I went to reach out to Fern, but she bolted from the line, ran, and jumped on top of Cecile. Vonetta and I didn’t hesitate. We broke off from the line and ran over to hug our mother and let her hug us. How do you fly three thousand miles to meet the mother you hadn’t seen since you needed her milk, needed to be picked up, or were four going on five, and not throw your arms around her, whether she wanted you to or not? Neither Vonetta, Fern, nor I could answer that one. We weren’t about to leave Oakland without getting what we’d come for. It only took Fern to know we needed a hug from our
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