Cecil Baldwin

Because then you will lose your house and all your stuff and have to make a new life somewhere else.

This has been a test of the emergency broadcast system.

Or has it been?

Ruth had a daughter.

She had been fully grown before Ruth moved to Los Angeles.

This isn't a story of an absentee parent, but it's not a story of a good parent either.

There was no animosity between them.

They talked on the phone once in a while, but also her daughter had not visited, not once in all this time.

Ruth instead had flown to her when she could afford to, which wasn't often.

Then, finally, her daughter did fly out.

Just for a visit, she said.

But really, it was to check in on her mother, who did not seem well.

Her mother was well, physically.

The machinery of her body was working as smoothly as it could at that age, but she did not seem well in a general life sense.

It had been a long time since Ruth had talked about or even thought about that image of herself, smiling in a bright light.

Ruth's daughter wanted to try In-N-Out, had heard so many amazing things, and the food was good.

It was fine.

It was totally okay.

They sat eating totally okay burgers.

And Ruth's daughter took the little paper packets of salt and started laying them on the table, a mindless bit of activity.