April 5th, 1960

Filbrick had his arms crossed over his chest as the man before him looked over the little wooden piano. It was old, and that was pretty much the only reason the instrument was in the pawn shop. Filbrick didn't know or care much about pianos, but his new neighbor sold them for a living, so he had invited Mr. George Cece to give his professional opinion on the instrument to see if Filbrick got a good deal.

Now, Filbrick Pines didn't give a flying fish about the color of a businessman's skin. Money was money, no matter where it came from. He never really rubbed elbows with blacks in the past, but he didn't look down on them. He did believe that all men were created equal, but sometimes it was best to keep to yourself. Still, if this man was willing to do business, then he was willing to ignore the fact that Mr. Cece was black.

And not just black, either, but really black. One of the darkest skinned humans Filbrick had ever met. He was a few inches taller than Filbrick and was slightly bulkier, too. He had long black hair tied in dreadlocks and a bit of facial hair. He didn't wear a suit like Filbrick did, but he did wear dress-pants and suspenders, a button-up shirt, and a red bow-tie. He looked professional enough, especially when he was guiding a rough hand along the piano and testing its durability.

"Well," Mr. Cece said as he straightened up. "I can tell ya that this thang is older than sliced bread."

"But how much is it worth?" Filbrick asked from behind his sunglasses.

George looked at the white man and found he didn't care for the fact that he wore sunglasses indoors, like he was trying to hide something. He found it to be rude, but maybe Mr. Pines's eyes were sensitive to light or he had a scar or a blind eye or something. George was as polite as he could be without being a kiss-ass and answered with, "I'd say $500."

Filbrick was satisfied to hear that. He had paid $300 for it. He held out his hand for Mr. Cece to shake. "Thank you, sir, for coming in today."

Mr. Cece shook Filbrick's hand and smiled. "It was my pleasure, sir. Us store-owners gotta stick together."

Filbrick bit his tongue to keep from grunting in disapproval. He let go of the man's hand and asked, "How much do I owe you?"

Mr. Cece waved his hand and said, "Ya owe me nothin'. Just make sure this little treasure goes to someone special. She's a beauty."

Filbrick crossed his arms over his chest disapprovingly. Mr. Cece appeared to be older than Filbrick, but that didn't mean he was a better businessman. Perhaps he was trying to start off on the right foot by being polite, but as far as Filbrick was concerned, having good manners could only get you so far in the real world.

Just then, the front door opened and a little bell dinged to alert the room of a little girl's presence. She was black, like Mr. Cece, and wore a purple t-shirt, overalls and sneakers. She wasn't the first little girl Filbrick had seen wearing pants or shorts or overalls, but that didn't mean he liked it. The little girl ran up to Mr. Cece and held his left hand before talking to him.

"Grandpa, I finished my chores."

George ruffled his granddaughter's short, curly, unruly hair with a smile. "Thank ya, Half-Pint." George looked up at Filbrick and said, "Mr. Pines, this here my granddaughter, Hephzibah. Sweetheart, this here Mr. Pines, our new neighbor."

"Nice to meet ya, Mr. Pines." Hephzibah greeted with a waved hand.

Filbrick dipped his fedora politely. A lady was a lady, no matter her skin color or age. "Pleasure's all mine." He heard the back door open and he turned to see his wife entering the store.

She smiled at their guests and walked up to join her husband. "Welcome! I'm Caryn." She said in her thick New Jersey accent and held out a hand to shake.

"Thank ya, Mrs. Pines. George Cece." He introduced and gently shook her hand. "N' this here Hephzibah."

Caryn tucked some dark-brown hair behind her ear before resting her hands on her knees and bending down to talk to the little girl. "Well, well! Aren't you beautiful! How ya likin' your new home?"

Hephzibah blushed at being called beautiful by such a pretty woman and traced her little fingers over her grandfather's palm to give her something to do. "I like it very much, thank you, Mrs. Pines."

The physic smiled and stood up straight. "I hope y'all are settling in nicely."

"Indeed, ma'am." George said. "We come from a small town in the woods by the Pacific, n' it's a nice change to be in a big city. N' my little waterbug here has been itchin' ta get in the water." He added, putting his arm around Hephzibah's shoulders.

"Well, just be careful." Caryn warned the little girl. "It's called Glass Shard Beach for a reason."

"Yes, ma'am."

Caryn got an idea and looked at George. "We're having a roast tonight for dinner. You and your family should join us!"

Filbrick's jawline tightened. He was not racist (at least in his mind). He didn't think whites were better than other races or think blacks were worse than other races, but there were some things that just weren't appropriate. However, Filbrick's pride reminded him that he owed the man something, and since he wouldn't take money, providing a meal would be the way to ensure he didn't owe George anything.

George smiled and said, "Oh, we couldn't impose…"

"It ain't imposing if you're invited." Caryn interrupted gently. "Now, c'mon, they'll be mashed potatoes and cabbage and rolls and I'll even make a pie for the occasion."

George looked down at his granddaughter, who licked her lips at the sound of pie. The move across the country had drained his wallet and things were tight enough as it was. Back home, they had gotten to a point where they were eating only baked beans and bread, and things didn't seem to change in New Jersey quite yet. Not to mention that it sounded nice to get to sit at a table with neighbors, allowing the Cece family to start off on the right foot.

"Well, Mrs. Cece does love a good roast…"

"Then we'll see ya back here at six!" Caryn said cheerfully.

George nodded and shook both Mr. and Mrs. Pines hand in parting. "We'll see ya then."

"Bye." Hephzibah said as she waved her hand and walked with her grandfather out of Pines' Pawns.

"Did you have to invite them to dinner, Caryn?" Filbrick asked without looking at his wife.

She glared at her husband and said, "No, but I wanted to. They're in a new town and don't know anybody. Besides, when do you ever care who joins us at the dinner table?"

"I don't."

Caryn snarled in disbelief and left to get things ready for dinner. Filbrick grunted when his wife went upstairs for their home and resumed his work in the pawn shop. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was almost three. His sons would be getting out of school soon, not that they ever came home right after, anyways.

True to her word, Caryn baked a cherry pie while she worked on dinner, wanting everything to be perfect for her guests. The hours ticked by a little too fast for her liking and soon it was fifteen minutes before six. Where the hell were the boys?! Caryn mixed the melted butter into the potatoes and heard the back door from the hallway open and close. She recognized the light footsteps as her youngest sons.

"Boys, get in here!" She called as she slipped off her apron and washed her hands clean of oil and sweat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pair of twins run into the large room and wait for further instruction. One of her little angels was a free spirit wearing a red t-shirt and jeans, a bandage on his arms from when he fell down the stairs last Thursday. Her little genius wore a black t-shirt, a brown jacket and blue jeans. He was always cold.

Stanford had his hands behind his back bashfully and said, "Yes, Ma?"

"We have company coming over tonight for dinner," She explained as she dried her hands. "And I want you two on your best behavior."

"Is Uncle Jack coming?!" Stanley asked excitedly. Caryn's older brother, Jack, lived in New York, but often came down to visit and would give the boys noogies, tell stories, and always brought each kid a present, even if it was just a baseball card or a candy bar.

"No, it's our new neighbors."

"New neighbors?" Stanford asked. "The ones across the street?"

"That's them." Caryn answered and hung the towle back up by the sink. "They've got a little girl about your age, and I want you two to make her feel welcome."

"Okay." Stanford said and ran off for he and Stanley's shared bedroom, with his brother at his heels.

"Wash up for dinner, boys!" Caryn yelled after them as she checked on the roast.

"Yes, Ma!"

"And where the devil is Sherman?!"

"We don't know, Ma!"

Caryn sighed and used a big spoon to scoop up some of the broth and pour it over the meat. Sherman was almost never in the house, usually coming home at the last possible moment. Yes, the twins loved to explore, and as long as they were back by dinner that didn't worry Caryn, but Sherman often missed dinner and stayed at his best friend's house. Which, again, was fine - Daniel's family was perfectly lovely - but she wished her family could eat dinner together more often.

Caryn turned down the stove and put a lid over the roast. She looked at the clock and saw that it was already five minutes before the hour. She knew everyone would want to eat as soon as possible (she was hungry herself) so she popped the rolls in the oven, estimating that they would be done by the time they were all set to eat. Just as she turned on the timer for the rolls, her husband and eldest son came up the stairs from the pawn shop. Good, at least they were all home.

Only a minute after the hour, and there was a ring from the back door. The side door from inside the shop opened to a stairwell that led to the hallway that hosted the bedrooms and the bathroom, but the door behind the building, the one facing the alleyway, opened to another stairwell that led to the living room, kitchen and dining area. Caryn went to welcome their guests while the rest of the family waited in the house.

George smiled and shook Caryn's hand in greeting, and then introduced his wife. While George was slightly bigger than Filbrick, Georgina was almost a head shorter than Caryn. She had long, thin dreadlocks that fell behind her shoulders and shined in the little light the homes of New Jersey provided. She had a few wrinkles on her face, showing that she was indeed old enough to be a grandmother, and she wore a red-orange dress with long sleeves and a pair of brown heels.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cece." Caryn greeted and looked down at Hephzibah, who had been changed out of her overalls and into a little white-lace dress and black shoes. "My, you all look wonderful! Come in, come in!"

Thanks were exchanged and Caryn led the way up the stairwell and into the living area. The men instantly shook hands and George introduced Georgina to Filbrick, while Caryn introduced Hephzibah to the boys.

"Hi, I'm Hephzie." The little girl said with a smile and a wave.

Caryn was skeptical about her children. They were good kids, but they all had a habit of pointing out the obvious and she hoped they would be good for Hephzibah. She knew that adults would be floored over the fact that their guests were black, but children don't see race the way adults do, and the Pines kids knew what it was like to be different. As she had hoped, none of them said a word.

Stanley smiled and said, "Hi! I'm Stan. That's Shermie, and this is my twin, Ford!"

"Cool!" Hephzibah awed. "I've never met twins before! I wish I had a brother."

Stanley shoved Sherman closer to Hephzibah and said, "Take him."

Sherman glared at his little brother. Caryn rolled her eyes and let the kids socialize while she checked on dinner.

"How old are you, anyways?" Sherman asked.

"I'm almost seven."

"I'm ten." Sherman said proudly, his chest puffed out.

"Hey, we're six!" Stanley said as he pointed to himself and his twin. "Will you go to our school?"

Hephzinah shrugged. "I dunno. I've never been to school."

"Never?"

"Never ever." Hephzibah said, shaking her head.

"Alright, kids, dinner!" Caryn called from the dining area.

Hephzibah followed the three brothers to the table and sat next to her grandmother. Usually the Pines family sat at a round table, but it was a special kind of table that could pull out into an oval shape and fit more people if needed, and that's what it was tonight. Caryn had the food laid out on the table, and once everyone was seated, Filbrick invited Geroge and Georgina to dig in.

Mr. Pines dipped his own plate while Mrs. Pines fixed Shermie his plate, then Ford, then Stan, and then her own. Mrs. Cece fixed Hephzie her place before fixing her own, and Mr. Cece fixed his own plate. Then the adults talked and talked while the children sat and ate quietly; children should be seen, not heard, at the dinner table.

Mostly the adults talked about boring adult-stuff, so Hephzie tuned them out as she ate. She didn't remember the last time her Grandma made a roast! Mostly they had either oatmeal or beans and bread. She liked oatmeal and beans and bread, but she loved roast! It felt good to have something different. She ate her roast and wanted to tell Mrs. Pines that she loved it, but she knew not to talk unless talked to. She quickly ate her mashed potatoes and her roll and even ate her cabbage without complaint. It was all really good and once her plate was empty, she was happy to hear her grandmother ask her,

"Would choo like seconds, Hephzibah?"

"Yes, please."

Grandma dipped her a second-helping of everything and gave Hephzie her plate.

"My, I wish my kids ate like that!" Mrs. Pines laughed as she glanced over at Stan, who was picking at his cabbage, and Shermie who was chewing it like it was poison. Ford had eaten it first and then nearly drained his glass of water to wash out the taste. Now he was free to enjoy his roast, roll, and mashed potatoes.

"Yup, that's our Bottomless Pit." Mr. Cece laughed. "N' thank you, Mrs. Pines, for the meal. Everythang is delicious!"

"Yes, ya must give me the recipe!" Mrs. Cece begged.

Hephzie looked over at Ford, who sat on her other side, and smiled at him when their eyes met. He smiled back and looked away. He seemed shy. That was okay. Hephzie looked over at Stan and smiled at him. He darted his eyes at the adults and then made a silly face, his tongue poking his cheek and his nose crunched up. Hephzie held her breath and tried not to laugh by eating some mashed potatoes, but it was hard not to laugh. Stan was funny!

Encouraged and wanting to make mischief, Stan stuck out his tongue and lowered the skin under his eye with one hand. Hephzie covered her mouth as she swallowed her food and tried really hard not to laugh. It was just so hard! She looked over at the adults to see if they noticed, but they were too busy talking to care about the kids. Stan made silly face after silly face to try to get Hephzie to laugh. She tried to finish eating her dinner quietly, but at one point she had to set her fork down and cover her mouth with both hands, or risk laughing and interrupting the adults' conversation.

Caryn was aware of the commotion, but did nothing about except glace over here and there. It made her smile to see her little free spirit became fast friends with the new girl. Finally, when Stanford and Sherman had finished their food and it looked like Stanley and Hephzibah couldn't eat anymore, Caryn waited until there was a pause in the conversation to say to the children,

"Kids, you may be excused."

Stan hopped off his chair and grabbed one of Hephzie's hands. "C'mon, let's go play!"

"Okay!"

Stan ran with Hephzie and Ford into the twins' bedroom while Shermie went into his room to read his Powerman comics.

Ford opened the door and let Hephzie in. Their room seemed small thanks to the mess and the bunk-bed against the wall, but Hephzie awed at all the toys and games that littered the floor. Her eyes were glued to the bunk-beds, thinking they were the coolest thing in the universe.

"Wow!" Hephzie said and ran to the bunk-beds and climbed up to the top so she could hang upside-down, her hands pinching her dress so it wouldn't fall over her head. "Cool beds!"

"Thanks." Ford said.

"Whatcha wanna play?" Stan asked as he looked around the bedroom for a board game. "We got Connect Forty-Four or Battle Chutes and Ladder Ships or Go Fish."

"Oo!" Hephzie said as Stan opened the nightstand drawer for a deck of cards. "Let's play Goldfish!"

Stan opened the box and started to shuffle the cards while Hephzie climbed down.

Ford sat on the floor next to his brother and said, "Uh, I think it's 'Go Fish'."

"I think it's 'Goldfish'." Hephzie said as she sat on her knees in between the two brothers, completing the circle; she wasn't correcting Ford or trying to start an argument, she was just stating her opinion. "Ya know, like ya have to grab a goldfish?"

Ford held his chin. That did make sense, but… "I think it's 'Go Fish', like 'you can go grab a fish'." Ford paused for a moment and then asked, "Isn't it?"

Hephzie shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well, whatever it's called," Stan said as he dealt out the cards, one at a time, until each player had seven. "I'm still gonna win!"

"You know the rules?" Ford asked their new friend.

"Uh, hu." Hephzie said with a nod.

"Ladies first." Stan said as he laid out the pool of cards and picked up his own deal.

Hephzie picked up her cards and the game began. "Gotta three, Stan?"

"Go Fish."

"I still think it's 'Goldfish'."

"How about we just say, 'Go Fishing' from now on." Ford offered with a giggle.

Hephzie and Stan nodded. Ford was always coming up with good ideas. Hephzie picked up a card, but it was not a three, so Ford went next.

"Stan, got any sixes?"

"Go fishing."

Ford looked down at his hand as it reached for a new card. Having six fingers didn't used to bother him, until he started going to school and the other kids started to make fun of him. He didn't want Hephzie to make fun of him too, he liked having a new friend, so he had tried all evening to keep his extra fingers a secret. He took his new card, a seven, and waited for Stan to take his turn.

"Hey, Hephzie, got any threes?"

Hephzie groaned and gave Stan two threes. Stan smiled and added them to his little stack of cards fanned out in his hands. "Ford, got any fours?"

Ford sighed and gave his brother the only four he had.

Stan smiled and asked Hephzie, "Got any kings?"

"Nope. Go fishin'!"

Stan did as he was told and annoyingly found it wasn't a king. His luck for this round was over.

"Have you ever gone fishin'?" Hephzie asked.

"Uh, hu." Stan said with a nod of his head. "Have you?"

"Nu, uh." Hephzie said. "N' ya got an eight?"

Stan shook his head. "Go fishing."

Hephzi grabbed a card from the pile and said, "I wanna go fishin' for real."

"You can go with us if you want!" Stan offered.

"Yeah!" Ford agreed before asking for a card. "It'll be fun! Stan, do you have a king?"

Stan moaned as he handed over his only king.

"I'll ask Grandma n' Grandpa." Hephzie said.

"You live with your grandparents?" Stan asked.

"Uh, hu."

"How come? Where's your ma and pa?"

Hephzie shrugged and frowned. "I dunno where Mom is."

"What about your dad?"

Hephzie shrugged again and looked kinda sad. "I ain't got one."

Ford punched his brother on the shoulder to get him to shut up. Stan winced a little, but understood that he may have asked something that hurt Hephzie's feelings.

"Don't worry about it." Ford said. "Do you have a seven?"

Hephzie nodded and handed over her card. She almost missed the fact that Ford had an extra finger on his hand. Almost. "Wait, ya have an extra finger?"

Ford blushed and withdrew the seven and hid his hands in his cards. "Um, yeah."

"Cool! Can I see?" Hephzie asked in all the excitement, setting her cards down and leaning forward.

Stan looked at his brother and was ready to make Hephzie cut it out if Ford wanted him to. He knew Ford didn't like people to look at his hands, but Ford didn't seem too upset. In fact, he was a little shocked. No one had ever asked to see his hands like that. Usually if someone did, it was like asking to see something gross; they'd cringe or ask in a scared voice, but Hephzie asked happily and was smiling.

Ford put his hands down and let Hephzie see his hands, stretching his fingers apart so she could clearly count them. There were six! Hephzie wanted to hold his hand and feel, but she thought it was too cool to touch. She simply awed and said,

"Wow! That is so cool!"

Ford blushed again and picked up his cards. "Thanks."

"C'mon, ladies, let's keep playing." Stan teased.

"R-Right," Ford stuttered as he studied his cards. "Got any twos, Stan?"

The three kids played Go Fishing all night long, only stopping to eat pie when Mrs. Cece asked if they wanted a slice. Even though Stan won two games and Hephzie won one and Ford didn't win any games of Go Fishing, he had a lot of fun and was really happy to make a friend.