“It would just be temporary,” Kloughn said. “Just until we find a place of our own. Boy, that’s really nice of you. Valerie, isn’t that nice of Stephanie?”

“It is,” Valerie said, shifting the baby so it could nurse.

Lisa stopped crying and Valerie looked like she was morphing back to the serene Saint Valerie. I was thinking that there was probably a lot of my mother in Valerie.

“There’s nothing like a baby,” Grandma said.

Mary Alice galloped by and stopped to look. “I’d rather have a horse,” she said.

“When she gets older you’ll be able to help feed her,” Valerie said. “And she’ll be as much fun as a horse.”

“Horses have nice silky tails,” Mary Alice said.

“Maybe we’ll let Lisa grow her hair long into a ponytail,” Valerie said. “Would you like to take the little cap off her head so you can see her hair?”

Mary Alice took the cap off Lisa’s head and we were all transfixed by the wispy dark hair that swirled from Lisa’s crown and framed her face. Lisa’s tiny hands were balled into fists, her eyes were open, and fixed on Valerie.

And just like that, as of that instant, I wanted a baby. I didn’t care if it had to come out of my vagina.

“I’ll tell your father about the apartment,” Kloughn said. “I don’t think he really wanted to move in with Harry Farnsworth.”

“I’ll go over and box my stuff so you have room in the closet. You can move in anytime. Only thing, if there are any flower deliveries you should be sure to call me right away.”

“Thanks,” Valerie said. “You’re a good sister. I’ll make it up to you. And we’ll start looking for a place of our own right away.”

I yelled good-bye to my mom and I went out to Lula.

Lula was in the car, looking antsy. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Lula said. “I just feel all jumpy. I’m just not myself.”

“You’re not still worried about your teeth, are you?”

“I know they’re growing. I can feel it. It’s unnatural. And I got these cravings. I want to bite down on something. I want to feel it crunch in my mouth.”

“Jeez. You mean like a bone?”

“Like an apple. Or a Cheez Doodle. Nothing crunches on this diet. Meat doesn’t crunch. I’m crunch deprived.”

I was a baton twirler when I was in high school. And that’s how I felt now . . . like I was leading a parade. I pulled away from the curb and Cal pulled away from the curb. I drove to my apartment building. Cal followed me to my apartment building. We all parked in the lot. We all got out of our cars. We all took the elevator to the second floor. Then everyone followed me down the hall to my apartment. First Lula, then Cal, and then Junior. Junior was a clone of Cal, except for the tattoo. Junior was tattoo free. At least what I could see of him was tattoo free, and that was more than enough for me.