Page 81 of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Book
“Not only did she get her loan, she also got a contract to supply all the floral arrangements for the bank. Maisie Pruitt made sure she was hired for every fancy wedding in town. And Pam Pruitt is still her best customer.”
“Genius,” Nahla marveled.
“I’d say Betsy is every bit as clever as Odysseus, wouldn’t you?”
“How did she know what to do?” Nahla wanted to know.
Her grandmother shook her head. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Nahla returned to Fairview Florist with a basketful of beauty. Freshly fallen magnolia leaves, perfectly round acorns, and scarlet magnolia seeds.
“How do you decide what to use?” Nahla asked as Betsy sorted through the basket, picking out all the things she might need.
“I think of every bouquet as a little story,” Betsy told her, “and stories are the most powerful things in this world. They can mend broken hearts, bring back good memories, and make people fall in love.”
“Or convince them to do the right thing,” Nahla added.
Betsy Wright shot Nahla a look. “Sometimes. But the trick is getting to know people well enough to tell their stories. You can’t just assume you know what they’re like. You have to pay attention. You got to watch and listen.”
“I can do that,” Nahla said.
“So you think you might grow up to be a florist?” Betsy Wright asked her.
“Maybe. But I’m going to be a writer, too,” Nahla told her. “In fact, I’m already working on my very first book.”
Chapter 33
Humankind
“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m real nervous.” Beverly’s eyes followed the checkered tablecloth that seemed to go on for miles. There were four kinds of potato salad, a mountain of fried chicken, platters of pulled pork, heaps of hush puppies, and all the other delicacies of the region, along with homemade modak courtesy of Dr. Hank Chokshi. In the center of every picnic table was an arrangement of wildflowers that Betsy Wright had gathered in the fields where the Avalon plantation once stood. “What if no one comes?”
“What if no one comes?” Elijah looked so handsome in his church clothes. You’d never guess that he’d been setting up tables since five in the morning. “Everybody in town is already here!”
He was right. The whole town of Troy had turned out early to help get Jackson Square ready for the Wright-Wainwright family reunion.
“She’s talking about cousins,” Isaac said as his mother straightened his bow tie.
“Doesn’t matter to me if anyone comes,” Betsy Wright said. “This day has already been a success in my eyes.” She finished fixing her son’s tie and nudged her husband. “You got something you wanted to say, James?”
James Wright straightened his spine and cleared his throat. “Yes, I do. Before everyone heads off to help, there’s something I need to tell my two boys.” Isaac and Elijah stood at attention as their father prepared to address them. “I want you to know that I couldn’t have asked for better sons. Thetwo of you are so different, and yet you’re both exactly what I always hoped for. Smart, brave, and resilient. You’ve made me very proud over the past few weeks, and you’ve given me great hope for the future. I’m very sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren’t the finest human beings this world has to offer.”
“Does this mean you’re okay with me being gay?” Isaac asked.
“I want you to be you,” his father said. “I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
Isaac smiled as he took in his father’s words. “Thank you,” he said, laying a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “That means a lot to me.”
“We should thank Lindsay, too,” Elijah said.
“Lindsay?” James asked.
“My Lindsay?” Beverly looked around at the Wrights, but no one seemed to know what Elijah was talking about. “What does she have to do with any of this?”
“Lindsay switched the books in Lula’s library, right? That’s where I foundRivals and Lovers.When I read it, I knew gay dudes don’t go to hell, so I made Mama read it, too, and—”
“You made Mama read that bougie boy romance?” Isaac burst out laughing and couldn’t seem to stop.
“Yeah, that’s how much we love you, bro,” Elijah told him. “I swear, I’ve never read anything more boring in my entire life.”
