Plan

August

“What did you say to that woman?” Isabella asked as they stood outside of the healing center. “Really, August! The television exploded!”

“I know, Mother. I was there.” He tried to keep his tone light because he didn’t want to upset her anymore than she already was. Clearly, he was good at upsetting women. “I made a mistake, all right?”

“Did you try asking her about her past? You didn’t show her those damn pictures did you?”

“No, and no. Not exactly, anyway. On the first one.”

“What’s that now?” Isabella folded her hands beneath her bosom and waited for an answer that made sense.

August wasn’t sure he had an answer that made sense. “Mom, I just said she’d never have to go back. That’s all!” More or less, that was true. Did his mom really need to know where he’d said Mercy didn’t need to go back to?

“That’s all?” she repeated. “Are you sure about that, son? Because that doesn’t seem like the sort of thing a person would say that would make a television explode. I’ve never seen an