“I don’t need a loan, Mom,” I said plainly.

I reached into my work jacket, took out the light blue deposit book from First Farmers Bank, and laid it flat on the porch step between us.

Grace leaned forward and looked at my name alone printed across the blue cardboard cover.

“This is my own account,” I said.

“And the secondary cards were legally revoked at eleven o’clock this morning.”

“Does Mark know that?” Grace asked, looking up from the deposit book into my eyes.