“I wanted to hop a ride with you.”

“I’m going to work.”

“Then I’ll just fly.”

“You will do no such thing. You walk or ride. You are not to fly outside until you are eighteen. It’s dangerous.”

The horsefly moped.

“Josh, you can’t hide in my car. How am I supposed to trust you if I can’t trust that my private space is private?”

“I didn’t think you’d see me.”

“That’s the trust thing I’m talking about.”

“I’m sorry.”

Despite the fact that horseflies are incapable of dropping their heads in a gesture of penitence and submission, and despite the fact that, even if they could do this, it would be so subtle as to be unnoticeable by human eyes, she heard this action in Josh’s voice. She didn’t need to see her son in human form to understand his physical language. Even when Josh took the form of a sentient patch of haze (he rarely did, only once or twice after watching a scary movie, when he had felt that, if he had no physical form, no monsters or ghosts could get him), she could still tell when he was rolling his eyes or slumping or smirking or not paying attention.

“I can always see you, Josh. I’m your mom. You could be anything, and I would know it was you.”

Josh didn’t say anything. He vigorously rubbed his legs together because that was something he had seen flies do, but he didn’t know why they did that.

“Why did you want to ride downtown with me?”

“Just to hang out. Maybe go to the video store or something.”

“First, you don’t get to skip school. You understand me?”

“Yes.”

“Second, you don’t get to hide from me. That is deceitful, Josh.”

“Okay. Okay.”

“And third.” She hesitated. “You were going to dig up records on your dad, right?”

Josh didn’t respond.

“I don’t want you doing that. He’s your father, yes, but I don’t trust him.”

“You did at one point.”

“I raised you for fifteen years. I fed you and clothed you. I loved you and still do. I love you because you have been with me for fifteen years. I am your mother because we have been together your whole childhood. I have earned you as my son.

“Troy does not get to be your father simply because he participated in your creation. Troy does not get to earn your love as a son because you are biologically his. I have done the work. I have put in the time. I have loved you. Troy does not get to be my equal in your life because he has not earned it. I need to protect myself. And I need to protect you.