I could feel the woodpecker stepping up. His claw dug into my neck and stung my throat. “Not one bit.” When I said that, all the food got hard in my middle.

“Gloria’s girl.” She got closer. “Did she talk to you?”

“A little,” I said.

“Did you talk back?”

“No.” I looked at Gloria’s hair. There was a little line of brown growing behind the yellow again. “I had to eat my food.”

“Did he ask about me?”

I nodded.

“What’d you say?”

“I said you were good.”

She went back like someone pushed her hard. “Good? You said good? My husband took off and my son is out there somewhere, and they can’t even find him, and I’m good?”

I blinked. The kitchen went full of shadows.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

“Did you say something else?”

I swallowed. “I said you cried a lot about Rowan.”

“Mm.” Her mouth closed up. “That’s the truth.”

“And that you were being a real good mom.”

“He asked that?”

“No. I said it. And that I was happy staying with you.”

“Tell me.” She puffed out a lot of air. “Tell me that man did not ask you that.”

My face got hot.

“He did, I know by your look. That bastard asked if you were happy with me. Tell me again, Bids, exactly what he said. Word for word.”

Her hands were spread out on the table. She was real close to me. I put my fingertips on my neck to keep the woodpecker from bursting out through my skin. Then I told her and told her the story of br-lunch. Until I got it exactly right.

MAISY

A couple of nights later Aunt Erma and Darrell came over to help Gloria with an outside fire. Shar wasn’t allowed because she was still in trouble. Gloria was burning cardboard and a bunch of magazines and old baskets from the shed. Darrell used a hammer to take apart old boxes Telly made. One box had wheels. Darrell tossed the wood in the fire. Sparks went up into the sky. He threw the wheels in too. I watched the rubber bubble and melt.

“You been such a help, Darrell,” Gloria said. “I wouldn’t even know how to get it started.”

“It’s easy,” he said and laughed. “And it sure gets rid of stuff fast.”

“That it does,” Gloria said. She picked up some dirty rope and put it on top of the fire. Then she put in a mat that used to say “Welcome.”

I crouched where there was no smoke, and stuck a stick into the flames.

“This is good for you. Cleaning out your house. Taking a few shifts at Stafford’s.” Aunt Erma put her arm around Gloria. “It’s not too much for you, is it? They’re not expecting too much too soon?”