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looked like he was finally irritated with her.
    Trix nodded and looked down. She went to the thermostat and spent a moment adjusting it. “It’s chilly down here. I just want you to be comfortable.” She glanced at Amanda and said, “Enjoy your movies, kids.”
    Jacob put his head down and sighed with his hands on his hips. “Just a second,” he said, following his mother upstairs. Amanda could hear her sniffle, and Jake talking quietly to her. He was back in less than a minute.
    “I’m done with my little scene, Amanda. There will be no more ‘poor mom’ stuff tonight!” Trix shouted down the stairs. “You two want popcorn?”
    “Mother!”
    “Okay, I’m done. I’m going to bed. Good night, you two.”
    Amanda settled into the corner of the couch comfortably. It was big and deep, and Amanda told herself not to fall asleep, as she easily could after a big meal and a long day. Jake threw her a blanket and turned the lights down. The TV was huge, and there were speakers all over the room.
    “I have to say that with all my mom’s overbearing mothering, she knows how to spoil a late-adolescent boy. This home theater system is the best.” Jake was pushing buttons on different speakers and boxes to get the sound right. Amanda couldn’t tell what the difference was after he monkeyed with it for a while, but he seemed to think it was much better. He grabbed a pillow off the couch and sat on the floor, his back against the couch.
    Amanda couldn’t remember the last time she felt so comfortable.
     
    * * *
     
    Contacts sticking to her eyelids.
    Ouch.
    Amanda sat up in the dark and tried to figure out where she was. She had a pillow from someone’s bed under her, and she was covered with two blankets. It was very dark, but she could see two digital clocks blinking 12:00 p.m. and several red lights from electronic equipment.
    Jake’s house. His basement. She had fallen asleep on the couch. Amanda had no idea what time it was, but it felt and looked like the middle of the night. She got up quietly and looked around. The door to Jake’s room was open, and he was asleep in his bed. Suddenly a clock chimed upstairs, and Amanda counted the chimes and found it was 5:00 a.m.
    Amanda found the bathroom and a small cup. Luckily, Jake also wore contacts, so she put hers into the cup and added some of his saline. She swished her mouth with water and scrubbed her teeth with some toothpaste on her finger.
    Quietly turning the bathroom light back off, she padded back to the couch, sat down and tried to figure out what to do. She had spent the night at Jake’s house, on his couch. There was no one at home waiting for her. No real home to go to. Her mother was in the hospital, and the memory of the previous day came back to her, which began in the middle of last night in Jake’s hospital room. She had known him for just over twenty-four hours and now she was sleeping on his couch. Even worse, on his mother’s couch.
    It was all just too weird. These unbelievably friendly and sincere people invited her to their home before they even knew her last name. Even more shocking was that it felt nice. Amanda almost felt her deep chasm of loneliness had been a tiny bit filled by their warmth. She thought she should feel awkward, but somehow it was okay to fall asleep here.
    And since it was okay, she decided it would also be fine to go back to sleep for a few more hours. She snuggled back under her warm blankets and drifted back to sleep.
     
    * * *
     
    Amanda awoke to find Jake sitting in his spot on the floor eating French toast and sausage and watching TV. Before she could even sit up, Trix brought down a plate of breakfast for Amanda. They watched MTV and talked about music.
    Amanda dragged herself away at almost noon, and she went straight to her mother’s room because she felt so guilty. Her mother was full of questions about where she was, and Amanda decided it was easier just to tell her the truth. Suspicion flickered in