since his death, Joshua dreamed of his grandfather.

He dreamed that the two were on a baseball field, except Joshua and his grandfather were at least several feet apart.

Not close enough to touch but close enough to communicate.

His grandfather was humming a song loudly as he kept his face turned towards the sun.

"Grandpa!" Joshua cupped his hands around his mouth to yell.

He went from humming to singing in a rich baritone, "If you give me half a chance, I'll prove this to you, I will be patient, kind, faithful and true, to a man who loves music, a man who loves art, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart."

The song that his grandfather sang only grew louder, repeating itself.

Joshua tried to move towards him but his feet felt glued to the grass.

When Joshua looked down, his feet looked normal, so he didn't understand why he couldn't walk forward.

"I'm coming. Wait." Joshua said but his grandfather gave no gesture that he had heard Joshua's words.

He turned and started to walk off of the field, the last verse of the mystery song still on his lips.

"Wait! I'm not ready for you to go! Please!" Joshua cried out but it was too late.

His grandfather exited the stadium and...

Joshua woke up in a light sweat and looked around.

He was back in the bedroom that his parents occupied when they came here alone.

The sun was streaming through the half open blinds making Joshua raise a hand to protect his eyes.

Joshua shakily rose from the bed and padded into the bathroom.

After getting dressed, brushing his teeth and briefly washing his face, Joshua made his way down the stairs to the kitchen.

On the circular table was a plate piled high with food: grits, hot links, hash browns and a bowl of cut up fruit.

A peace offering.

Joshua gave the food a wary glance then cut up a piece of the hash browns.

They were seasoned perfectly and crunchy and it was the first piece of heavy food Joshua had eaten in four days.

"I am ready for love," Joshua could hear Ayoluwa sing from the deck through the screen door.

He leaned back a little to peer at her.

She was clearly ready to swim in the lake, in a black bikini, a mesh white sarong tied around the lower half of her body, her hair was in a side part.

Her back was turned to him as she faced the lake.

Joshua stopped at the melody of the song.

That's the song from the dream.

What the hell?

"Why are you hiding from me?" Ayoluwa continued, her voice echoing off the walls.

When Joshua peeked his head in, he could see Ayoluwa leaning her body on the ledge of the deck as she sang to herself.

"I am ready for love, all of the joy and the pain," Her voice was ethereal in a sense with a tone that Joshua hadn't heard in other singers.

She sounded like a mermaid out of a fairytale.

"They say watch what you ask for, 'cause you might receive, but if you ask me tomorrow, I'll say the same thing. I am ready for love, would you please lend me your ear?" She continued in a haunting way.

"If you give me half a chance, I'll prove this to you, I will be patient, kind, faithful and true, to a man who loves music, a man who loves art, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart."

Joshua stepped out into the fresh air, "What song is that?"

Ayoluwa jumped a little at his voice, "I didn't know you were up."

"How could I sleep with you screeching so loud?" Joshua asked out of habit.

Instead of producing a witty quip of her own, Ayoluwa simply pursed her lips and turned away from him towards the lake again.

Joshua felt conflicted at how unwilling she was to continue their previous banter.

"What song is that?" Joshua repeated as he moved a little closer.

"Ready For Love by India.Arie." Ayoluwa answered without turning around.

"Um... Can you sing the ending? I think... I think I heard it before," Joshua awkwardly scratched his neck.

Ayoluwa gazed at him for half a beat then cleared her throat, "I am ready for love, here with an offering of my voice, my eyes, my soul, my mind, tell me what is enough to prove I am ready for love."

When she finished, Joshua let out a soft but satisfied sigh, "Why'd you choose to sing that?"

"Um... It was heavy on my mind today." Ayoluwa shrugged, "I needed to let it out."

He paused then took another deep sigh, "Look, if you... If you make the food, I'll share the bed and I'll let you play the instruments."

Ayoluwa gave him a surprised look, "You serious?"

"Yeah. You playing the guitar didn't sound horrible." Joshua shrugged.

"Uh, thanks?" Ayoluwa made a face then tucked a few of her locs behind her ear.

"Compromise, right?"

There was a hint of a smile on Ayoluwa's lips, "Right."

Then she frowned a little, "About the chain... I swear on my niece that I didn't know that it was so important to you. I was twelve and dumb... Not that it's any excuse. I can't take back what I did but I can try to make it better. I wanna right this wrong."

Joshua was surprised at the amount of regret he heard in her voice, "You for real?"

"Yes. I would honestly hate me too. I don't blame you." Ayoluwa rested her torso on the ledge of the deck.

Joshua was silent at her words.

He was expecting total ignorance not a girl who was more than remorseful and saying all the right things.

"Um," Joshua took in a silent gulp of air, "You can have the bed tonight."

He turned to head back inside when-.

"Josh, who's house is this? I didn't know your family was this into music."

"We're not, at least not like we used to be." Joshua replied.

Joshua paused again, "And this was my grandpa's lake house. Thanks for the food."

Then he went back inside with the intent of heating up the previously mentioned plate of food.

The song she sings is above

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