baby, just look ‘em over real good before you put ‘em in the bowl.” She dropped her handful in a large bowl and grabbed another that she plopped in her lap. “Jimmy has family all around him tonight, and as long as he needs us.”

Ian nodded his head and reached for another handful of beans. Tippy grabbed him by the chin and held his face so she was looking right into Ian’s blue eyes, “And you have family now, too, don’t you ever forget that.”

He wanted to cry, but didn’t. He just nodded his head and tightened his lips so they wouldn’t tremble.

“We should do this more often.” Reece said to no one.

Colton remembered, “We always used to have a family night once a week until we all went off on our separate ways. We’d have a big old meal and play board games and stuff. It was fun.”

“Mama always made us have Sunday dinner together,” Tippy said, it was a cardinal rule in our house, as long as you weren’t dead and someone could drive you there and back before bedtime you were expected.”

“Billy?” Reece asked, “You said you came from a large family, did you all get together often?”

“I don’t remember all of us being together at one time, but I head ten brothers and sisters. Mom popped out children for twenty one years, so by the time us littlest ones came along the older ones had already run screaming from the county.” He said.

“Now Ian, what about this Aunt Hil you were talking about? Was she your mother’s sister or your father’s?” Tippy asked.

“Actually neither. I just always called her that. She and my grandma were close, but were not related in any way, unless we were a lot more Southern than any one is willing to admit.”

Tippy smiled and nodded her head. Jesse looked at them, “Huh?”

Billy nudged Jess. “Ian’s Aunt Hil was an old black lady who lived in a house beside the farm.”

“She was probably more of a mother to me than anyone else though. She always made sure I was well fed and able to take care of myself after Grandma died. Taught me how to cook for myself and Uncle Nate, and made sure I knew how to get things done that needed to be.”

“Who taught you to play guitar?” Reese asked.

“No body really. I kinda taught myself. I’ve just always been able to pick up things real quick when I set my mind to it. Aunt Hil said I had ‘the ear’, but Uncle Nate always called it a curse. Pitched a fit if I even hummed in the shower.”

“I assumed that those people who bought your house put a bathroom and a shower in when they bought the place.” Billy said.

“Oh they tore the whole place down, or blew on it and let it fall down. Last I heard they are still trying to farm it. It’s a nice piece of land though.”

“Wait a minute,” Jesse said, “You grew up in a house without a toilet or a bathtub?”

“I grew up in tobacco and coal country Jesse; no one had a lot of money. Granted most had indoor plumbing, and if Grandma had lived a little longer we probably would have too, but Uncle Nate just never wanted to spend the money.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” Billy piped