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Paige!

There Howthe course of twenty years? Thousands? I’d lived without it for two years now Part of me kneas fantasy, but I shoved that part off to the sidelines I was like Trey--he’d give up sugar for weeks, but soh you kneasn’t good for you I’d find him in his room, surrounded by candy wrappers

"Mo!"

They were outside, standing at the ragged patch of dirt I’d dug up It was no longer the size of a grave, but round and approxiarden spade on the patio Trails of dirt marked the concrete The dandelions, dead and wilted, still lay in a pile Trey took a seat next to the weeds, his eyes watchful

"Paige!"

The voice I’d heard was not Jesse’s but Mr Eckhardt’s I shook the rerief pulsed in ht tears to rief wasn’t; it was a dirty street fighter who rose again and again even when I thought I had successfully knocked it to the ground King of the sucker punches Sing my emotions, I turned to Mr Eckhardt "What do you want?"

Mr Eckhardt, his white crew cut standing with the sa posture as his spine, said, "Your son doesn’t believe you did this on purpose"

Ignoring hiokay?"

"Peachy," I responded

Trey studied the dirt pond, brain obviously scra up with nothing

"You’ll need to get this resodded," Mr Eckhardt insisted

"I’ it resodded," I said evenly "I like it"

Trey nodded, his reaction automatic "Okay, Mom Whatever But what is it?"

"It’s"

"Lunacy," Mr Eckhardt finished "Utter lunacy"

"It’s e of the pit "Allcorrectly," Mr Eckhardt said to Trey "Now, you’re old enough to talk so the law"

"Which law?" I interjected, forcing hi in your backyard?"

"Co the property here ree to certain ter the character of your portion of the land Are you having trouble understanding what that means?"

Trey walked over to the older man, his movements uncertain Jesse and I had i respectful to adults, and I could see hi those lessons His fists clenched and unclenched, but before I could intervene, he said, "Thanks for your input, sir Myto have a private talk about it, inside It’ll be taken care of, no doubt"

"I don’t doubt it," Mr Eckhardt said "Because if you don’t take care of it, I will"

"So what’s going on, Mo your way to China?"

"No, just digging," I said with a shrug "It felt good to do it the other night So I did it"

"It’sa weird thing to do You know that, right?" Trey made himself busy around the kitchen, the constant ainst any talk of Jesse Trey only wanted to talk about his father when he could control all the possible routes the conversation erous emotional paths were to be avoided

I shot him my best sane, motherly s different"

"It’s irrational," he said, sounding so much like Jesse the tears almost returned "And that’s not like you It’s a little crazy" He rab the tea and stopped short I’d left the two e bin was full and I hadn’t had the time to empty it