NINE When I got home that evening, everybody was there. Mom was at the dinner table, Roscoe was sitting on his royal throne watching TV, and Ava was holed up in her bedroom.
“Hey, Mom, what are you up to?” I asked.
“Paying bills,” she said, positioning her cheek closer so I could kiss it.
“Doesn’t sound like much fun,” I said.
“It isn’t. I need to start looking for some new curtains for that living room. Those rags I have up there are so old.”
Roscoe walked into the room.
“How’s the new job coming?” he asked me. “We haven’t heard much about it.”
“Yeah,” Mom chimed in. “You like it?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I actually like it a lot.”
They seemed pleased with that response.
“That’s good,” Roscoe said. “You thinking about being a lawyer?”
“No, that’s not for me,” I shrugged.
“Oh? Th
