I said I am going .“No, don’t go,” Mom protested.“Please. That felt so nice. Just a bit more,” Mom whined.“Just do my scalp like before,�... she spoke quietly, glancing at Dad.“He’s been doing that for about a year now. He goes to sleep as soon as he’s in bed. He’ll start snoring in a couple of minutes.”My fingers were threading through Mom’s hair, pulling it back and away from her face, revealing her relaxed smile. She just relaxed and let out a contented sigh. There was no adverse reaction about. Chris quickly stood. “I’ll do it.” He held one had bent across his chest and the other bent but in the air and started spinning around and singing, “I feel pretty … oh, so pretty …” I watched him, dancing off beat and singing out of tune, and I couldn’t keep from laughing. With mocked exasperation, I stood and huffed. “Stop. Please stop. You’re just butchering it.” I waited for them to open up some space on the deck before I cleared my throat and lifted my arms. Just like I had twenty years. Maybe. I guess he was gettin’ real quiet again like he was before, only not as bad. Seemed to me like he was stayin’ in his room a lot.”“So you did notice. Why do you think he was behaving like that?”Again with the shrug, “I don’t know. I figured he got all sad and shit over his sister’s funeral. But if I could’ve gone with him and Eric, I would’ve been able to help him through that like I did with her dying.”“My dear, your heart is in the right place, but your understanding and appreciation of. "Uh huh," I replied."So ... how much do I owe you?"I drove on for another minute or so. I knew what I wanted in payment, but I couldn't ask for that. She'd call me a dirty old man, and probably slap the crap out of me."I guess maybe I could use a web site after all," I finally said.She hugged those damn skates to her chest and stared out the windshield again.About ten miles north of Monmouth, an 18 wheeler hauling hundreds of wooden crates filled with live chickens had jackknifed and gone over..