Page 104 of Nuts

She turned to face us. “Is that her?”

“Take it easy, ma. We’re barely inside the door.”

Awwe.

You brought me to meet your mother?

She glanced at the door and then at him. “The door you haven’t closed yet?”

“I was getting to it.”

He closed the door. “There, see?”

“I can see just fine. What are you doing here? It’s Saturday. You stop in Monday through Friday.”

“You wanted to meet Joey, so I thought we’d come by.”

“Joey,” she said. “That’s different.”

I waved.

“Come here and let me have a look at you,” she said.

I walked to where she sat and stood beside the chair. “Nice to meet you, I’m Joey.”

“I’m Beverly. Percy’s mother.”

“Nice to meet you, Beverly.”

“Call me Bev.”

“Okay, Bev.”

“He brought you on that motorcycle, didn’t he?”

“He did.”

“I’ll be glad when he gets rid of that thing. It scares me.”

I smiled, glanced at Percy, and then shifted my eyes to her. “It doesn’t scare me.”

“Well, it should. They tip over. It’s because they’ve only two wheels.”

“He’s a really good rider.”

“Is he?”

I sat across from her, on the edge of the loveseat. “He is. He’s extra careful.”

“Well that’s good. He should be, especially with you on it. Do you wear a helmet?”

“Yes, Ma’am. It’s a state law.”

“Well, it should be. Brain buckets. That’s what Percy Senior called them.”

I laughed. “I’ve heard them called that.”

She alternated glances between Percy and me. “Did you go to the park?”