“The wife is always the last to know,” Alma sniffed. “So, what kind of trouble are you in? Did you bounce a check or something?”

“No, Mom. Do you remember Cady Jordan?”

“I certainly do remember her. Nicest little girl you could ever hope to meet considering those parents she had. They were a bad lot. Begging for money all the time. I saw her the other day. She was just as nice and sweet as she was when she was little. Saw her in the drugstore. I always hoped she would rub off on you, but I guess that was too much to hope for.”

Amy sucked in her breath. “Mom, did you ever love me and Andy?”

Alma Hollister had to think about the question so long, Amy started to cry. “Mothers are supposed to love their children.”

“Well, Miss Smarty Pants, it’s pretty hard to shower love when you don’t get sleep and you have two squalling babies who think night is day and day is night. I went through two washing machines that first year. Of course I loved you. Not that kissy, coochie coo love nonsense. I was always too tired to go overboard with all that, and your father was no help at all. Don’t you love your kids? Is that what this visit is all about?”

Amy stared at her mother in her pink pedal pushers and matching top and thong sandals. “I didn’t love you. I don’t think Andy did either.”

“Well la de da. If you’re done attacking me, you can leave now.”

The urge to cry again was so strong, Amy bit down on her lip. “What was it you liked so much about Cady, Mom?”

“She was respectful. She called me ma’am. She said please and thank you. She was always clean even though her clothes were mended, and she had the prettiest pigtail. I remember one time she came over here on her bike for you, and she brought me a bunch of daisies from her yard. She was a sweet little girl. Andy liked her a lot. He wanted to give her a going-away present, but I was short that week and didn’t have any extra money. If I had it, I would have given it to him. Then that accident happened. I felt bad that he didn’t have a present to give her. She had a hard time of it. I wish you had been more like her. I wish Andy had been more like Pete. He was a nice boy. You two were hellions. You were so out of control, your father and I just gave up on you.”

“Just like that you gave up on us.”

“After that accident that probably wasn’t an accident, your father and I talked. We knew you two had something to do with it. I know you did. I don’t want to know about it, Amy. Isn’t it time for you to pick your kids up from school?”

Amy looked at her watch. Her mother was right. The girls would be screaming their heads off if she arrived late.