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was a good listener and always ready to cry with anyone who needed accompaniment.
    “Anyway, I need a paycheck,” she continued, “and the classifieds section of the Deep River Herald isn’t exactly expansive. I’m lucky to get any kind of job that doesn’t involve scrubbing toilets or working a deep fryer.”
    “Now I need to find something,” I said. Problem was, the only thing scarcer in Deep River than a full-time job opening was a part-time job opening.
    “You will. We’re going to be just fine, both of us.” Mom patted my hand. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than me. “Of course things will still be tight—my salary isn’t exactly huge. And the lawyer told me today I’m definitely on the hook for your dad’s delinquent taxes, even though we’re divorcing. I’m sure they’ll garnish my wages.”
    I sank deeper into the couch, drawing my knees up and wrapping my arms around my bare legs, which were getting cold in the air-conditioning.
    “But you weren’t even working the whole time y’all were married.”
    “I know, honey, but we filed jointly, and that means I’m as much responsible for paying the IRS as Daddy is.”
    “Well, that sucks. Why doesn’t he pay?”
    “Don’t say ‘sucks.’ It sounds rude. Daddy claims he has no savings, and now he has no income. They already took the house in town, but it didn’t cover the whole debt. So, legally, I’m the next stop. Basically, the IRS doesn’t care who pays them, as long as somebody does.”
    “How much is it?” I threw the question out there casually, as if she’d actually share that detail with me.
    Mom looked up at me and hesitated then dropped her gaze to the sleepy dog in her lap, stroking the top of his tiny skull. “Don’t worry about it, Ryann. It’s not your problem. I’ll figure it out.” She was using her ultra-calm voice. The one she only used when things were seriously bad.
    That must be some big number. “Well, when I find a job—”
    “No. Absolutely not. When you find a job, you’ll save your money for a car. I know you want one. This is not something you can fix, so don’t try.” She leaned over, wrapped her arm around me, and spoke into my hair. “Thanks, though, babe. You’re a great kid, you know that?”
    I flushed at her praise, but worry still plagued me. Drawing back to see her face, I asked, “Are we going to lose this house, too? And the land? Grandma told me she put it in your name years ago.”
    Mom’s lips thinned as she pressed them together. She was obviously not pleased with her mother for letting that bit of info slip. “I won’t let that happen. The lawyer says there’s one more thing he can try legally. It’s called an ‘innocent spouse’ petition. It says while we were married I was not the income earner and was not aware your father didn’t pay taxes when he was supposed to. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try.”
    “And what if that doesn’t work?”
    “If it doesn’t work… we’ll find some other way to hang onto the house. Actually…” She stopped right there.
    “Actually?”
    “Well, there is a possibility I could raise a great deal of money very quickly to pay off the debt,” she said, letting her gaze drift back to the television.
    “How?” I couldn’t begin to imagine. Was there some precious family heirloom we could sell on eBay?
    She gave a quick head shake. “I’ll let you know when and if it becomes necessary.” Her tone made it clear the subject was closed for now. She pried her eyes from the screen to shoot me a sideways glance. “Your father left another message for you on the machine tonight. Apparently he’s in Miami now.”
    I shrugged. “I know. He left one on my cell earlier, too.”
    That got her attention. She twisted back to face me. “Oh, did you already call him back?”
    “No.”
    “Well, are you going to?”
    “No.”
    Mom turned her head in an effort to conceal the smile creeping across her face.