“How? You don’t seem much better off than we are. You live in a trailer!”

“I bought the trailer because I needed something to live in when I bought the property next to Martha’s. I always thought we’d end up together and I’d move into her house and we’d join our properties. When she died, I couldn’t really believe that it never happened. That it never would happen. It kind of threw me for a loop. Well, anyway, that’s neither here nor there. The point is that I didn’t live in the trailer because that’s all I could afford. I thought I was living there temporarily waiting for Martha. But I’ve got plenty of money in the bank. You know I had an international bestseller, Fiona. I’ve got plenty of money and I’m planning on making more.”

“But you took our twenties?”

“You annoyed me. With your presumption that I should just roll over and solve your problems.”

“But now you are.”

“I wouldn’t push it.”

“Well, even so, you don’t have to pay our bills,” said Fiona. “I can take care of that end of it.”

“Bullrushes!” said Al. “You think I don’t see you going around biting your nails? Don’t be a martyr. If someone offers you help, take it. You can help someone else down the line if you’re so proud.”

“That’s what Miss Webster said,” said Fiona.

“Oh, the worshipped Miss Webster,” said Al. “Hear from her lately? Because it looks to me like it was one Walmart bill and she was out of there.”

“Stop it, she was nice,” said Fiona. “She’s probably pretty busy. Just married and all.”

“Uh-huh,” said Al. “So, anyhow, three points. First, you can quit the babysitting job now. Second, I’m picking up groceries starting today. After all, those groceries feed me too.”

“Thanks. They’ll have to find a replacement for me before I can quit but that would be great.”

“And third point, tell Natasha she can join strings. It worries Charlie. I can pay for it. Drop in the bucket.”

“Okay,” said Fiona. “That’s generous. Natasha can thank you herself for that one.”

“The only thing I demand in return is that none of you bother me when I’m writing. If I’m going to pay for all this stuff, I have to earn a living and I can’t do that if you’re constantly bothering me. I don’t really look forward to living with a bunch of children but if I do and if you knock on my door when I’m working, it had better be because there’s blood running down someone’s arms.”

“I promise,” said Fiona. “We all promise. I promise on their behalf.”

By the end of the week the family Fiona worked for had found another babysitter and although a lot of summer was gone, Fiona settled down to enjoy what was left of it. She took to biking into town and if she happened to frequently find herself on the block with the fudge stand it was probably coincidence. But as often as she appeared there she never saw Davy Clement. Perhaps his family went away for the summer, she thought, and anyway maybe by the fall she would know what to say to him.