“See? I got full trust in you, Bids.” She hugged me when I gave her the can. “And you got to have full trust in me. He’s not going to hurt you. I won’t let him. You’re Gloria’s girl!”

She opened the can and poured the beans in a bowl. She took them down to the basement, not even warmed up. When she came back up the phone started ringing, and Gloria let out a sigh and said, “It better not be work. We agreed.” She answered it, and I knew she was talking to Telly because her face got shiny and her eyes got shiny and she kept trying to make her hair go smooth.

“Of course,” she said. “That works perfect for me. I can make it happen. That’s what Gloria does.” She put the phone down and smiled big. “This is all so rushed.” She used her hand for a fan. “So rushed. He don’t give a girl much time to primp!”

“What do you mean?”

“He wants to meet. Your dad. In two hours. Dinner, I think. Maybe dinner.” She pinched my chin. “Can you manage with a bowl of cereal, Bids?”

“Okay,” I said.

“I don’t want to leave you alone, but I don’t got much choice. Watch TV, get a snack. Go to bed at a reasonable time, darling!” Her arms were waving around. Then she stopped. “If anyone knocks on that door, you do not open it. You hear me? You never know who it could be.”

I nodded. I knew. It could be a man in a car.

It was almost dark when she left. She was wearing her new peachy dress and her hair was done in fat yellow curls. Through the screen door, I watched her walk to the top of the circle. The lights from the bus came and went. Then she was gone.

I took the rope off Chicken. Gloria kept him tied to a chair so he couldn’t go wherever he liked, even though he only went to the basement door. He scritched and scritched. He barked at me. Then he flumped down next to it. I went and patted him. I sat down next to the door too. I made a tiny bark.

I stayed by the basement door with Chicken for a long, long time. He puffed out air. I puffed out air, too.

“Are you old and reeee-dicalus?” I asked him. He lifted up his big head and licked my face.

My stomach growled. I started thinking about beans. They were in the basement. I could open a can and eat them. I could go down there real quiet and get the can and come back up. The same as I did for Gloria. That would be okay. That was listening. That was doing what she said to do.

“Can I get some beans?” Chicken licked my face again.

“Okay,” I said.