When he comes out of the bathroom and sees his father with the bag of methamphetamine sitting right next to him? Paul will understand everything, without being told.

He reaches for the brandy bottle on the floor, misses, gets it on the second try, opens it and takes a drink. His eyes want to close again. It's the brandy. Too much today. Normally he has it under control. It's just that today was so stressful. Finding out your son is involved with drug dealers is stressful. Who wouldn't need a few drinks? The problem, the problem now, is to stay awake. Can't let the boy see how upset you are, but you also can't have him slipping in and out while you're asleep. Time for a little self discipline. He puts the cap back on the bottle and puts it down.

The TV hisses.

And his son doesn't come home. Doesn't see the missing car. Or sees and doesn't care.

Yes, the trick will be not letting Paul know how much he cares. He wipes the tears away, hiding the signs.

Date Night --Mijo, where have you been? All night. All night.

Hector bends and kisses his mother's cheek.

--I was at George and Andy's. I told you yesterday, Ma, I spent the night like I told you.

--No, mijo, you didn't.

--I did.

She turns from him and stirs a pan of refried beans.

--No, Hector, you didn't tell me. I didn't sleep. All night I didn't sleep.

--Ma, I told you.

--No. You did not tell me. You did not. Do not lie to me.

--Ma.

--You tell me you told me, that is a lie. Lying to your mother.

--What did he do?

Hector's father stands in the open door of the kitchen, leaning on his cane, his bathrobe hanging open over his belly.

--What did he lie about?

She crosses the kitchen to him.

--Nothing, nothing, mi amor.

She puts a hand on his arm and tries to guide him to the table.

--Sit, I have your breakfast, sit.

He shrugs her off.

--I can walk. Leave me, I can walk to the table.

She smiles and nods and backs away toward the stove.

--Amor.

She starts filling a plate with beans and tortillas and a few links of Brown 'N Serve.

--Hector, take this to your father.

Hector takes the plate and a fork and a paper napkin and sets them on the table.

--You been lying to your mama?

--No, Pop.

--Bring me some water.

Hector fills a gla.s.s of water from the tap and takes it to the table. His mother keeps her back to them, tending the pots on the stove.

--Here, Pop.

His father takes the pills from his robe pocket and hands the bottle to his son.

--Two.

Hector opens the cap and takes out the pills and hands them over and watches as his dad washes them down with the water.

He puts the gla.s.s aside and cuts one of the sausages with his fork and pushes a piece of it around in his beans.

--What did you lie to your mama about?

--Nothing, Pop.

He puts the sausage and beans in his mouth.

--And now you're lying to me?

--No.

--Yes. Yes, you are.

He swallows the food.

--Go on. You came here to get some food, to change your clothes, to do that thing to your hair. Go on. Do the things you came here for. But don't come to my house and lie to my wife. You come home when you want to, I am not an animal, my son has a home, I don't kick my son out no matter what he does. But don't come home to break your mother's heart. Go on, go take care of your things. Just get out of the kitchen before you tell another lie.

--Pop.

--Go on, get out.

Hector puts a hand on his mother's shoulder.

--Ma, I didn't.

She shakes her head, brushes her hand in the air, doesn't look at him.

--Go on now, Hector, like your father says. Go on, it will be better right now.

--But.

His father bangs his cane on the floor.

--You heard your mama, go on. Go be with your friends and listen to your music. Go tell lies in their homes.

Hector squeezes his mom's shoulder.

--I'm sorry, Ma.

She smiles, but doesn't say anything.

His father points at a cabinet.

--Where's my wine?

Hector leaves the kitchen.

[image]

--Look at the bad penny.

--Hey, Amy.

--Don't let the cat out! Don't let the d.a.m.n cat out!

Jeff sticks his leg in front of the cat, blocking its path, and snags it by the scruff.

--Got 'im.

He dangles the cat.

She puts her Marlboro 100 in her mouth and holds out her arms.

--Easy, easy, he's a old cat.

She takes the cat and rubs her ear against its neck.

--Aren't you? Just a little old man, aren't you?

She turns and walks back into the house.

--You comin' in?

--Yeah, sure.

Jeff follows her, watching her a.s.s under the tight white jeans.

She climbs inside the bell of a wicker chair that dangles from the ceiling by a heavy chain, crossing her legs and putting the cat in her lap.

--What's up, what you looking for?

He settles on a Spirit of '76 souvenir beanbag from the bicentennial, the white patches turned gray by the years.

--They got me doin' splits again.

--s.h.i.t.

--Yeah. Graveyards, I can take a couple ludes the first few mornings, get used to sleeping during the day. This half and half s.h.i.t, don't know when I'm up and when I'm down.

--Need help with the ups, huh?

--Supervisor drove by this parking lot, a parking lot I'm f.u.c.king protecting, I was crashed out. Finds me asleep again, says he's gonna suspend me. At least. Like I care if I lose the job.

--Uh huh. Want to get high?

--Yeah.

Amy points at an ashtray on the floor.

--There's a roach in there.

--Got a clip?

She bends forward, sticking her head out of the wicker coc.o.o.n, the chair tilting beneath her.

--Here.

She turns her head to the side and Jeff removes the feathered clip from her ponytail, opens the alligator jaws and places the roach between them.

He lights up, takes a hit and offers it to her.

--You in?

She waves the joint away.

--Go ahead, I already did a wake and bake. Got to be at the hospital in a hour. Doubling up my shift. Get too wasted and I'll be taking naps on the gurneys.

--I hear that.

She watches Jeff blow the roach.

Cute guy. He'd been a serious maybe at one time. Back in high school he'd been a definite yes. But she'd been Bob's little sister, f.u.c.ker hadn't even noticed her. Not till her t.i.ts popped, then he noticed all right. By then she knew what she had, didn't need to be s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g her big brother's biker buds. But he'd stayed on the maybe list for a long time. If he'd tried a little harder he'd probably have got in. Made out that one time when they got drunk together on wine cooler. But some of the s.k.a.n.ks he's walked out of the Rodeo Club with? Who wants to be on that list?