We were at Mom’s for pot roast, the party of five- my parents, my sister, AJ, and me. Dad made a comment under his breath about how much these dinners were costing him. It wasn’t the pot roast so much as it was the new sneakers and art supplies for AJ. My sister nevers asks for money directly, but she’s a pro at intimating. Mom’s a champ at giving.

     It seemed like the longer my sister spoke, the more beer Dad went through. It was an impressive haul. He made several trips to the kitchen before Mom served dinner. When it came time to eat, she poured Dad a glass of milk with his meal. I heard her say, “Set a good example for your grandson.”

     AJ’s graduation party quickly became the topic of discussion. My siste...

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