He gets a big grin on his face. I wish his daddy could see him now. “Okay. I’m not being as irresponsible as you think, Ma. I did use protection, and I was told that there had been an accident but now I know exactly what time it is, so no worries. She thinks she’s clever, but do not fear, Mother Dear, I will not be throwing away my future over some girl, regardless of what color she is. Comprende?”

“Comprende,” I say, feeling relieved as hell. “What ever happened to Jade? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“We’re cool.”

“What does that mean, Dingus?”

“It means I like her, Ma.”

“Why doesn’t she ever come visit?”

“Why should she, when I see her at school?”

“I mean to watch a movie, or for dinner, or something. Do you ever take her anywhere? I mean, do you guys ever go on a date?”

“We go to the movies once in a while.”

“Take the girl on a date, Dingus. Spend some of your allowance on her.”

“Okay! But can we please quit now?” he yells.

“Okay!” I yell back.

“She’s my date for junior prom.”

“Hallelujah.”

“Anything else while I’m standing here?”

“Actually, there is. I have to run out to see a client in Hillsborough so you can order a pizza or something. But—remember when I canceled my London trip when Granny got sick?”

“Yep.”

“It was rescheduled, and I’m going over sometime in early June.”

“I wish I could go with you.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Ma. Spring training leads to summer training, plus I’ll have a job, remember?”

“Yeah yeah yeah. I’m trying.”

“Any parting words?”

“Yes. Get out of my face and make sure that room is clean by the time I get back. Or else.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. I’m shaking all over,” he says in the good-spirited way I love.

It’s four-thirty. Rush hour. What the hell am I doing on the 680 Freeway at this time of day? Oh hell! I’m stuck trailing behind some hippie driving a lime-green Volkswagen bug with that Westphalia thing on top, which I have never figured out what the hell it’s for anyway, and of course they’re driving below the speed limit and I can’t change lanes. Other drivers are just whizzing by us, like the two of us are in some kind of tailgating party. How stupid could I be to have scheduled this meeting at this hour on a weekday? I feel myself grinding my teeth, and I hate it when I do this. I reach down for my purse, but when I look inside that orange plastic bottle, only two pills are rattling in the bottom of it. Shit. I’m somewhat surprised when I feel myself panic over this but then I immediately feel a sense of relief knowing that I have six more waiting for me at the pharmacy. But wait a minute: only six? Those’ll get me through one whole day, but what about the next day? The pharmacy closes at nine, but, hell, I’m a long way from home and I don’t know if I can wrap this up in two hours or not. I’m going to have to. Simple as that. Or—I could call and ask Dingus to pick it up for me, but I don’t know if he has any money or not. Shit. Why didn’t I think of this before?