I reached into my pocket and grabbed my cell phone. "Let me call my mom," I said.
* * *
I stayed and had dinner with my best friend and his family. His mom seemed a little jumpy and on edge all evening. I think I was the only one who noticed. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to help calm her down. I cut my visit short and hugged Kevin, his dad and his mom before I headed home.
The next day I did not see any of them, and she never called. Late that night, Kevin called to ask if I would be over the following morning to help him pack for college. Of course I agreed.
That was an experience I would describe as "barely controlled chaos." Kevin had left everything to the last minute and his mom was freaking out. I wound up being far more helpful than even I had expected. While they
