“Hello, Maggie. This is Sally Ann. May I speak to Michael, please?”

The phone bounced on the floor, and Sally Ann visualized Maggie’s open-mouthed shock. The idea gave her distinct pleasure.

“Hello? Hello, who’s this?” Michael.

“Hello, Michael. This is Sally Ann. Would you come to breakfast at Mother’s this morning?”

“Oh, my God . . .” the phone went dead.

Sally smiled, slowly hanging up the phone. “He’ll be right over, Momma.” Cora left the room. Sally heard the bedroom door close.

Michael pulled up to the front door in a cloud of dust, got out of the truck, and walked up the front steps. He paused for a deep breath, then opened the screen door and came in. “Sally Ann?”

“In the kitchen, Michael.”

He came in and sat down at the kitchen table. He was visibly trying to keep himself under control. “Where’s Mary, Sally Ann?”

She turned to look at him and he took in the black teeth, the scaly, thin skin, the ragged hair, and the arms so thin they were like little sticks. All his anger disappeared.

“I came back to tell you that you have three grandchildren.” His mouth fell open and he stared at her. “Three beautiful children, Michael. They play in the water and laugh and love. And they don’t believe in you.”

A new type of anger held him to his seat. The thought of three children in caves. What kind of a monster was this woman? Then he thought of Mary. Sweet Mary. Like a flower. She survived down there? But . . . who was the father? He laughed. “You’re insane, Sally. There’s no children. There’s just you and your twisted ways. I knew Mary. She was too fragile. She could never have survived down there.”

“You’re wrong, Michael, I survived. And your son survived.” Shock froze his face.

“My son?”

“Yes. Our son. And now he and Mary have three children. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures of them for you.”

He jumped up and grabbed her skull and started to squeeze. He could feel her thin, brittle bones, and he just wanted to pop her head like a melon. “You monster! I’ll kill you for this!” His rage was born of fear, and didn’t last. His hands slipped from her head to rest on her shoulders, and he started to cry. She put a comforting hand on his face.

“It’s not so bad, Michael. They’re really very happy. It’s a whole different type of existence down there, but it’s not a bad life.”