Had things changed so much? Did she think I had the wisdom of ages because I was going to birth a baby with a fivehead?

I chewed on my lip thinking about it all the way home. I thought, maybe, I was just worrying too much and it’d die down, but as we climbed from the car, Mormor going first to unlock her front door and disable the security system because she was convinced our mailman was going to steal the flat-screen, I called for Mom.

“This is going to sound crazy,” I said.

“Oh, I like the crazy. It’s where I’m most comfortable.” Mom leaned on the hood of the car, peering at me, her arms folded before her, keys clasped in hand.

“You’re not giving me fifty billion warnings before my date like you usually do. You didn’t say anything. And it’s weirding me out.”

Mom’s eyes jerked away from me and she stared off at...a wheelbarrow? Maybe? I followed her gaze and she was fixed on the shed and the garden and the wheelbarrow Mormor had left outside, which was odd because Mormor thought the mailman was going to steal that, too. Devi clued in that my question was more than just a little innocuous, so she hustled to go inside and help Mormor, giving us some privacy with a reassuring waggle of her fingers.

The front door closed, Mormor chattering Devi’s ear off about my name choice, Devi looking like she only wanted to die a little.

“It’s a fair question. I hadn’t thought about it, really.” Mom sighed, her chin dropping to rest on her forearms. “The lectures—I gave them. Give them. It’s not like you’re gonna get off the hook all together, right? I’m serious about being home by curfew, and if you blow it, you’re grounded. But I also warned you about safe sex and it didn’t do a whole lotta good. I’m not saying that to hurt you, but... I guess I figure you’re old enough that you’re going to do what you’re going to do. You’ve heard it all by now, and you’ll either hop to or ignore it.”

It was exactly the answer I had been afraid of.

“You’re giving up on me,” I said, my voice thick. “Because I got pregnant.”

“Nope. I didn’t say that at all.” Mom turned her gaze back my way. “Should you drive drunk?”

“Well, no.”

“When do you carry your cell phone with you?”

“All the time. And bring an extra battery. Okay, I get it, b—”

“Do you do heroin? Touch people in inappropriate ways? Ignore people who need help?”

“...no.”

I shuffled my weight from foot to foot.