She sucked in a shaky breath, as if trying to swallow the bitterness clinging to her throat. “And that ugly-ass house—mint-green and brown—over on 45th and Capitol? God, I hate that place. Fur all over the furniture, cat hair in the air. Her damn cats scratching at my ankles every time I pass. When I told her they clawed me, she laughed. Said, ‘Well, you must’ve been doing something they didn’t like.’ Can you believe that? I asked her if she didn’t like my work, why keep me around? She smiled and said, ‘Well, you do help some. And you’re affordable.’” Vee’s eyes narrowed as she mimicked the woman’s smug smile. “She has this way of looking at you like you ain’t worth shit. Condescending bitch.”

    William blinked, as if waking from a fog, realizing how deep his mother’s hurt ran. He reached out and gently took her hand in his, his voice softer now. “Momma, relax. Please. I’m sorry you’re going through all of this. But what do you want me to do? There’s nothing I can do. I wish I could… but I can’t. I’m homeless. I’ve been sleeping in an old steel mill.”

    Vee bowed her head, gripping both of his hands now, her fingers trembling against his. When she finally looked up, her eyes were glassy and red-rimmed, sorrow etched into every line of her face.

“What?” William asked, his voice cautious, the tension returning like a rising tide.

    “What if you stopped running?”

    His brow furrowed, and he jerked his hands from hers as if burned. “Stopped running?” Horror spread across his face, raw disbelief sharpening every word. “What exactly are you saying, Momma?”

    She gave a small, solemn nod. “You know what I mean. You could even receive a reduced sentence. You were a minor when it happened, baby. You have to stop running sometime. Put this all behind you. Move on with your life. Ask God for forgiveness.”

    William buried his face in his hands, dragging in a deep breath as silence wrapped around them like a thick fog.

    Bella returned to the table, her presence quiet but attentive. Guss followed at her side and lay at her feet without a sound—no panting, no signs of wear—just still, as if even he felt the heaviness in the air.

    “Everything okay, ya’ll?” Bella asked gently, stepping toward the edge of the table. Her eyes flicked between the two, catching the weight in the air. Neither answered at first—until William slowly dropped his hands into his lap like the final stroke of a gavel.