"I'm joking, Genesis," she says in a ​ (a)   tone, "but seriously, I heard her hair stinks. She probably doesn't wash it. Gross."

"Excited" isn't the word for how ​ (a)   the class is.

Mama hits me with a ​ (a)   of questions and doesn't take a single breath before launching into the next.

Plus, it's scary up there on that stage, with all the lights," I say, ​ (a)   Belinda's words.

After I pat my head with the towel, Yvette gently combs it out, and the comb doesn't get caught. There's no ​ (a)   yanking and pulling at all.

Dad​ (a)   with the box again. I push it up to his back, so he can lean on it.

Jim's ​ (a)   personality makes it very difficult to trust him, since he often says one thing and does another.

"Dad," I say, "you're not alone. I'm right here." And Dad, he takes my hand, and his ​ (a)  

"I married your father for love. Yeah, I noticed his dark skin, but I wasn't bothered by it...I just wasn't. To be honest, he was my type -- tall, dark, and handsome." Mama laughs, probably at her ​ (a)  

I recall every bad memory, every negative word, because when I sing, I'm gonna ​ (a)   the loneliness of Billie Holiday, the joy of Ella Fitzgerald, the soul, and longing of Etta James.