“He screamed something without words and flung the papers and paints into the dirty brown water… He watched them all disappear. Gradually his breath quieted, and his heart slowed from its wild pace. The ground was still muddy from the rains, but he sat down anyway. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere. Ever again. He put his head down on one knee. 'That was a damn fool thing to do.' His father sat down on the dirt beside him.

'I don't care. I don't care.' He was crying now, crying so hard he could barely breathe. His father pulled Jess over on his lap as if he were Joyce Ann. 'There, there,' he said, patting his head. 'Shhh. Shhh.'”