"What am I going to do?" I asked her silent face.

I stepped back and looked at her, then I walked out slowly, my head bowed, my shoulders sagging under the weight of such defeat. My thoughts were like Ping-Pong balls bouncing back and forth, pieces of this idea, pieces of that, but nothing sensible, no two sentences being completed. I was in a daze myself by the time I reached the bottom of the steps and avoided Betsy's broken body.

I put Panther in his playpen. Baby Celeste sat beside it and opened one of her books. and I sat in Grandpa Jordan's chair and waited with my eyes closed. I know I fell asleep because when I opened them again. Panther was asleep in the playpen and Baby Celeste was lying asleep on the sofa. The house was dark and silent.

It was then that an idea came to me. It came to me so vividly and firmly. I was sure it was coming from our spiritual family. It brought a smile to my face. Of course. I thought. I should have thought of it before. I got up and looked out the window, and sure enough, there they were, all of them gathered together, looking at the house and talking. Daddy was there, too, but someone was missing, someone I had to bring out as well.

I glanced at the children and decided they were fine. Then I hurried upstairs, not even noticing Betsy this time, and went directly to Mama's bedroom, opened the dresser drawer, and got the door key.

Mama was still propped up as I had left her to feed her, but her head was down and her arms limp.

"Everything will be fine soon. Mama." I said.

"Just wait and you'll see."

Excited. I ran up the small stairway to the turret room and opened the door. I knew just where to go and what to get. It took me only a few minutes to do that and be out and downstairs again. I went back to Mama's room and stripped naked. Then I went into her shower and scrubbed myself well, luxuriating in the lather of her perfumed soap. As soon as I was out and dried. I began to brush my hair differently. I sat at her vanity table and put on my makeup just the way I had experimented with it some time ago. Buoyed by what I saw in the mirror. I put on the bra, the panties, and the dress I had chosen long ago as my favorite during one of my secret visits to the turret room. I slipped on the shoes and I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Oh. Mama," I cried. "I am beautiful. Look at me. Look at me once and see me, really see me," I pleaded.

I was sure she raised her head and looked, and then she smiled. I was sure of it. I smiled back.

"Celeste." I was sure she said it. "My darling Celeste. You've come home." "Yes. Mama. I'm back for good." I hugged her and was sure she hugged me.

Then I hurried out and down the stairs. I had to show everyone. That was very, very important.

I stepped out of the house and walked to the edge of the porch. "Look at me!" I shouted.

They all turned.

Daddy was smiling. "My left arm!" he cried.

Off to my right, a shadow lifted from an unmarked grave. Everyone turned to look. The shadow came out of the little cemetery and slowly made its way down toward the house. When it drew close enough, we could all see. It was Noble, and he, too, was smiling.

"My right arm! Daddy cried.

Noble went to him and Daddy put his arms around him. I stepped off the porch and they both approached me and embraced me.

We three turned and looked up. That was Mama ' looking out and down at us. I was sure.

"How wonderful," Daddy said. "We'll all be together again." "Yes. Daddy. I told him.

"And you'll play with me?" Noble asked with suspicion and doubt. "Yes. I will. I promise," I said.

He looked at Daddy and smiled.

We can all go in the house now," Daddy said.

"Lead the way. Celeste."

I held his hand and he held Noble's hand.

Behind us, our family members clapped and cried out in joy. I opened the door and Daddy and Noble went in ahead of me.

When I turned. I looked toward the forest where I saw Elliot, his head down, making a quick retreat into the darkness from which he had come and to which he would return forever. Then I went in, and with Daddy and Noble beside me. I undressed the children, got them into their pajamas, and put them both to bed. I fixed Mama as well to make her more comfortable.

Daddy sat beside the bed and held her hand.

and Noble sat with me on the bed. We talked softly late into the night until my eyes wouldn't stay open.

"Go on to sleep," Daddy said. "I'll stay with her."

"Me, too." Noble said.

"Okay," I told them. I kissed Mama's cheek and then went to bed. I fell asleep in my clothes.

I slept late into the morning. Panther was up but he was occupied with some of his toys and apparently didn't cry out and scream as he usually did every morning. It was Baby Celeste who woke me with a scream.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. She was standing in the doorway staring at me.

And she was crying.

"What's wrong, Celeste? Why are you crying?"

I quickly got up to go to her. She backed away from me as though she was frightened of me.

"What's wrong. honey?" I asked, smiling at her.

"I want Noble."

I tilted my head. "Noble?"

"I want Mama."

"Mama. Yes. Let's go look in on Mama." I reached for her hand, but she pulled away and ran to her room, slamming the door closed on me.

"Celeste, what is it?" I cried after her.

That child is a handful, I thought. She always will be.

I went to Mama's bedroom and looked in on her. She was exactly as I had left her, only when I drew closer, I saw she was pale, her lips blue. I rushed to her side and felt her face. It was cold. Her fingers were stiff.

Mama's gone. I thought. Mama's gone. They took her last night. Daddy and Noble took her with them.

I didn't cry. Mama wanted to go, otherwise she wouldn't have gone. I thought. She'll be back anyway.

They'll all be back. In the meantime, I had a lot to do.

It would be the last time I would work so hard in the garden.

It all kept me so busy. I forgot about the children. By the time I looked in on them. Panther had fallen back asleep, probably exhausted from crying.

Baby Celeste was curled up with her thumb in her mouth. She looked absolutely terrified. I practically dragged her out and down the stairs to get something in her stomach.

You can be silly and childish afterward," I told her. "For now you have to eat something,"

I prepared food for Panther as well and went back upstairs to him after I looked after Baby Celeste.

He was awake again and hungry. I had no trouble getting him to eat everything. I changed him, dressed him, and brought him downstairs.

Baby Celeste still refused to speak to me, but she at least went into the living room to occupy herself with her books and toys.

"I've got a lot of housecleaning to do," I told the both of them. "I want the two of you to behave yourselves while I work. If you're good. I"ll give you both some ice cream later."

Baby Celeste looked up at me skeptically.

Panther jumped up and down in his playpen, energized and remarkably happy, I thought.

We're all going to be fine, I told myself again, and went right to work.

Late in the afternoon. I heard a car pull up to the house and moments later a knocking on our front door. I had just finished putting all of Betsy's clothing in the turret room and was halfway down the stairs, Baby Celeste came to the living room doorway to see who it was, too.

"Noble," she said hopefully.

I shook my head, "No, Celeste. It's not Noble.

Noble doesn't have to knock on the door to be let in."

I opened the door and saw Tad standing there.

He was wearing a jeans jacket, no shirt beneath it, and a pair of tom jeans and sneakers without socks. His hair was unbrushed, the strands in revolt and trying to escape from his scalp in every direction.

"Is Betsy here?"

"Betsy? No. Betsy's gone."

"Gone? Where did she go ?"

"I don't know. She didn't say. She just packed her things and left."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"My name is Celeste."

"Where's what's his name? Noble?"

"Noble isn't here now. He's fishing."

"Fishing?"

Just then Panther let out one of his shrill screams.

"One moment please," I said, and went into the living room. He wanted Baby Celeste to give him her crayons, but she had wisely refused. He would have tried to eat them. I picked him up and out of the playpen, When I turned, I saw Tad had come into the house and was standing in the doorway.

"Well, she must have left some information for me. I'm Tad. Didn't she mention me?" I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry. She didn't mention you or leave anything for you." "Do you live here?"

"Of course, I live here," I said. smiling.

"Well, where were you the other day when I was here?"

I shrugged. "Maybe I was in the garden."

"The garden? You couldn't have been in the garden all the time."

"No, I'm not in the garden all the time, but I'm there often."

"What, were you just in it now?"

"Pardon me?"

He nodded at me and I looked down at my mud-stained dress.

"Oh," I said. smiling. "I've been doing a lot of cleaning today."

"Must have been a pretty dirty house." he remarked dryly. He turned and looked up the stairway. I could see he didn't believe me and wanted to shout for Betsy.

"Go on," I said.

"What?"

"Shout her name if you like. Call her."

He stared at me a moment, then turned and bellowed. "Betsy!"

Her name echoed, at least in my ears. He stood there waiting a moment, then turned back to us. Baby Celeste was staring at him so hard, he looked at her and then at me.

"Something smells fishy here. Betsy was very excited about going with me and my band. She would have called me or something."

"Betsy is very unreliable."

He thought a moment. "Did she get her money?

"What money?"

Her inheritance."

"Oh. You didn't believe that, did you?" I laughed. "There's no inheritance!' He stared. "Where's this Noble, you say?"

"He's at the creek. fishing. It's about a half mile through the woods." He smirked. "Half a mile through the woods."