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“Ew Mom!” I moaned

“Uh-huh” Mom moved over to the table but didn’t sit

She was quiet as I shoved a few spoonfuls of cereal inup at her

Mo out the s the backyard Not that there was rass and secondhand patio furniture we rarely used anymore

When Dad had been here, they would sit out there late at night through the su There used to be a fire pit, but it had fallen apart a few years ago, and Mo it away

She kept holding on, even long past the point things were rotten out and decayed

Lori and I used to sit up on the balcony and eavesdrop, but I think they knee listened, because they only ever talked about boring stuff Work Bills Vacations planned but never taken Renovations on the dull blue counters in the kitchen that never happened

Looking back, though, I could pinpoint the ust, and I was ten It hen their conversations out on the patio had turned to hushed whispers that ended with Dad stor the screen door shut behind hi after him

Mo after Dad

I liked this Mom better

Bitter-tasting guilt sed ulp, and I loweredthat, but it was true This Mom made dinner when she could and asked about school She joked around and spent the evenings eating ice crea Dance Mo Dead The old Mom was always at dinners with Dad, and when she was home, so was he, so she ith him

The old Mom had been all about Dad, every second of every day

Now the grin had faded fro about Dad, thinking about her life when she wasn’t an insurance agent living paycheck to paycheck, didn’t spend the nights alone

My spoon clanged off the bowl “You okay, Mom?”

“What?” She blinked a couple of times “Yes Of course I’m fine Why do you ask?”

I studied her for a few seconds, unsure if I should believe her Mom looked okay—looked like she did yesterday and the day before—but there were faint lines around the corners of her mouth and eyes Her brow creased where it hadn’t before, and her eyes, the sareen, appeared haunted “You looked sad”

“Not sad Just thinking about things” Clasping the back of my neck, she bent down and kissed ht, but I will be hohetti”

“And rease and goodness

She pulled back, wiggling her brows “Only if you do the laundry There’s a pile of towels that need your love and attention”

“Done” I hopped up out of my seat to take my bowl and spoon to the sink I rinsed them out and placed the else you need me to do?”

“H her purse over her shoulder “Clean the bathrooms?”

“Now you’re taking advantage of my kind offer”

Moet meatballs”

I ay too excited about those meatballs

“And I’ll pick you up low-fat Pop-Tarts,” she added

“You do that and I will never speak to you again!”

She laughed as she grabbed her gray blazer from the banister “You kind of have to talk to me I’m your mom You can’t escape me”

“I will find a way to escape if you walk through these doors with low-fat Pop-Tarts”

She laughed while opening the front door “Okay, okay They’ll be full of all the sugar and fat you can want See you tonight”