Another drag off the cigarette, a slow nod. “Well. Thanks for what you did for her and the kid, anyway.”

“It was a pleasure to see her. And Kurt.” Not you, we both hear.

She opens the door, raises her eyebrows expectantly. For one moment, I think about going into Grace’s room and asking if she and Kurt would like to move in with me. But I don’t. I walk out to my car, thinking, As soon as I get home, I’ll call social services. Millie has her weapons, and I have mine.

But then I start the engine, and my anger fades. I know why Millie’s doing what she is. All around me, it seems, mothers are trying to save their children.

• • •

On the way to DeWitt’s, I get paged. Diann. When I find a pay phone and call her back, she says, “Oh, thanks for calling. I need to ask you something. Hold on for just a minute?”

I hear her call Chip’s name, say something to him about needing to talk to someone from work. Then, “Okay. I’m in your office. Is that all right?”

“It’s fine.” Don’t touch anything.

“I called because Chip and I were just sitting outside having coffee. And he dropped his cup. I mean, it just fell out of his hand. I know it doesn’t sound like anything, but there was something so weird about it. You know?”

Yes. I know. The brain, being taken over by cancer cells, fails here, fails there. First, you mean to say “blueberry” and you say “cranberry.” Then you wet the bed. Then you start to write something and you can’t spell anymore, nor is your handwriting quite your own. “It’s … to be expected, Diann.”

“Oh. Uh-huh. So there’s nothing they can do for it? It’s nothing you should call the doctor about?”

“No. I’ll let him know next time I give him a progress report. But it’s not anything surprising. He also might … Well, just to let you know. He may start stumbling a little. Or falling.”

I hear her start to cry, then stop abruptly. “Jesus.”

“I know.”

“It’s so scary. It’s so evil.”

“I know.”

“Well. I’m sorry, I got scared; but I guess there was no need to call.”

“There was a need. You had a question about something that concerned you. You can call me anytime.”

“Okay. Okay. Thank you. Oh, one more thing. We’re going to a movie this afternoon. And then, will you come with us to dinner? Chip wanted some Mexican, we were going to go to Tippi’s.”

“No, thanks, I—”

“He told me he was going to ask you to come along. And I think it would mean a lot to him, Myra. I don’t want you to tell him no. Please don’t tell him no.”

“All right. I’ll come.”