Chapter 23

She asks Roger if he wishes they were more like other families, she like other mothers, but he remains silent. He’d rather be with his dad and she knows it. William, Felicia’s ex, has two Sundays a month. He called the night before to cancel. A major tournament, and he had to caddy. “You tell Roger. He’ll understand.” But Felicia knew he wouldn’t.

“Roger,” she says, “let’s pretend Daddy’s home waiting for us, stretched out on the couch watching a game on TV.”

“Golf, probably,” Roger says. Short and succinct. Like father, like Roger. “Can we really afford this?” Roger, the responsible adult to Felicia’s spendthrift child.

Felicia considers the stack of overdue bills on the kitchen table: a pink notice from the Pacific Gas and Electric, a note from Bernice demanding a partial rent payment by Friday. She thinks if William sends his child support on time, they just might make it through the month.