Fortunately, he wasn't gabby in the morning, so they sat in companionable silence, Jane with her coffee, Todd with a glass of milk. Todd petted Willard with his foot, and the big dog rolled over, waving his saucer-sized feet in the air and groaning happily.

Mike joined them shortly. He looked tired, but happy. "I'm going to go get my cap and gown and come back to sleep until I have to go to work at eleven," he said.

“About your job—" Jane began.

“Todd, Willard needs a few Frisbee tosses before I go," Mike said. "You know where it is?”

Todd got up and went back in the house and Mike sat down. "Look, Mom, I know everything you're going to say. Somebody got killed at the deli—"

“You knew that?"

“It's what everybody's saying. Mel and a couple other cops are talking to everyone who was there and that doesn't happen for an accident. Anyway, you don't think it's safe. But, Mom, I can't quit. Mr. Baker's counting on me to do the deliveries. His wife's in the hospital and Mrs. Axton has to do double work to help with the cooking, which she's not very good at, and the cleaning up, and I can't leave them in a lurch like that. But I'll make you a deal. I'll only go inside to pick up stuff to deliver. If it's not ready, I'll wait outside. I really should be helping in the kitchen and stuff, but I won't if it'll keep you off my back about it."

“That's a deal," Jane agreed, knowing he'd keep his end of the bargain and vowing that she would, too.

Todd came back with the Frisbee and Mike flung it for the dog a couple times before he left. "So what's up for the day, Todd, old thing?" Jane asked.

“Taking my Legos over to Elliot's. He's got a book of things you can build and there's this neat spaceship, but he doesn't have enough pieces."