Harlan drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, reluctant to go into his own home for fear of another confrontation. In the days since Carly announced she would begin classes at UT in the fall, things had not been going so well around the Cotton household. Every meal became a battle fought over the dinner table and more than one meal had ended with Noreen fleeing the fighting in tears. Sitting in his driveway, Harlan did not expect this lunch visit to be much different.
He killed the ignition with a sigh and started for the house. The kitchen door was ajar, and he could hear the sound of water running into the sink and smell the turnip greens on the stove. He paused, staring in through the screen door and watched his niece move silently about the kitchen, passing to his wife
