate to what you're going through. And I certainly share your anger. But this was your mother's decision, and it's up to us to support her." The baby gurgled and began to kick her pudgy legs like a frog, making it difficult for Cassie to close the diaper. Cassie stopped struggling for a moment and said very softly, "Be kind to your mother, Maddie. She needs your love and understanding right now as much as you need hers."

She resumed the diaper battle and was near to conceding defeat when Maddie stood. "Let me do that. You've got the thing on backwards." With a small smile breaking through her scowl, Maddie expertly diapered her baby sister and snapped up the playsuit with deft fingers. When she lifted the baby off the changing table, Amanda snuggled into Maddie's shoulder, rubbing her eyes with her little hands. "That means she's tired. I'll put her down for her nap. I don't figure you know how to do that, either."

Cassie sent her a grateful smile. "No, I don't. Thanks." She backed out of the room quietly and closed the door behind her.

Sarah Frances met her at the bottom of the stairs with a mournful look in her eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Have you had breakfast?"

The little girl nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am. But we're still hun-gry. We need a snack."

Cassie looked at her watch. Nine o'clock. Sounded like a good time for a snack. She took hold of Sarah Frances's hand and led her into the kitchen. Knoxie and Joey were already seated at the table. "Okay. What do y'all have around here for a snack?"

With a precise voice, Sarah Frances said, "MoonPies."

Knoxie and Joey looked at each other, their eyes wide.

Cassie walked to the pantry. "All right, then. MoonPies it is." She found the box and pulled out four. "What would you like to drink with this?"

All three children looked at each other, then Sarah Frances said, "Co-Cola. Please."

"All right. Three Cokes coming right up."

They were enjoying their snack when Joe and Harriet entered the kitchen. Cassie waved as she took a sip of her Coke, while the children smiled with angelic expressions, mouths filled with MoonPie.

"Aunt Cassie let us have a snack." Crumbs flew from Sarah Frances's mouth as she spoke.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, honey." Harriet placed her hand on her daughter's head and kissed her cheek. "I guess you didn't tell Aunt Cassie about the fruit bowl we use for snacks, huh?"

The little girl answered with a sweet smile.

Cassie stood. "Sorry, Har. I think I was shanghaied."

Smiling ruefully, Harriet said, "It's all right. A special treat isn't a bad thing. Besides, you're the one who's going to have to deal with their sugar high in about an hour." She turned to the children. "All right, everybody. Come and give me a kiss and a squeeze."

Chairs scraping the floor and little feet running filled the kitchen as hugs and kisses were handed all around. Straightening, Harriet asked, "Where's Maddie? I looked for her upstairs but couldn't find her."

"I left her in Amanda's room to put the baby down for her nap. Was she not in there?"

Harriet shook her head, a pained expression on her face. "I'll look for her outside, but if I don't find her, would you give her a kiss and hug from me? And tell her I love her."

Cassie nodded. "Sure." She reached over and gave her sister a tight hug. "Hey, don't worry about Maddie. I think it's normal to feel a bit of anger. I know I did the same with Mama. I knew I was being irrational, but rational thinking and adolescence don't always fit well together."

Harriet nodded. "I know. But I did want to kiss her good-bye." She faced her sister. "Thanks for letting the kids come to your house to stay. I've got all their bags packed and waiting by the door."

Cassie struggled with a smile. "I feel so stupid, wanting to be home to watch over my trees. I hope the kids will be okay away from home."

Harriet touched her cheek. "They're only a few blocks away. And I think it will be such an adventure for them that they won't think about missing me."

Cassie looked up at the ceiling, trying to stop any tears from falling down her face. "Oh, I've got lots of things planned for them. Painting porches, inflating condoms, dressing statues-all sorts of things. You just concentrate on getting well. I'll take care of everything else."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Harriet reached and took hold of Cassie's necklace. "I guess I should be buying you some more hearts to put on this chain."

With a shake of her head, Cassie closed her hand over her sister's. "Oh, no, Har. You just need to start your own necklace."

Harriet hugged her sister again. "Really-thanks. And I mean it. This is a big thing you're doing for us, and we really appreciate it."

Cassie blinked hard. "Hey, it's the least I could do. Especially after what I said-"

Harriet put a finger to her lip. "Don't. We all get scared and angry and say things we don't mean. And you don't owe me an apology- ever. What you're doing for us speaks louder than any words ever could." With soft hands, she wiped the tears and smudged mascara out from under Cassie's eyes.

Joe returned from putting the suitcases in the trunk, perspiration already beading his forehead and upper lip. He gave bear hugs and loud kisses to the children, then turned toward Cassie and wrapped his arms around her. Cassie froze for a moment, thinking how this was the first time they had touched each other since she had come home. But the warmth and sincerity of his arms around her made her relax as she received their comfort.

His voice had a forced cheeriness to it. "You have my cell-phone number. If you have any questions, just call." He leaned close to her ear. "And have Maddie call her mother when you find her. Harriet's sick with worry."

"I will."

He turned to his wife. "We have to go if we're going to make your first appointment." Hoisting an overnight bag over his shoulder, he led the group out to the driveway, then helped his wife into the minivan. Harriet's face looked small and pale through the van's window as she waved good-bye. Joe backed out onto the street with a crunch of gravel, then drove away slowly, with Cassie watching the hand waving in the window as long as she could.

She felt a tugging on the leg of her shorts. "Aunt Cassie, I need to go potty."

With a smile, she herded the children back into the house, trying to ignore the last glimpse she'd had of her sister, of the thin white face and the eyes filled with love, pain, and abject fear. She knew if she were to look in the mirror, she'd see the same face.

Nineteen.

"There's a possum in the house again!"

The shriek jerked Cassie from the window seat in the front parlor, where she had been perched, watching for stealthy shadows on the front lawn. Her only reward had been the twin circles of headlights making a slow dance across the yard as a car turned around in the drive. The porch lights had illuminated a police car, and Cassie had sat back with relief.

With her adrenaline pumping again, she raced toward the family room, where the children, with the exception of Madison, were engrossed in a Disney movie. Making its slow, lumbering way across the Berber carpet, a small rodent twitched its nose in Cassie's direction.

"How in God's name did that get in here?" The animal stopped for a moment, as if preparing to answer, then continued its stroll across the family-room floor.

Joey, without taking his gaze off the television screen, said, "Got through the cat door in the kitchen."

With hopefulness in her voice, Cassie asked, "You've got a cat?"

Joey shook his head. "No, ma'am. It was Pop-pop's cat, and she died last year. Daddy's not gotten around to fixin' that door yet, and Pop-pop didn't know how. The possum just sticks her snout around the screen door, pushes it open, and then crawls in through the little door. Aunt Lucinda doesn't like it, neither."

Baby Amanda, swinging contentedly in the baby swing, squealed and threw a rattle, barely missing the small animal. In response, it curled into a little fur ball and played dead.

"This happens a lot?" Cassie moved to stand between the possum and the baby.

Knoxie nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Are you going to cook it? Aunt Lucinda keeps saying she's going to make a pie out of it if it comes inside again, but she hasn't done it yet. Do you know how to make possum pie?"

Without turning her back on the animal, Cassie released the baby from the swing and propped her on her hip. "No, I don't. And I don't think a potentially rabid animal should be walking freely in the house, either. Since Aunt Lucinda doesn't cook it, I have to guess that you have another way to get it out of the house?"

Knoxie stuck her thumb in her mouth and twirled her red hair. Sarah Frances lifted her head from the sofa, where she was lying. "When Pop-pop wasn't home, my daddy'd come over with a big shoebox and just scoop it up and put it outside again."

Cassie eyed the still animal, wondering where she could find a big enough shoebox. In the five days since she'd been watching the children, she thought she'd dealt with it all. She had learned that peanut butter does not take bubblegum out of hair, that a small metal object can trav-el through the digestive tracts of small babies with little or no effect, and that plastic glow-in-the-dark yo-yos should never be put on top of burning lightbulbs to make them brighter. The process of removing a wild animal from the house had not even been considered.

Madison, who'd been upstairs doing her homework, appeared in the doorway. Cassie looked at her with a start. Her long brown hair had been cut short, with a few remnants still clinging to her yellow T-shirt. Except for the color, the shape and style were identical to Cassie's.

"You cut your hair."

Maddie gave her a tentative smile. "Do you like it?"

Cassie nodded. "It looks good on you." She tilted her head to the side. "Actually, it looks great on you." She smiled brightly. "If you like, I'll made an appointment with Bitsy and have her clean up the ends a bit."

"Thanks." Maddie eyed the visitor on the floor. "I see the possum got in again. I guess you'll need to call Dr. Parker." She smiled innocently at her aunt.

"Whatever for? I'm perfectly capable of dealing with this. I did live in Georgia for almost twenty-three years, you know." Cassie looked at her watch. Through her frequent phone calls during the week with Harriet and Joe, she had learned Sam would be returning today. "Besides, he's probably just getting in, and it would be silly to bother him for something like this."

The animal stirred on the floor, its rear end twitching. Cassie glanced at her niece. "Here, take the baby and keep an eye on the possum while I go find a laundry basket."

She returned with one from the laundry room and successfully tossed it over the frightened animal. Kicking it slightly, she began to nudge the basket and its prisoner across the floor inch by inch, hampered only by the animal's claws digging into the carpet. Maddie disappeared into another room before Cassie had even made it to the edge of the rug.

Half an hour later, when she had finally reached the kitchen table with the animal and laundry basket intact, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door and saw Sam, she tried to ignore the flip-flopping of her heart as she greeted him.

He tipped an imaginary hat. "Ma'am," he said in greeting, "I under-stand you have a varmint that you need rescuing from."

"My hero." Cassie rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind him but was unable to suppress a grin. "I guess Maddie called you. I'm handling it just fine, thank you very much. But since you're here, be my guest." She motioned for him to follow. "Come on-the varmint's back here." She led the way to the kitchen.

"Where's Lucinda?" He took a high five from Joey and patted the little girls on their heads. Baby Amanda got a peck on her cheek, and Madison got a wink, but all Cassie got was a smile.

Cassie took the baby from Maddie and juggled her on her hip. "Miss Lena's been having nightmares again, so Lucinda volunteered to stay with her tonight."

He nodded as his gaze fell to the upside-down laundry basket and its prisoner still curled up inside. "Um, um, um. Now there's some good eatin'."

She wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting, Sam."

"I guess you've never had possum stew, then."

"No, I can't say I make a habit out of eating road kill."

Sam snorted. "You just don't know what you're missing." He knelt in front of the basket. "And I guess you think eating raw fish isn't disgusting."

She fisted her free hand on her hip. "That's different."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Aunt Cassie, Sarah Frances is breathing on me." Cassie stepped into the family room in time to see Joey throw a pillow at the sofa, neatly clipping the back of his sister's head.

Cassie flipped off the television. "Okay, everybody, movie's over. It's time for bed. Everybody upstairs to put on your jammies. I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in."

"And say our prayers." Knoxie's wet thumb hung poised outside her mouth.

"And say your prayers," echoed Cassie.

The little girl plopped her thumb back in her mouth and ran after her brother and sister, her feet padding lightly on the wood floors.

Amanda whimpered, so Cassie blew a raspberry on her neck, making the baby giggle. She turned to Sam. "I'm going to give the baby a bottle and get her ready for bed while you get rid of that varmint." She paused for a moment, trying to find her nonchalant voice. "There's beer in the fridge. Help yourself." Putting the baby on her shoulder, she went upstairs, feeling Sam's gaze on her back every step of the way.

After putting the baby in her crib and turning on the monitor, Cassie made her rounds of the children's makeshift bedrooms. Suitcases and clothes still lay strewn over the floor, but Cassie had yet to find the time to help the children unpack and put everything away.

As she approached Knoxie's room, Cassie paused and watched as the little girl stood on the rug in front of the bed and made a huge leap to land on top of her covers.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?"

Wide green eyes stared up at her. "I don't want the bogeyman under the bed to grab my feet, so I jump." Knoxie crawled under her covers.

"Oh, honey, there aren't any bogeymen under your bed." She got down on her hands and knees and peered into the dark space. "Yep-all empty."

"My mommy uses bogeyman spray to keep them away."

"She sprays under the bed?"