them; it reminds them of their mother, who spent days "twist[ing] ... thread" in a rocking chair after Peace's death, a grief that ultimately led to her suicide. After Bernice and Ambush leave, Miranda suggests that the chair should be placed at the other house. The evening ends on a somber note as Miranda walks through the woods near the old homestead and feels a ghostly presence brush past her in the darkness. She is on the brink of a premonition that remains unclear. This ominous atmosphere echoes earlier rumors that Ruby used hoodoo magic to drive Frances insane and thus win Junior Lee for herself.

Meanwhile, in New York, Cocoa finds immense joy in her relationship with George, but it also brings her significant fear. She is terrified of losing him, and their encounters increasingly end in "panic" rather than satisfaction. This fear drives her to irrational actions, threatening to undermine their connection. Unbeknownst to Cocoa, George harbors similar anxieties. To test their relationship, he uses his passion for football. George believes that Cocoa's tolerance for his obsession with the sport throughout the winter will reveal if they are meant to be. Their relationship nearly falls apart over this test. After a heated and seemingly final argument, George decides to propose to Cocoa. However, he discovers her in a rare moment of infidelity, which jeopardizes their future together. In his anger, George finally shares his painful past with her, revealing that his mother was a prostitute who abandoned him at birth. Hearing his story, which Cocoa had longed for as a sign of his love, she decides to propose to him.

The narrative shifts to midwinter in Willow Springs, where the town buzzes with excitement over Ruby and Junior Lee's upcoming wedding, as well as Cocoa and George's January nuptials. Miranda and Abigail ponder Cocoa's marriage and its future while working on a double-ring quilt as a wedding gift. They debate the likelihood of the marriage enduring and whether it will bring new children into the family. Miranda continues sewing even after Abigail retires for the night. One evening, she decides to incorporate pieces of fabric from garments worn by her mother and great-grandmother Sapphira into the quilt. This decision stirs a sudden fear in her that Cocoa might endure the same marital suffering as her foremothers.

The story then shifts to spring, where Mama Day performs a mysterious ritual with Bernice at the homestead.

A letter to Cocoa in the following section confirms the success of the ritual; Bernice has finally become pregnant. Meanwhile, Cocoa decides not to have children with George until she completes her university degree in history. The couple works towards this goal and adjusts to living together for the first time. One of their initial compromises is to take separate vacations; George will attend his football games in the winter, and Cocoa will continue her summer trips to Willow Springs.

The scene transitions once more to Willow Springs for Cocoa’s annual visit. She engages in her usual activities, such as assisting in the garden and conversing with Miranda and Abigail. However, a few significant changes are noticeable this year. For the first time, Miranda starts calling her Ophelia instead of Baby Girl, the name given to her by the sisters during infancy. It's revealed that Miranda's hesitation likely stems from the origin of the name. Ophelia is named after her great-grandmother, and this connection hints at looming trouble. Near the end of this section, Ruby's threat further intensifies the sense of impending conflict. Ruby is practicing hoodoo magic to keep Junior Lee in check, as he hasn't abandoned his wandering ways. Ruby perceives any woman, including married ones like Cocoa, as a threat to her upcoming marriage. She appears at the Day home one night, searching for her husband and asking about Cocoa, which unsettles Mama Day.

Four years pass. In New York, Cocoa graduates from college; she celebrates with George, and they decide to embark on the long-awaited journey into parenthood. In Willow Springs, Bernice’s son is now four years old, and Cocoa and George visit the island for the first time. Looking back, Cocoa believes that their decision to "cross over" to the island hastened the arrival of a fate that had always awaited them in Willow Springs.

Analysis
In this section, a strong yet unstable relationship begins to form between Cocoa and George, as well as between the couple and Willow Springs. It becomes increasingly clear that the future of one relationship hinges on the other. The couple will endure if they can reconcile their differing backgrounds and beliefs, but the key to their success is hidden in the island’s secrets.

The first challenge to their future is fear. Both Cocoa and George fear losing each other. She thinks he is “too good to be true” and worries he will leave her life as suddenly as he entered it; he doubts she can reciprocate the “intensity” of his love and fears she will tire of his quirks and obsessions. Both characters exhibit a similar and equally astonishing disbelief in the possibility of love. Cocoa and George simply cannot believe they have fallen in love and that it could lead to a lasting relationship. Despite this, their intense passion drives them to persevere and ultimately marry. However, the events surrounding their sudden marriage suggest that passion alone may not bring the happiness they seek.

Back in Willow Springs, Miranda harbors her own reservations about the marriage. While she understands the couple’s worries about their future, her apprehensions stem from a different source. She fears a recurrence of family history, the possibility that Cocoa will endure the same hardships as a wife and mother that her ancestors faced. Indeed, pain and loss appear to be the most prevalent aspects of the female experience in the Day family. Sapphira betrayed her master to gain freedom and land. Ophelia, Cocoa’s great-grandmother, and Abigail both mourned the loss of a child. Grace, Cocoa’s mother, suffered abandonment by her husband. It seems that Cocoa, as the next in line in the Day family legacy, faces a similar destiny. The fact that her real name matches that of her great-grandmother, who eventually committed suicide, further underscores this concern. Consequently, Miranda feels uneasy as she stitches the double-ring quilt and calls Cocoa by her given name, Ophelia, in this section. Both the quilt and the name symbolize a transition into the roles of wife and potential mother, a change Miranda hesitates to see Cocoa undertake. Instead, Miranda tries to protect her great-niece by keeping her fears to herself.

However, contemplating family history is not the sole source of Miranda’s anxiety for Cocoa’s future. The Day family matriarch also exhibits ambivalence about motherhood itself. The second section of Part I provides the background that clarifies her unease. Miranda has been the cornerstone of her family and community since her early youth. As a child, she cared for her mother after Peace’s death and helped her father after Ophelia’s passing. As an adult, she continued in this role, becoming the primary caretaker for the entire island community. Over the years, her nickname evolved only slightly, from “Little Mama” to “Mama Day,” but her identity remained unchanged. While Mama Day takes pride in her work, especially in her duty to ensure the physical and spiritual well-being of the community, she also laments the sacrifices it requires. She has looked after “everybody but [her]self.” The price of her dedication is that there is scant time to consider, let alone fulfill, her own needs. She was not even afforded the luxury of a prolonged childhood. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the anguish of Ophelia’s suicide still lingers with her. The daughter’s plea to her grieving, suicidal mother remains as poignant now as it was years ago: “But I was your child, too.” Miranda’s pain illustrates the consequences of prioritizing others at her own expense. Her story critiques the values often associated with motherhood, particularly its emphasis on self-sacrifice over self-development.

Willow Springs serves as an ideal backdrop for the challenges faced by Cocoa and Miranda in this part of the book. The Candle Walk night tradition, in particular, highlights the struggle to reconcile past customs with present-day needs. This holiday, celebrated in place of Christmas each year, honors the values of self-sufficiency and generosity. Island residents visit their neighbors' homes, carrying candles and exchanging greetings, reminding each other to “lead on with light,” and exchanging gifts. Tradition dictates that these gifts be handmade from local produce or materials and be given more generously to families in need. The goal is to distribute the fall harvest's abundance more equally, ensuring the community is provided for during the winter months. This custom celebrates the community's ability to live both sufficiently and abundantly off the land. However, the younger generation's increase in purchased gifts and decrease in generosity challenges the Candle Walk's spirit and purpose. The tradition's meaning risks being lost or forgotten. While the community may still observe the holiday this year, it is evident that island life is changing, perhaps not for the better.

Various omens surrounding Ruby highlight the potential for negative changes in Willow Springs. Ruby, known for her misuse of hoodoo power, is desperate to secure Junior Lee, who refuses to stay home, causing her increasing distress over his infidelity. She appears several times toward the end of Part I, making suspicious inquiries and vague threats. Ruby is clearly willing to use her power against any woman who might tempt her fiancé at any time. She poses a community-wide threat that even Miranda cannot ignore, as Cocoa's presence during her annual island visit seems to arouse Ruby's suspicions. A foreseen premonition of trouble by Miranda casts an ominous tone over the plot as the two hoodoo women prepare for a confrontation in Part II.