“I was just getting to know Jasper, and we’re having such a nice time. I only wish you’d brought her over sooner.”

“Oh . . . ,” I said. “That’s great.”

Behind my mom’s back, Jasper smiled at me, gave a slight nod. As if to say “It’s okay” and also “I’m sorry” and maybe “I forgive you” too. Most of all, the nod said, “Relax, Leah.”

I tried to.

“Sit down!” Mom said. “Jasper was just asking me about work today, and I was telling her about this interview I did, with a crazy man in Newnan who rescues pythons and keeps them in his house. Hundreds of them. Can you imagine? All those snakes, walls lined with cages. Imagine the poor mice!”

“I think it’s so cool that your mom is a writer,” said Jasper. “She gets to go to all kinds of interesting places, huh?”

“Well, Newnan’s not that interesting,” I said. But I sat down with them and listened as Mom finished her story. I hadn’t heard her talk about work in a long time. But then, I also hadn’t asked her about it in a long time.

Mom kept talking about the snakes for a few minutes longer, but at last she stood up. “You girls probably have other things to do today, and anyway, I need to go to the grocery store. But, hey, can you just rinse out those coffee cups for me, Leah? Before you run along?”

She turned to the fridge and started rooting around in it, tossing out moldy produce, as I grabbed the mugs from the table. A familiar inscription caught my eye. I’d Rather Be Smashing the Patriarchy. When I held it up close, I could see a faint seam running down the handle, like someone had drawn a pencil line along the white mug.

“Hey, you fixed it!” I said.

Mom glanced back at me. “Of course. I’ve had that thing for decades. It’s hardly the first time I’ve cracked it. Won’t likely be the last.”

I ran my finger along the crack. “But you can hardly even tell it was broken.”

“Well, yeah, that’s why God invented Krazy Glue,” said my mom with a little laugh.

As Jasper and I were leaving the kitchen, Mom turned back to us once more, a stalk of broccoli in her hand. “Hey, Jasper.”

“Yeah?” Jasper said.

“Would you like to have dinner with us tonight? I’m planning on cooking a real meal for a change.”

“Oh!” said Jasper. “I . . . don’t want to put you out.”

“It’s no trouble,” said Mom. “Really. And I’m sure Paul—Leah’s dad—would love to meet you too.”

“I’d like that,” said Jasper, nodding. “But some other time? My mom told me we had plans tonight. Can I come tomorrow instead, maybe?”

“Sure,” said Mom, smiling again, easy. “Or another night. Anytime.”