Carnal Innocence

over. I can deal with that.” On a long breath she pulled back. “I can. But I feel I have to go to the Fullers to offer Happy some sort of support. I’m not sure I can deal with that.”
    “There’ll be plenty of others there for her. You don’t have to go.”
    “I do. I can be an outsider, or I can belong. It comes down to how you treat others, doesn’t it?”
    Hadn’t he said something very similar to Cy just the day before? It was hard to argue with yourself. “I’ll come by when I can. If I can.”
    She nodded, glancing out the doorway when she heard the toot of a horn. “That’s probably Burke. It’s nearly dawn.”
    “I’d better go, then.”
    “Tucker.” She took his shirt-sleeve when he turned away, then kissed him. Soft, quiet, comforting. “That’s all.”
    He rested his cheek on hers for one last moment. “That’s enough.”
    Though it was still shy of eight A.M . when Caroline arrived at the Fullers’, Happy wasn’t alone. Friends and family had closed ranks. There was coffee brewing to replace the pots already consumed. Though no onethought of food, women gathered in the kitchen, that time-honored space of comfort.
    Caroline hesitated in the doorway, beyond the murmur of conversation, the circle of support and worry and reassurances. She recognized the faces: Susie jiggling Scooter on her hip, Josie standing, restless, by the back door, Toby’s wife, Winnie, rinsing out cups in the sink, Birdie Shays stationed staunchly beside Happy, Marvella quietly ripping apart a paper napkin.
    The sense of intrusion was so great, Caroline nearly turned around and walked out again. It was Josie who saw her, who offered her a tired smile of understanding.
    “Caroline. You look like a whipped dog. Come on in and we’ll pump you full of coffee.”
    “I just …” She looked helplessly from one woman to the other. “I wanted to stop by and see if there was anything I could do.”
    “Nothing but wait.” Happy held out a hand. Reaching for it, Caroline stepped into the circle.
    So they waited, in a melding of perfumes and soft voices, with talk about children and men and a baby’s restless crying. Della joined them mid-morning, with jangling jewelry and a basket of sandwiches. She bullied Happy into eating half of one, scolded Josie for making the coffee too strong, and quieted Scooter by giving him one of her bright plastic bracelets to chew on.
    “That child’s got muddy diapers,” she declared. “I can scent ’em a mile off.”
    “I’ll change him.” Susie picked him up off the floor, where he was busy banging Della’s bracelet on the tile. “He’s tired, too. Aren’t you tired, little man? I’ll just put him down in the daybed, Happy.”
    “He likes that little yellow teddy bear,” Happy told her, pressing her trembling lips together. “Darleen left it for him yesterday.”
    “Why don’t you find it for her, Happy?” Della shot Birdie a warning look before the woman could protest. “She needs something to do,” Della said quietly when Happy went out. “Worrying’ll eat her up. We all need something. Birdie, see if you can find the makings for one of your Jell-O parfaits. That’ll go down cool byafternoon. Marvella, you stop wringing your hands and use ’em to squeeze some lemons. We’ll have lemonade instead of this goddamn coffee. Winnie, I think you should mix up one of your potions for Happy. Get her to sleep awhile.”
    “I thought about it, Miss Della. I didn’t believe she’d drink it.”
    Della smiled grimly. “She will if I tell her to. That woman’s been going head to head with me for years, but I’ve been holding back. Josie, you and Caroline clean up these dishes.”
    “A woman as bossy as you ought to have a platoon of marines to order around.” Even as she complained, Josie stacked dishes.
    Now there was purpose in the room as well as a sense of unity. Caroline found herself smiling at Della. “How can I get to be you when I grow up?”
    Highly pleased, Della fussed with the big gold buttons of her blouse. “Why, child, you just learn how to use your mean. We all got it, but not everybody knows how to use it constructive like.”
    “Happy’s other girls ought to be here,” Birdie said, slamming cupboard doors. “They ought to.”
    “You know they’ll come if there’s need. Marvella, is that how your mama taught you to squeeze a lemon? Bear down, girl.” Satisfied, Della began to rewrap uneaten sandwiches. “Those girls got