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“I got it!” MJ called from the kitchen.

He came back through the living room and headed to the front door. A second later, I heard Penelope’s voice.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you said you were leaving an hour ago.”

“I had to stop somewhere.”

“For an hour?”

“Malik.”

I grinned at Tahari because I swear the two of them were perfect for one another. He glanced toward the foyer.

“Here they go,” he said while he shook his head.

Penelope walked into the living room carrying a bakery box, with MJ right behind her. She looked pretty in a cream sweater, dark jeans, and some Uggs. Her usual crinkly hair was pressed straight and fell over her shoulders.

“Hey, everybody!”

“Hey, baby. Come here,” Mama said with a smile as she opened her arms for her.

Penelope set the box on a nearby table and went to hug her.

“I brought dessert.”

“What kind?” Uncle Sha asked as he sat up.

“Cheesecake.”

“That’s my girl.”

Aunt Tori looked at him. “You don’t even know what kind of cheesecake it is.”

“Don’t matter.”

Penelope laughed and came over to hug me.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said to me after we broke our embrace.

“You’re fine. We’ve been arguing over the tree for two hours anyway.”

She looked at it.

“It’s pretty.”

“Thank you,” I said.

MJ came up beside her.

“It’s leaning.”

“Boy, shut up,” I told him.

Everybody laughed as Penelope took off her coat and laid it over the back of a chair. MJ picked it up almost immediately and carried it to the coat closet. I watched him go, and then I looked at her. She was watching him too. I smiled to myself and handed her an ornament. It was so crazy how she just fit into our lives.

“Here. You can help us finish.”