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quick enough.
    “Are you concerned about the
ethics of serving your customers heart attacks along with their biscuits and
gravy?” my mother asked.  Each word was a bullet shot through a tight smile.  “So
useful, these little classes.” 
    Wow, Jacks was really crappy
at defusing.  I pierced a carrot.  “You’re right as usual, Mom.”
    No one said much after that,
and only the clinking of silverware broke the uncomfortable silence.  The
tension was almost painful.
    Eventually the torture came
to an end.  My mother, Jacks, and I cleared the table while Scotty went back to
his video game.  Allen and my dad retired to the media room to watch TV.
    “Rosalyn?”
    “Yes, Mom?”  I grinned,
baring my teeth.
    She held a glass in one hand
and a dirty plate in the other.  “Why don’t you go relax?  After all, you clean
tables for a living.  I’m sure you don’t want to do it on your off hours, too.”
     “Don’t be silly.  Since I’m
a pro, it will go that much quicker if I help.” 
    Jacks’ nervous gaze shifted
between my mom and me.  “Why don’t you both go relax?  I can do it.”  She
hurried into the kitchen. 
    As we cleaned up, my mother
chatted with Jacks, freezing me out entirely.  She considered this a
punishment.  I considered it a reprieve. 
    After we filled the
dishwasher, Jacks left the kitchen with the sorry excuse she needed to check on
Scotty while my mother and I stood in silence.
    “Did you get the phone
numbers for Mary and Packard?” I finally asked.
    She raised her chin in the
air and stared at me with her lips pursed before walking to the small desk
attached to the countertop.  She pulled a piece of paper from the top drawer. 
“I want you to know that I’m doing this against my better judgment.  You can’t
hound these people.”  
    “Darn, hounding and grain
alcohol are all I have going for me.”  I took the paper.  It had Mary’s new
married name, her address and phone number, as well as Packard’s number and address. 
    She acted as if I hadn’t
spoken.  “Packard is very busy.  He’s on the city council, you know.”
    “So?”
    “There’s talk of him running
for mayor.”
    “And?”
    She closed her eyes for a
second and sighed.  “Axton is nothing but trouble, and why you continue to be
friends with him is beyond me.  He ruined my birthday party with his drugs.”
    Ah, the infamous country
club fire alarm incident where Ax toked up in the bathroom.  “That was four
years ago.  Seriously, when are you going to let it go?”  My guess was never. 
    “Furthermore, Packard
doesn’t need some drugged up relative causing him problems.”
    My turn to ignore.  “Thanks,
Mom,” I said, waving the paper.  I almost made it to the stairs when her voice
stopped me.
    “Why can’t you just for once
do what is expected of you?”
    I turned to face her.  “What
exactly is expected of me in this situation, Mom?”
    “He’s probably somewhere
getting high.  Just stay out of it.  It doesn’t concern you.  You’d be better
off trying to get a good job and make some decent friends.”
    I clenched my teeth and took
a deep breath.  “Axton is decent.  He’s the sweetest, kindest, most generous
person I know, and he’s in trouble.” I stepped forward and lowered my voice. 
“And I like my job, thank you.  Just because you were too good—”
    She made a slashing motion
with one hand.  “As far as I can see, you’ve had a pretty good life.  We gave
you the best of everything so you could make something of yourself, but you’re
throwing it away with both hands.” 
    I rubbed my eyes.  We’d had
this conversation a million times.  We could have it again tonight, but it
wouldn’t change anything.
    I turned and left the
kitchen, made hasty farewells to my dad and Allen, gave Scotty a kiss on the
head, and promised my sister I’d call later in the week.
    My mother stood on the front
step, her arms crossed, and watched me drive