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Tea Cake comes back to the store and he and Janie joke around and play checkers. He walks her home and stays a while on her porch. Even though it is midnight, Tea Cake suggests that they go fishing, and they do. Janie loves it:

"It was so crazy digging worms by lamp light and setting out for Lake Sabelia after midnight that she felt like a child breaking rules. That's what made Janie like it." Chapter 11, pg. 98

Tea Cake comes around the next night as well. He brings fish for their dinner. They sit together after eating. Tea Cake combs Janie's hair and he makes her feel so comfortable and relaxed. He has wanted to touch her hair for a long time. He compliments her on her hair, lips, and eyes, but tells her that she should look at herself in the mirror to appreciate them; they are there for her too, not just others. Tea Cake combing her hair makes Janie tired. She gets up to go to sleep and Tea Cake is left sitting on the sofa. Before Janie makes it up the stairs, he tells her how he feels about her. Janie thinks that he says and does this for all of the women and that he is also saying these things because it is late. They argue for a little while about their age difference. Tea Cake is around 25 and Janie is around 40. She thinks that she is too old for him, but he doesn't care. He tells Janie that he doesn't speak this way to every woman and it's not because it's late. He says he will still feel the same way in the morning. He leaves and Janie is left thinking about him. Before she goes up to bed, she looks at herself in the mirror.

Topic Tracking: Identity 9

The next day, Janie cannot help but think about Tea Cake. He represents the fulfillment of the dream that Janie has always had. She relates their relationship to the pear tree.

Topic Tracking: Nature 8

The next morning, Tea Cake shows up at Janie's door. He wants to tell her his daytime thoughts, so she knows that he wasn't just saying those words the night before only because it was late. He tells her and then leaves for work. When Janie comes home from the store that night, he is there waiting for her in the hammock. He sleeps there and leaves in the morning for work. He won't allow Janie to get up and make him breakfast, even though she wants to do it for him. He leaves and she thinks about him for a while. She is in love.

Tea Cake doesn't come back to see Janie for four days and she gets annoyed. It is torturous being without him. When he shows up on the fourth day, he has a car with him. He wants Janie to go with him to the Sunday School picnic. They argue for a while because Janie wants to be sure that Tea Cake really wants to take her. He tells her to have the nerve to say what she means.

Topic Tracking: Voice 6