Lane, snap out of it. Im not dead yet.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as a wave of exhaustion sand- bagged him. Yes, maam.

As he closed them in together, he searched for signs of physical weak- ness in those strong shoulders and those set legs of hers. There was none.

There was absolutely nothing about the sixty- five-year-old woman to suggest that she had ended up in the emergency room that morning.

Okay, so it was a toss-up, he decided as he eyeballed the rest of the food shed prepared for him. A toss-up between him being relieved . . .

and him feeling furious that hed wasted the time coming down here.

One thing he was clear on? There was no leaving before he ate"

partially because she would hog tie him to a chair and force feed him if she had to, but mostly because the instant he caught that scent, his stomach had gone hollow- pit hungry on him.

Are you okay? he had to ask.

The glare she sent him suggested if he wanted to continue that line of questioning, shed be more than happy to spank him until he shut his piehole.

Roger that, maam, he thought.

{ 34 }.

Crossing the shallow space, he found that the TV trays the two of them had always eaten off of were exactly where hed seen them last"

over in the corner, propped up between the entertainment console and the bookcase that was set at an angle. The pair of Barcaloungers were the same, too, each one in front of a tall window, crocheted doilies draped over the tops where the backs of heads went.

Pictures of children were everywhere and in all kinds of frames, and amid the beautiful, dark faces, there were pale ones, too: There was him at his kindergarten graduation; his brother Max scoring a goal in la- crosse; his sister, Gin, dressed up as a milk maid in a school play; his other brother, Edward, in a tie and jacket for his senior picture at U.Va.

Good Lord, you are too thin, boy, Miss Aurora muttered as she went to stir a pot that he knew was filled with green beans cooked with cubes of ham. Dont they have food up there in New York?

Not like this, maam.

The sound she made in the back of her throat was like a Chevy backfiring. Get the plates.

Yes, maam.

He discovered his hands were shaking as he took two out of the cupboard and they rattled together. Unlike the woman who had birthed him, who was no doubt upstairs resting in a medicated haze of Im- not- an- addict- because- my- doctor- gave- me- the- pills, Miss Aurora had always seemed both ageless and strong as a superhero. The idea that the cancer was back?

Hell, he couldnt fathom her having had it in the first place. But he wasnt fooling himself. That had to be the reason for the collapse.

After hed gotten the silver and napkins on the trays and poured them both a sweet tea, he went over and sat on the chair on the right.

You shouldnt be cooking, he said as she started to plate up.

And you shouldna been gone so long. Whats wrong with you.

Definitely not on her deathbed, he thought.

What did the doctor say? he asked.

Nothing worth hearing in my opinion. She brought over all kinds of heaped- to- Heaven. Now be quiet and eat.

{ 35 }.

Yes, maam.

Oh, sweet Jesus, he thought as he stared down at his plate. Fried okra. Chitterlings. Potato cakes. Beans in that pork boil. And the fried chicken.

As his stomach let out a roar of starvation, she laughed.

But he didnt, and abruptly, he had to clear his throat. This was home. This food, prepared by this specific woman, was home" hed had exactly what was on this plate all of his life, especially back in the years before his mother had retreated from everything and she and his father had been out five nights a week socializing. Sick or well, happy or sad, hot or cold, he and his brothers and sister had sat in the kitchen with Miss Aurora and behaved themselves or risked getting swatted on the back of the head.

There were never any troublemakers in Miss Auroras kitchen.

Gon now, she said softly. Dont wait to where it gets cold.

Talk about digging in, and he moaned as the first taste flooded his mouth. Oh, Miss Aurora.

You need to come on home, boy. She shook her head as she sat down with her own plate. That northern stuff is not for you. Dont know how you stand the weather" much less those people.

So you going to tell me what happened? he asked, nodding at the cotton ball and surgical tape in the crook of her elbow.

I dont need that car you bought me. Thats what happened.

He wiped his mouth. What car?

Those black eyes narrowed. Dont you try to play, boy.

Miss Aurora, you were driving a piece of" ah, junk. I cant have yall like that.

He could hear the Southern creeping back into his voice. Didnt take long, did it.

My Malibu is perfectly fine"

Now he held her stare. It was a cheap car to begin with and had a hundred thousand miles on it.

Dont see why"

Miss Aurora, Im not having you in that junker no more. Sorry.

{ 36 }.

She glared at him hard enough to burn a hole in his forehead, but when he didnt budge, she dropped her eyes. And that was the nature of their relationship. Two hard heads, neither of whom was willing to give an inch about anything" except to the other one.

I dont need a Mercedes, she muttered.

Four- wheel drive, maam.

I dont like the color. Its unholy.

Bull. Its U of C red and you love it.

As she grumped again, he knew the truth. She adored the new car.

Her sister, Miss Patience, had called him up and told him that Miss Au- rora had been driving the E350 4MATIC all around town. Of course, Miss Aurora never dialed him to thank him, and hed been expecting this protest: Shed always been too proud to accept anything for free.

But Miss Aurora also didnt want to upset him" and knew he was right.

So what happened this morning with you. Not a question on his part. He was done with that.

I just got a little light- headed.

They said you passed out.

Im fine.

They said the cancers back.

Who is they.

Miss Aurora"

My Lord and Savior has healed me before and He will again. She put one palm to Heaven and closed her eyes. Then looked over at him.

Im going to be fine. Have I ever lied to you, boy?

No, maam.

Now eat.

That command pretty much shut him up for twenty minutes.

Lane was halfway done with his second plate when he had to ask.

You see him lately?

No reason to specify who the he was: Edward was the he every- one spoke of in hushed tones.

Miss Auroras face tightened. No.

{ 37 }.

There was another long period of silence.

Yall gonna go see him while youre here? she asked.

No.

Somebodys gotta.

Wont make any difference. Besides, I should get back to New York.

I really came here only to check if you were okay"

Youre gonna go see him. Before you go back north.

Lane shut his eyes. After a moment, he said, Yes, maam.

Good boy.

After a serving of thirds, Lane cleared their plates, and had to ig- nore the fact that Miss Aurora appeared not to have eaten anything at all. The conversation then turned to her nieces and nephews, her sisters and brothers, of which there were eleven, and the fact that her father, Tom, had finally died at the age of eighty- six.

She was called Aurora Toms because she was one of Toms kids. Word had it in addition to the twelve hed had with his wife, there were countless others outside the marriage. Lane had met the man at Miss Auroras church from time to time, and hed been a larger- than- life character, as Deep South as Mississippi, as charismatic as a preacher, as handsome as sin.

Not that he was being arrogant, but Lane knew he had always been her favorite, and he figured that father of hers was the reason she in- dulged him so much: Like her dad, hed also been called too handsome for his own good all his life, and hed sure done his share of womaniz- ing. Back in his twenties? Lane had been right there with good ol Mr.

Toms.

Lizzie had cured him of all that. Kind of in the way an embankment would stop a speeding car.

You go up and greet your momma before you leave, too, Miss Au- rora announced after hed washed and put away their dishes and silverware.

He left the frying pan and the pots on her stove. He knew better than to touch them.

Pivoting around, he folded the dish towel and leaned back against the stainless- steel sink.

{ 38 }.

She put her palm out from her Barcalounger. Yall need to save it"

Miss Aurora"

Do not tell me you flew over a thousand miles just to look me over like Im some kind of invalid. That dont make no sense.

Your food is worth the trip.

That is true. Now go see your momma.

I already have, he thought as he stared across at her. Miss Aurora, are you going to get help for the Derby?

What do you think all those fools out in my big kitchen are for?

Its a lot to manage, and dont tell me you arent ordering them around.

That infamous glare shot his way, but that was all he got and it scared him. Normally, shed be up from her chair and muscling him out her door. Instead, she stayed sitting. Ima be fine, boy.

You better be. Without you, I got no one to keep me straight.