It wasn’t Gloria’s chair, it was Gloria. Her bedroom window was open, and she was making sounds like when she tried exercises from a little book that fit in her hand. She bent over and up again and side to side. She counted to ten a bunch of times. Her head got red and her tongue stuck out. Then she smacked her middle and said, “What’s the point.” She threw the tiny book into the garbage.

Shar laughed again. “They’re up there making bacon.”

“What?”

“Belly bumping.”

“What?”

“Nugging.”

I shook my head.

“Never mind. You’re too young.”

Shar was ten.

“So?” I said.

I closed my eyes. Carl was behind my eyelids, smiling at me.

Sorry I hurt him, Little Fawn. Sorry I did that.

Did what?

Made him drift away.

Drift away where?

I wanted to keep Magic Boy safe.

I could see Rowan the balloon. He was the same color as our happy, happy front door. Carl grabbed the balloon with his big hands and it squeaked and he pushed and pushed. Then it burst.

My eyes sprung open. Gloria and Telly were in the hallway behind the screen.

“May as well take the last of them,” he said.

“Your guns?”

“Yeah. Seeing as I’m here.”

Then Gloria was roaring. I heard a smash. Maybe glass. Shar ducked her head down. Gloria screamed at Telly to get out of her house.

“Your house?” he yelled back. “It’s ours, I’ll have you know. Half of every cent is mine!”

“I’ll break your skinny neck! One snap, Telly!”

The screen door kicked open. It banged the side of Gloria’s special chair. Shar pushed in close to me. Telly was jumping into his overalls and yanking at the zipper, running for his truck. Gloria rushed behind him. I could see almost all of her. Her legs were naked and her hair was stuck out. She was tugging at the ropes on her bathrobe and screaming loud at Telly.

“Going back to that hussy! What about me, Telly? What about everything you said? About coming home?” Yank, yank went the bathrobe ropes.

“I never said nothing.”

“No? No?” Gloria sounded like she wasn’t sure no more. “What about your son? Your son?”

“Glow! Come on, now! Calm yourself down. I’m doing everything I can. Out there every day. Doing what they tell me—”

“It’s your fault. All your fault he went, you know.”

“Now, Glow. I don’t—”

“And she’s too stupid to see it. What a waste of space you are.”

Gloria went off the porch. She was in her bare feet. She picked up a rock and flung it right at Telly’s head. It just missed. Telly ran and ducked. Gloria’s bathrobe came undone and her stuff was hanging out. They were bouncing.

Telly jumped into his truck. “You’re freaking wacko!” he yelled out the window. “Freaking crazy.”