In the awkward lull that follows I force my eyes down from kitchen shelves crammed with fudge sauce and Cap'n Crunch. Scott eats no more than any ordinary kid, she says. On the day I visit he has pancakes for breakfast. In his sack lunch go a steak sandwich, cookies, a Snapple. He makes a bowl of popcorn, adds butter, pours sugar over it.
White crystals shimmer in the sun.
He is smart and good-natured. His self-confidence seems real. He sees himself as a world traveler, an athlete and a math whiz. Which he is. Emotionally, yes, as kids go.