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ribs at the shop and I just couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into them. So I let my nephew run the shop for the rest of the day and here I am.”
    “I guess that explains why I smell barbeque sauce.”
    “Good stuff too. Make it myself down at the shop. I’ve got some cheesy jalapeño garlic bread in the oven and some of my famous bacon baked beans cooking away. I hope you’re hungry. Betty!” He called to Clayton’s mother. “I was right. Your boy is here.”
    “My boy!” His mother came out of the kitchen with a dish towel in her hands. “Gordon said he thought he heard your truck. Can’t miss that great big noisy thing, but I didn’t believe him because you were just here with your sister last night and I didn’t think it possible for you to bless me with two visits in less than twenty-four hours, but you’re here.” She kissed both his cheeks. “What are those?”
    She looked at the flowers in his hand.
    “I’m replacing the flowers that Alex got for you that Maggie was supposed to give to you.”
    “That silly girl.” His mother grinned. “All last night she kept saying there was something she was supposed to tell me, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Her brain has turned to mush. I was like that with you, sweetheart.” She patted his cheek. “You made me dumber than a doorknob. Your father thought it was the cutest thing. One time he laughed so hard he snorted coffee right out of his nose when I called the phone a call-y thing because I couldn’t remember the name for it.”
    “That’s hard to imagine,” he said. There had been no laughter in their house. No lighthearted moments. It was hard for him to imagine his father that way. He was a much different man than he used to be. A more understanding, kinder man. But it was hard for Clayton to wrap his head around. It was like an imposter was invading his body.
    He felt his mother’s hand slide up his cheek. “We were very happy once. You and your sister were made with love.”
    But they weren’t raised in it.
    “I just came to give you these, Mom. I’m going to head back to work.”
    “But we have all this food! You’ll stay.” She shook her head. “You’ll stay and you’ll eat.”
      “I’ll go check on things,” Gordon said, heading to the kitchen. “I’ll give a shout when everything is done.”
    That left Clay and his mother alone. He didn’t spend much time alone with her, preferring to have Maggie there as a buffer. But there were times when it couldn’t be avoided. “How are you, honey?”
    “I’m fine, Mom. Same as yesterday.”
    “Maybe.” She stroked his beard. “You might be the same as you were yesterday, but you aren’t the same boy you were before you left for war. You were my little daredevil. My risk taker. You were always full of excitement. Full of life. Now I barely recognize you with all this hair you have covering your face.”
    “I grew up, Mom. And if war doesn’t change you I don’t know what does.”
    She nodded. “I want you to be happy, Clay. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
    “I know.” He stepped away from her. “The food smells good.”
    *
    “I don’t know why Loretta gave me such a hard time about our dinner tonight,” Daisy said later that evening as she was slicing a red pepper. “There’s nothing weird about this recipe.”
    “Uh huh,” Aubrey replied from the table.
    “It’s chicken, celery, and cream of mushroom soup. If that’s not all American, I don’t know what is. Am I right?”
    “Yes,” she said absently.
    “She could have eaten this. I know it’s no beef Braciole, but it isn’t anything gross either.”
    “Right.”
    Daisy looked up from her cutting to see that Aubrey wasn’t paying attention to her at all. She was too busy studying a set of books that Daisy had never seen before. “Hey, Cookie. I know this conversation may not be riveting, but you could give a little more effort. You’re supposed to be helping me cook.”
    “I’m