I know, because I lay awake waiting to hear the car engine turn over and pull away before I ventured downstairs. Avoidance seemed like the best policy right about then. I had hoped to have the house to myself, but I wasn’t that surprised to see Mom in the kitchen.“Oh, good, you’re up. I made muffins.” Mom handed me the steaming basket of cherry and chocolate chip muffins, and my mouth watered.“Thanks. And thank you again for—” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and blushed, so I trailed off. Hopefully, she knew how much her gift meant to me. She smiled at me, and I sat down at the table.“Did you want any coffee? There’s still some left from Dad’s breakfast.”I shook my head. She seemed surprised. I usually wouldn’t turn down coffee, but for some reason, that morning, I didn’t want to be jittery. I had a feeling that I couldn’t afford a caffeine crash, although I wasn’t sure why.“What about some tea? I was just about to boil water.”“No, but you go ahead.”
