At lunch, she ordered exactly what her son ordered. When the food arrived, she made no gesture toward it. Mike realized she was waiting on his permission to begin.
"It's fine. Go ahead and eat," he told her.
He watched as she seemed to savor the food.
"This is the best food I've had in a long time," she said.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it. Should we order dessert?"
"If you want to," she replied.
"What about what you want?"
"I want to make you happy. Myra said, 'A happy protector makes a happy Precious.'"
"That goes both ways. A happy mom makes a happy son."
"I'll make you happy and that makes me happy. You'll see," she said smiling.
For the rest of the trip, they were both quiet. His mother seemed to be enjoying the scenery.
02
As they pulled into the drive his mother's eyes wid
