IT WAS AFTER lunch and more shopping that included Tyra buying me a pair of really neat big hoop earrings with a webby thing in the middle but mostly included Tyra and Elvira amassing five shopping bags each.

It was also after Tyra spoke with her renters and they let us come around so I could view her home.

It was better than I could imagine just looking at it on a small phone screen.

In real life, it was a dream come true.

But now, it was dinnertime and I was back home, someplace I didn’t want to be and someplace I was thrilled would not be home for long.

I had my son at my hip, my purse and Travis’s diaper bag over my shoulder, my shopping bag in my hand, my foot lifted to take the first step that led to many—steps I would soon not have to climb when I got home with my baby (and there it was, me feeling even more lucky)—when I heard, “Yo.”

I turned, stopped dead and stared, unfortunately with mouth open, at Joker sauntering to me.

What on earth?

“What are you doing here?” I asked as he made it to me.

“Got him,” he muttered, and before I could make a move to stop him, he grabbed Travis.

Then before I could say a word about that, he spoke.

“Here to check your place. See how many trucks we need to move your crap.”

Crap was not a great word, but it wasn’t worth a nickel, so I let it slide.

And disappointed was not exactly the right word for the emotion I was feeling that he was just there to check out my place to see how many trucks they needed, but for my peace of mind I didn’t think too hard on what the right word would be.

“Well, okay,” I mumbled.

He stood there.

I stared up at him.

“Butterfly, haul your ass up there,” he ordered.

That was worth a nickel.

“Another five cents,” I told him.

He shook his head then jerked it to the stairs.

I sighed and moved that way.

I climbed. Travis and Joker climbed behind me.

I walked down the walkway. Joker with Travis walked with me.

I opened the door and entered my apartment. Joker brought Travis in after I did.

He closed the door and looked around.

I did too.

The single bonus of Tory (outside her having enough human kindness to inform me my son was sick and then bring him to see me) was that she wanted to redecorate my house after Aaron kicked me out of it. Something Aaron let her do. Therefore I got most of the furniture that used to make its home in a much nicer place.

This meant what Joker was seeing was incongruous.