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Our laughter in that kitchen, then, was our helpless response to a miracle. That baby was our baby, it was on its way, my father’s great hand on my belly held it and warmed it: in spite of all that hung above our heads, that child was promised safety. Love had sent it, spinning out of us, to us.
This quotation comes early in the novel when Tish first tells her family about her pregnancy. Although she assures Fonny they will support her, she is nevertheless nervous about their response. However, all of them treat the baby as good news, and Tish realizes that the baby is a miracle for the family not only because new life is mysterious and miraculous but also because it will contribute to the strength of the family. Joseph’s hand on Tish’s belly promises that the baby will serve as a source of hope that will fortify them in their fight for Fonny’s release while simultaneously benefitting from the protection and love of her family.
But tonight, with our vows so mysteriously menaced, and with both of us, though from different angles, placed before this fact, we were more profoundly together than we had ever been before. Take care of each other, Joseph had said. You going to find out it’s more than a notion.
This passage falls near the end of Part One, on the night of their first confrontation with Officer Bell, as Fonny and Tish have dinner afterward at the Spanish restaurant. The experience leaves them feeling shaken and vulnerable, both to the ongoing threat Officer Bell represents and to the danger that Tish’s drive to protect Fonny will injure his pride and hurt their relationship. In this moment, Tish recalls her father’s words to them when they first announced their plans to marry. This scene illustrates Tish’s changing understanding of how taking care of one another is a way that families strengthen each other. The incident at the fruit stand demonstrates the external and internal threats their relationship must weather, and their reconciliation relies on the deep care for one another implied by Joseph’s command. Later that night, they conceive their baby, with Tish describing herself as more open to Fonny than she has been before, the two of them made one in the aftermath of their terror. Their creation of the baby, who will both require their strength and give strength to them, represents how their union has both expanded and reinforced their family.
…you ain’t really alone in that bed, Tish. You got that child beneath your heart and we’re all counting on you, Fonny’s counting on you, to bring that child here safe and well. You the only one who can do it. But you’re strong. Lean on your strength.
Sharon says these words to Tish late in Part One. Tish has woken up from a nightmare, and after bringing her a cold compress and comforting her, Sharon reminds Tish that she has an important role to play in contributing to their family. This moment shows the interconnectedness of their family and how each member supports one another, bolstering the family as a whole. While Sharon and the rest of the family support Tish emotionally and materially, only Tish can play her particular role—nurturing her unborn child. Not only must she find the strength in herself to keep herself and her baby healthy, but she must also trust in the strength of those around her. In this way, this scene shows how the novel’s theme of the strength gained from family depends on this interconnectedness, as each of Tish’s family members must both accept and contribute support.
