When she saw the cover of the book, a shadow crossed her face. It was White Fang. She stood there looking at it. She said, “You did your homework?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to do well.”

“I know, Mom.”

Jack left the book on the sofa and started putting the groceries away. “Sit. It’s getting cold.”

“Mama,” Matty said.

She took a bite of mac ’n’ cheese. When she bent to pour M&M’S into Matty’s hand, she inhaled sharply and straightened, breathing hard for a moment. Her eyes watered. Jack could see the pain on her face. She opened her purse and took the pill container out of the little white prescription sack. Jack looked at her quickly.

“Does your back still hurt?” he asked.

She didn’t look at him. “I think I’m just tired.”

He got her a glass of water and sat at the table to watch her. The pill container. He kept staring at it. “Maybe you should stay home tomorrow.”

She reached forward and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry.”

“But maybe you should.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“You can’t stock the shelves, Mom. It’s too heavy. You need to tell them.”

She did not speak but dragged a hand over his and squeezed.

“I love you, Jack.”

They sat in the living room. She and Matty on the couch reading Goodnight Moon, and Jack by the fire with White Fang. He tried to focus on the words but couldn’t. He was doing the math in his head. Six days. She’d already missed that much work. Nine days the month before. He worried about the money, but mostly he worried about her. How wrung out she looked. How cheerless.

When he looked up, she was gazing at him intently.

“What?” he asked.

“I don’t want you to read that book.”

He closed it. “Okay.”

“Please don’t read it anymore.”

“Okay.”

“Promise me.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

They sat in the quiet. All the unspoken things between them. He never should have brought the book home. He’d return it tomorrow.

Jack said, “I love you too.”

“I didn’t open the door.”

Jack flinched awake. Outside the window the sky was black, and in the stove the fire was down to embers. Matty sat bundled in the quilt, watching him.

“What?” Jack asked.

“When that sheriff came. I didn’t open the door. Just like you said.”

Jack nodded. “You did good.”

“I was scared.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Do you think Mom’s okay on her trip?”

Jack blinked. “I’ll bet she is.”

Matty said nothing. Then he said, “The lights don’t work.”

“No.”

“I tried them all. They don’t work.”

“No. They don’t work.”

“Will they work tomorrow?”

“No. Probably not.”

Matty was silent. After a while he whispered, “I want to ask a question.”

“Okay.”

“Do you always tell the truth?”