The Black Book

  * * *

  “Mom, we’re home,” Stephanie yelled as she pushed open the entrance door. The next minute she was hugging her mother and dropping her school bag at the same time. “Orange juice,” she remembered and scaled familiar obstacles to head for the kitchen, Gavin in hot pursuit.

  “Hi, Mom,” Matthew greeted as he closed the door behind him. His mother ruffled his hair playfully and hugged him far longer than she usually did. “Mom, you’re too tight,” he reminded her and she let him go, ruffling his hair the more and kissing him on the cheek.

  “How was school today, darling?” she asked.

  “Great,” he said cheerfully, blushing from the kiss. “Can I see the bike now, Mom?”

  “Not until you’ve changed for the evening and finished your glass of juice,” Lora said, laughing. “Now, hop along.”

  “Bicycle?” Nora challenged from upstairs as Matthew boyishly jumped two steps at a time in haste. She blocked his path.

  “Hi, Nora,” he greeted, oblivious of her question. “Mom’s bought a bike for me.” He sneaked through underneath her left arm, deciding not to wait for her reply, and moved on to his room.

  Nora glared at her mother, who quickly turned away. “Why don’t you just tell him straight?” she bluntly suggested.

  “Nora, why are you doing this?” her mother pleaded.

  “Tell who what?” Matthew demanded, popping his head out of his room’s door.

  “That you aren’t one of us?” Nora replied sarcastically and entered her room.

  Matthew frowned and scratched his head. “Girls,” he decided and disappeared into his room.

  Mrs. Quentin breathed a sigh of relief. She would tell him when she wanted to, not when her daughter prompted her to.

  And that must be very soon.