I’VE BEEN AFRAID TO leave her all day. She’s right. I have been hovering over her. But there are going to be other people at Clark and Vivian’s. Nothing bad’s going to happen.
As long as I don’t have to go into that basement.
“Tom?”
I start. “Yeah?”
“Where did you go there?” Helen asks with a chuckle.
“Oh, nowhere, just thinking through a couple of points for my homily. Anyway, we’re here.”
I pull into the Applegate’s driveway and go around to open Helen’s door. I offer her my arm, which she takes.
“Shouldn’t you have worn the sling?” I ask.
“We’ve already been over this,” she says. “My physical therapist said I could begin using my right arm gradually. The only thing I’m using it for tonight is to use a fork.”
“Well, if it starts to hurt—”
“I have it in my bag,” she says, “along
