“Our movie group meets next week. I don’t know what they have planned.”

“I’m taking Tyler to see the new Disney movie on Monday.”

“Can he sit through it?”

“Yes, Mother.”

Tyler’s “affliction,” as her mother called it, had been a source of contention since Josie began. “A boy like that needs someone with professional experience,” her mom had said. “What if something happens?”

Now Josie took a deep breath and tried to steady her tone. “He’s six, Mom.”

“Yes, but … Josie, you need to seriously think about whether you should be involved in this whole thing.”

“What whole thing?”

“Taking care of a boy like that. You don’t know what he could say or do. You know I’ve heard of cases where the babysitter was accused of hurting the children when it was really the parents’ doing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying, children like that should be under specialized care, which you don’t have. Who knows if you’re unintentionally making him even worse?”

“I’m not making him worse!”

“I’m just asking you to think about what you’re doing.” It was a line she used repeatedly and indiscriminately—for vacation plans and sweater purchases, university decisions and boyfriend choices—and the use of it now, in reference to Tyler, made Josie furious.

“There’s nothing to think about,” she said. “I have to go.”

“Well, fine then, Josie, but don’t blame me because this conversation didn’t go the way you wanted it to. It’s your temper that gets you into trouble.”

“It’s not my temper,” she yelled.

“Oh, really?”

It’s you, she wanted to scream, but she knew better than to prove her mother right. “I’m going.”

“Of course you are, darling. ’Bye,” her mother singsonged.

“Damn it,” Josie yelled, and threw the phone on her pillow. It was always like this. Always.

She lay down on the bed, looked out the bedroom window, and began to count the leaves on the trees.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE NEXT DAY WAS SATURDAY, AND ALTHOUGH JOSIE HAD NEVER officially worked weekends, she normally took Tyler for breakfast—just the two of them. They would both ask for separate plates for their syrup and count the number of wells in their waffles. But last Saturday she had met Devesh for brunch, and today they were going on a hike. Tyler had said nothing when Josie explained the night before, but on her way out this morning, she found the front doorknob messily tied with red yarn and knotted to the entry table and coat rack.

“Guess who did that,” Mary said. She was sitting on the couch drinking her coffee.