Come on, Billy. It"s Monday, sweetheart," Mom said. She shook my shoulder again. “Wake up, or you"ll be late again.”
I rolled over. “What time is it?”
“Almost seven-thirty. Get dressed.” She closed the door behind her. I sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, affording my eyes time to adjust to the morning glare. I could hear her muffled voice from the kitchen. She was talking on the phone.
After brushing my teeth, she was still on the phone, waving her hands as she wandered from the refrigerator to the pantry and back to the refrigerator.
“I"d want to see it before we bought it, Mom,” she said. She mouthed an apology to me about being on the phone. “Mom. No, don"t. I–yes, I"m sure it is a really great deal. I"ve just–Mom, you don"t have to–yes. Okay. Love you too.”
She sighed. “Mom
