Silver Sparrow

by Tayari Jones

Asking a straight question didn’t necessarily get you a straight answer.

I could have laughed at her. After all these years, she couldn’t quite believe that she and her mother had won.

“NO,” I SAID to my sister. “I haven’t seen him.” “Would you lie to me?” she asked. “You only lie to people you love,” I said.

But I squeezed her hard and asked more than once, “Do you love your mommy? Do you love me, baby?”

PEOPLE SAY, THAT WHICH doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But they are wrong. What doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you. That’s all you get. Sometimes, you just have to hope that’s enough.