I took a sip, and an immediate and pleasant warmth filled my body, almost euphoric. I wondered what I was so worried about.

“Nice tea,” I said.

Maggie’s smile was my signal to go ahead and start the conversation about my visit with Mama at the flower shop a few nights before and, since this was the purpose of our visit, I took a deep breath and anxiously blurted out, “Well, Mama, Maggie and I have a few questions about what you know about Layla. I mean, how did you know about Layla, I mean…”

Mama was all twinkly-eyed and, with a peculiar smile spreading across her face, Maggie came to my rescue. “What Jim is trying to say, Mama, is that we were really surprised that you knew so much about Layla, even before we did.”

The room grew a bit silent as we waited for Mama’s response, but all she was doing was sitting in her chair with her eyes closed now, smiling and rocking slowly side to side, her hands flat on the dining room table.

I looked over at Maggie and, as I reached out to hold Maggie’s hand, Mama slowly opened her eyes and said, “You know that baby, Layla, she’s a little angel now, but soon she’s coming into this world to be a light.”