“That’s just rubbish, Cady. If you can’t talk to me nicely, then please don’t call me again. I don’t like it when you degrade your father the way you do. I don’t care what you say about me.”

“Mom, that’s the problem. You should care. Don’t you want to be happy? Don’t you want to be able to go out to the store or to the library or to a movie? Don’t you want to be able to go to the church bingo or play cards with friends? You could do all that if you came to live with me. I can make all that happen for you. We could have a real garden. I have a dog now. I know you’re partial to cats, and I’d make sure you got one. A nice, fat, furry, yellow tabby. Mom, he’s screaming. Tell him to shut up. Tell him you’re on the phone. Do it, Mom.”

“Cady…you don’t under—”

“No, I don’t understand. I know you have to get off the phone. But before I hang up I wanted to give you a heads-up. There’s a reporter from the Indigo Sentinel on his way to see you and Dad. He’s redoing the story from that day. Those reporters dig deep, Mom. If you have something you’re hiding, and I suspect you do, he’s going to find out. I’m going to find out, too, Mom, because my memory is coming back. It’s all right to hang up now, Mom. Your master is at the end of his rope. Tsk tsk, he’s cussing.” She imagined she could hear her mother’s fear seeping through the phone wires. She didn’t imagine the sound of her mother gasping, though.

“Good God, Cady, do you have any idea of what you’ve started? How could you send a reporter up here? Your father is going to have a stroke when I tell him.”

“Then don’t tell him. I didn’t start anything, Mom. Why are you always so quick to blame me? You and Dad are the ones who seem to have a secret. I’ve never understood why you wouldn’t talk to me about that day. I guess I never will. Whatever is going on, Mom, you and Dad brought it on yourselves. Furthermore, I did not send the reporter to see you. I have no control over a newspaper. If you stop and think about it, you’ll realize I’m telling you the truth. I told you, reporters have noses for news, and this reporter is news hungry.”

“If you didn’t do it, then Lola put them up to it. She knows how to manipulate the press to her own ends. You’re going to regret all of this. Why couldn’t you just let things alone? Oh, no, you had to let Lola fill your head with all kinds of nonsense, and this is the result. I have to hang up now. We will not be speaking to any reporters today or any other day.”

“You better think about that, Mom. When you don’t talk they make stuff up and put their own spin on things. Now, that could be worse than whatever it is you’re hiding.” Damn, I just made my mother cry. Damn.