Book excerpt: If Ava has to wear her fake smile one more time while standing in a wedding party, she might come unglued. She and her boyfriend, Kevin, have been seriously dating for a year. As she approaches the marriage-ripe age of thirty-one, she can’t help but count down the days until her wedding day. It seems like everyone in her immediate world is getting hitched but her: cousin, friend, and even a co-worker who is shacking up while Ava’s trying to live life on the straight and narrow. Kevin is the man of her dreams, but his mother doesn’t believe Ava is the woman of his. Two of his sisters seem to be on the same page with their mother, treating her like an outcast every chance they get. Ava’s only ally in Kevin’s world is his baby sister, Tweet, a drug addict who takes up a lot of his time. Trusting God is all Ava can do as she hopes for the best, but if Ava and Kevin are meant for each other, then why is it such a struggle to get down the aisle? What’s wrong with Ava? What’s wrong with Kevin? Or is Kevin’s mother the one calling the shots?