“Don’t you dare hang up on me,” he yelled, his voice climbing over the roar of his shop fan.

“If you drop this call, don’t you ever come asking me for another dime for her car insurance, or her college, or anything else.”

“You already dropped her from the car insurance on Wednesday,” I said.

I held the phone three inches from my face and tapped the red circle.

The line went dead, leaving only the low, steady hum of the Buick’s tires rolling over the seams in the concrete.

I dropped the quiet phone back onto the floor mat between my feet.