33
d r a w n a w a y
though he hadn’t said anything. He’d been home every
weekend, and that didn’t seem a good sign. But I figured
things would be better once hockey started up. Noah’s a
decent player and really loves the game—unlike my mom.
She wouldn’t let him try out for the triple-A team last
year, saying it would eat up all of our time and money.
She tries to be supportive though, despite muttering about
“war games” and “sanctioned violence,” and she took him
to register the day after we moved in. He’d make friends
on the team.
i
On our third math session, Mom asked Lucy to stay for
dinner. Lucy kind of ducked her head and said almost
formally, “Thanks, Mrs. Lavoie, I’d like to.”
Mom gave this bemused laugh and said, “Oh gosh,
just call me Bente.”
“Bente,” Lucy said. “I’ve never heard that name
before.”
“It’s Danish. I have to spell it a lot.”
At dinner, the Parental Interrogation began.
“So, Lucy, what do your parents do?” my dad asked.
“It’s just me and my mom,” Lucy replied softly.
“She works at a retirement home. Three-to-eleven shift,
mostly.”
“Oh, is she a nurse?” Mom asked. She has a love-
hate relationship with medical people, depending on
