A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Terry McMillan

Contents (39)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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ISBN: 978-1-1012-0938-7

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Electronic edition: February 2002

Version_2

By Terry McMillan

Mama

Disappearing Acts

Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary
African-American Fiction
(editor)

Waiting to Exhale

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

The Interruption of Everything

Getting to Happy

Who Asked You?

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

The Way I See It

Cold Keys

Clearing House Sweepstakes

Track

Nothing in Common Except Blood

Behind My Back

Every Shut Eye Ain’t Closed

Hives

Hot Links

Fish Dreams

Ten Thousand Things

Liquid Jesus

Before I Pop

Bingo

Housecleaning

Hand After Hand

Throbbing

Credit

Cancer

Puff On That

Lucky Strikes

Burnt Toast

Refills

Sinners

A New Life

Why Am I Wearing My Mama’s Shoes?

Sorry

Dreaming in Black and White

Two of Wands, or Hanged Man, Reversed

One Entrance to Another

Old Purses

Sock-It-To-Me Cake

What I’m Fighting For

Loosening the Knots

Help

Thanksgiving

Acknowledgments

I’m grateful to the following people for taking time to provide me with technical advice: Dr. Elizabeth Whelchel, Gary Mahlberg, Denise Portuesi, Carol Carrillo, Dr. Michelle Clarke, Chef Mario Garcia, Lisa Crites, and Margaret Muller; for their legal expertise: The Honorable Theresa Sanchez and Walter L. Gordon III, Esq.; for all the athletic info: my nephew, Terrence Zenno; for writing space: Bob and Doralee Rae; for a listening ear: Blanche Richardson; for their administrative help: Judi Fates and Lorena Smith; for tolerating me and being so understanding in the length of time it took to complete this novel: my agent, Molly Friedrich, and my judicious editor, Carole DeSanti, as well as the astute editorial eyes of Beena Kamlani; for printing and getting the finished manuscript to my editor and agent: my cousin, Jacqueline Dixon; for her time and her friendship: Lynda Drummer; and last but not least, for their patience in general but their love in particular: my son, Solomon, and my husband, Jonathan.

For my sisters and brother

Rosalyn, Crystal, Vicky, and Edwin

with much love and respect

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments