"When the summer's over. That's soon enough."
"Beck," my mother began, "I think it might be time."
"I'll know when it's time," Lily said. "Don't push me, Laur."
I knew there was nothing my mother could say that would change her mind. Lily was soft, but she was resolute, stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be. She was pure steel underneath all her softness.
I wanted to tell them both, Johnny knows already and so does Richard, but I couldn't. It wouldn't be right. It wasn't my business to tell.
Lily wanted it to be some kind of perfect summer, where the parents were still together and everything was the way it had always been. Those kinds of summers don't exist anymore, I wanted to tell her.
Around sunset, Cam came and picked me up for mini golf. I waited for him on the front porch,
