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“Just now I hope that old truck makes it”

“If it breaks down, she’ll as station” Winona pushed past her sister and went into the small, cluttered laundry room, where stacks of folded clothes layered every surface “Can we talk about e?”

“Come on, kids,” Aurora said behind her, “Aunt Winona is crazy today Give her plenty of room You never knohen she’ll blow”

“Very funny”

Aurora took Ricky and Janie upstairs and put them down for naps, or television; whatever mothers did with four-year-old twins in the late afternoon Fifteen ain

“Okay, what’s going on?” she said, standing in the ht black jeans, penny loafers, and a boxy jacket with oversized shoulder pads Her straight brown hair was drawn back fros poufed out over her forehead like a tiny awning

Now that Aurora had asked directly, Winona found herself reluctant to reveal her true reason for racing over here Stalling, she said, “I told Dad he should sell off the back ten acres or short plat them and then sell them”

“Yeah, well, you’ve got the learning curve of a le”

“Water’s Edge is going under Why else would Vivi Ann have to borrow entry money? And have you noticed how run-down the place looks?”

Aurora sat down on her new gray and mauve sofa “You can’t tell him to sell his land, Win The man would rather sell his sperm”

“It’s a few acres you can’t even see, and it could give him financial security”

Aurora leaned back, druany end table beside her “You know you should talk to Vivi orlike that”

“I shouldn’t—”

“I know You think you’re smarter than we are, and it’s your responsibility to take care of everyone ’cause you’re the oldest, but honest to God, Win, when you get a thing in your mind, you can’t see the forest for the trees”

“I was just trying to help” Winona sat down on the salot up and went to theFrom here, she could see Aurora’s child-friendly backyard and the houses behind it