But today is Mother's Day. It's her day and I made her a real pretty card in Sunday School today.

Mama doesn't ever go to church with Daddy and me. She stays home and cooks lunch.

I sneak into her room. It's dark. She's lying on the bed with her back to the door. She doesn't know I'm here.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." I wonder who she's talking to. "I have a hard enough time with Tim... How can I possibly take care of two children, my husband and do my job at Social Services? There just aren't enough hours in the day. Maybe if Tim wasn't so difficult..."

I'm 'difficult?' it's a big word. I'm not so big. But it feels like a bad thing. Like I've hurt her or something. What have I done to make her feel this way?

Just as I'm about to ask what 'difficult' is, she gasps, crying out, "Oh God. No! Please, no. This is not what I wanted. I want this baby!"

I turn to go find Daddy. Something is wrong. With the baby? He can help.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I yell, running as fast as I can down the stairs. "Somfing wrong wif Mama! Daddy!"

"Timothy? How many times do I have to tell you..." he starts to scold as I come running into the kitchen. "What's wrong, son?" he asks with a worried frown.

"Mama...said... somfing... about... the baby..." I gasp, trying to catch my breath.

"Stay here," Daddy orders as he goes running from the room. I follow as far as the bottom of the stairs. Listening to my parents' voices drifting down from their room, I can't do anything but stand there and wonder if this is my fault...If only I behaved more often...Did as Mama told me more...

The doorbell rings. "Tim! Answer the door." Daddy calls down.

"Hello, Timmy. Are your parents around?" Mrs. Young asks when I open the door. Mrs. Young is Adam's mama. Adam's my best friend: my only friend, really.

"They're upstairs," I say pointing up to the ceiling. "Mama is hurt."

"Oh, dear. What's wrong? Do you know?" she asks as she drops to her knees in front of me.

"Mama said somfing about the baby," I reply with a shrug.

Mrs. Young bites her lip as tears fill her eyes. "Oh, no. Well, you just come with me. Your parents don't need to be worried about you right now," she says as she stands up and holds out her hand to me. "Come on, Sugar. You can stay with us until your mama is feeling better," she murmurs.

Just as I take her hand a really scary scream comes drifting down the stairs.

"What about Daddy? He might need me," I ask. I'm starting to get scared.

"Don't you worry about it, Darlin'. Your daddy and mama will be just fine," she reassures me as we walk from the house.

I don't know how to tell time yet, so I don't know how long I've been at Adam's before his mama says it's time for bed. Guess I'm staying the night.

We've only been in bed for a few minutes when I hear the doorbell.

"Where you goin'?" Adam asks as I slip from the bed and tiptoe to the door.

"To see who's here," I whisper back.

"Can I come?" he asks as he follows me out of his room and to the top of the stairs where Daddy can be seen standing in the doorway, talking to Mr. Young.

"He's here?" Daddy sounds mad. I've made him mad again. Forgot to tell him Mrs. Young was taking me to her house. "Why wasn't I told this? Do you know how upset his mother is right now?"

"David, calm down. Tracey didn't want to bother you while you were dealing with Irene."

"So she thought that stealing my son wouldn't bother me?" Daddy's yelling now. That's always a bad sign. If Mr. Young knows what's good for him, he'll say he's sorry and never do it again. That always works for me.

"How long before you even noticed he was gone, huh? He's been here most of the day," Mr. Young gets right in Daddy's face, poking him in the chest with one finger. "It would serve you right if..."

"Mark," Mrs. Young interrupts pointing at Adam and me standing at the top of the stairs.

"Come on, Timothy. Time to go home," Daddy tells me, holding out his hand. He expects me to obey without a fuss.

I climb down the stairs and take Daddy's hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Young," I say remembering my manners. Mama will be so proud that Daddy didn't have to tell me to thank her.